We know how that story ended. 'The Rapids Way' was utterly dismantled last season by Mastroeni, who right from the start of the season was doing his own thing instead of the old thing. Cohesion was lacking, players were being moved all over the field and the ill-fated '30 starters' mentality meant that everyone was getting a shot, deserved or not. The Rapids used a 4-2-3-1, a diamond midfield, a flat midfield, a defensive 4-5-1 like the one Gary Smith's Rapids started out 2010 with, and probably some other one-off shots that I'm forgetting. The way that Pablo coached last year reminded me of my first time ever playing Football Manager, when I decided to take my assistant coach's pep talks a bit too literally and changed my formation almost every single game.
"The Rapids Way" was supposed to be a beautiful thing to watch, a 4-2-3-1 with rotation, speed, movement and grit all rolled into a winning formula. We saw approximately none of that, which may have been the most disappointing thing of all about last season.
However, with great caution, we're going to have to move right back to what we were thinking in 2014 because the Rapids are throwing the same line out. This time, Pablo Mastroeni is a year wiser, but is it a 'fool me twice, shame on me' situation?
Formation & Style
This preseason was actually rather promising for the Rapids this time around, at least in terms of a preview of what's to come on the field. Back is the 4-2-3-1, and the team is insisting that once again the old Rapids Way is back in business. Early returns from preseason play were spotty, but fun to watch.
Potential Starting Lineup
Check out the other parts of our Rapids Season Preview:
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Matt Pollard 