The much-maligned Rapids tactics aren’t improving

People make way too much of formations. Except for the very start of the match when the two teams are lined up ready for kick-off, it's rare that the players on a team are going to look exactly the way that the starting XI had them laid out. Players rotate in attack, fullbacks overlap, midfielders switch positions and sides, and there are a hundred other tiny tweaks in form that a team can take that really makes the formation they started the match in more of a mental thing than a physical one.

Specifically, there seems to be no reason to believe this team has any tactical plan when it comes to attacking. Their attacks consist of a seemingly-random assortment of long balls, counter attacks, and runs to the end line ending in an ill-fated cross.

Watch essentially any attack from the SKC match again, and you'll see one of a two things:

That seems to be the Rapids way at the moment. We were expecting things to improve when Solignac and Doyle showed up, but there's really little they can do because they're not receiving the chances they need to succeed. When the team has nearly everyone in defend-first mode and teaches nothing of off-the-ball movement to the attacking corps, you're left hoping for either set pieces or luck.

The Rapids are on pace to score 24 goals this year, which would be one of the absolute worst seasons of offense in MLS history (2010 DC United, possibly the worst MLS team of all time, scored a paltry 21). There has been absolutely zero indication that the Rapids even see what the problem is right now judging by the lack of comments from… well, anybody. We needed an improvement in tactics; we got absolutely nothing, and no indication that things will be changed. It may be an even longer second half to the season than the first was.