Three Keys To the Game – Rapids vs. Sounders

Score Early, Score Often – I know, I know. Saying that scoring more goals than the other team will lead to an easy win is commentary on the verge of heading into Alexi Lalas territory, but hear me out here. The idea isn't just that the Rapids need to put goals onto the board, it's that they need to do so early on in the game, at the very least in the first half (or first half hour?). The Sounders have had a surprising amount of trouble matching their opponents goals this season and there are few teams in the league that can match the Rapids goal for goal when the Rapids are hot. After two weeks going goalless on the road, the easiest way to get their confidence back is to knock a quick one past

. If they struggle in front of goal the way that they did againstPablo Mastroeni – "Oh, Pablooooo Mastroeni! They say he's just defense… they say he's just defense…" Rapids fans sing that chant in the terraces every week. After seeing him missing from the team for two weeks, it's pretty clear that when they're saying he's just defense, they're talking out of their behinds. Pablo's underrated ability to control the midfield and pretty much launch attacks via the counter after stealing the ball in midfield was painfully missing against Dallas as Joesph Nane attempted and struggled to fit the same position. As a result, we saw almost nothing out of the offense simply because the strikers never seemed to get the ball. If he's back in the game against Seattle, we're certain to see a much more fun match from the perspective of the Rapids fan. After all, "That's why he's our captain."