Yeah, I know. That game was crap from start to finish, but we're still going to try our hardest to come out with a Man of the Match. (I'd do a Goat of the Match, but that would probably just turn into a 150-word long post of me screaming various curse words.)
Here's a couple of candidates, though nobody was exactly stellar:
Yeah, I got nothing. Vote!
Though he's certainly taken his lumps (specifically, a lump or six in that Sounders match) in his two-year tenure as Rapids manager, it's hard to argue that Oscar Pareja and his team haven't taken a good number of steps forward. Pareja has evolved as a manager, built a team that made the playoffs a year before they were supposed to and have about 10 players that are set to get even better as they escape their youths and hit their primes.
It's pretty certain that the Hoops are going to have to pay out the ass for Pareja if they want him back in Dallas. Colorado's front office absolutely loves him, the fans have started to warm up to him now and he's got a team that he built in Colorado now. In addition, he doesn't strike me as the type to leave a job half-finished. There's absolutely nothing that is pointing to a likely return to Dallas for our gaffer. In the end, I don't think it's particularly likely.
Still, it's something to watch.
Though he's certainly taken his lumps (specifically, a lump or six in that Sounders match) in his two-year tenure as Rapids manager, it's hard to argue that Oscar Pareja and his team haven't taken a good number of steps forward. Pareja has evolved as a manager, built a team that made the playoffs a year before they were supposed to and have about 10 players that are set to get even better as they escape their youths and hit their primes.
It's pretty certain that the Hoops are going to have to pay out the ass for Pareja if they want him back in Dallas. Colorado's front office absolutely loves him, the fans have started to warm up to him now and he's got a team that he built in Colorado now. In addition, he doesn't strike me as the type to leave a job half-finished. There's absolutely nothing that is pointing to a likely return to Dallas for our gaffer. In the end, I don't think it's particularly likely.
Still, it's something to watch.
It was a year of growth for everyone, including and especially Oscar Pareja. Hopefully this will turn into one of the biggest learning experiences yet for the second-year man. Until then, let's toast to a far better season than anyone expected and look forward to knocking them dead in 2014.
We haven't done a game thread on Burgundy Wave in ages. They're standard practice on SB Nation, but back in 2010 when the blog started there wasn't really anything resembling a community to chat about in the game threads, and so I stopped doing them in 2011 after realizing that making an empty game thread for every single match was not only boring, but looked really, really sad as well.
Well, this is the playoffs and I'm feeling frisky. Let's get this thing started.
We haven't done a game thread on Burgundy Wave in ages. They're standard practice on SB Nation, but back in 2010 when the blog started there wasn't really anything resembling a community to chat about in the game threads, and so I stopped doing them in 2011 after realizing that making an empty game thread for every single match was not only boring, but looked really, really sad as well.
Well, this is the playoffs and I'm feeling frisky. Let's get this thing started.
The problem with that formation, of course, lies in the wings, where the diamond is usually pinched in to keep the ball working up the middle until the fullbacks work their way up the field on the attack. That leaves occasional pockets of space to work with if you're the other team and you're looking to find a way to attack back.
Say, this sounds like it could potentially be an all right situation for the Rapids! In fact, if Seattle play that way, Colorado will be in an altogether decent tactical situation right from the outset. It's no secret that the Rapids have a system of pressure and possession in the deep center of the park with fast waves of attack down the wings. Against a team that is leaving their fullbacks a bit more exposed than they might be in a more width-based system, Colorado can punish them simply by executing their natural game.
When the defense is on point behind them, it's usually a good day for the Rapids, even though a goal is allowed on occasion. And make no mistake, a goal will likely be allowed today. When looking at the road record of this team — I'm not counting the Vancouver game in this, because the team clearly was struggling to find motivation — the offense has often been the biggest problem, even in matches where the defense struggled as well.
I'm not here to talk defense, though. I'm fairly certain that the Rapids are going to let in at least one goal. Everything is against them in that category. A desperate Sounders team, flooding the midfield and playing in front of a raucous crowd? It's hard to bet against that producing at least one. I'm here to talk about how the Rapids should be able to score a few of their own.
Unfortunately, the Rapids as a team were sitting back in that match, as we so often saw them do on the road this year. It wasn't completely Harris' fault that he could scarcely make anything happen, because he received the ball most of the time while standing around or just past the halfway line. Labrocca hardly fared better, because the Seattle fullbacks had Atiba and Nick's numbers and were easily closing down Brown by double-covering him. Colorado had nine shots all day. One was the goal. Seven of the others were taken from outside the box, and the majority of those came nowhere close or were blocked. Despite the draw and Labrocca grabbing the assist on the set piece goal, I think that was one of the worst games that Pareja coached all year.
What's the biggest difference between those two games? Pareja's lineup choices and decision to go out and ruthlessly put bodies forward from minute one instead of sitting that few feet back, something that has been a theme from home to road games this year.
You do not get that when you sit back and play a slow and ambling game in the attacking half, though. Watch the matches against the Quakes and the Caps again. There's no movement, no speed, no intensity, no isolation. When Edson Buddle was in the box, he was usually surrounded or incredibly tightly marked, because he had to catch up to the play. Nick Labrocca is not a striker, and it shows when he's forced to try and make things happen in the final third. Atiba Harris is good at what he does best, but what he does best clashes badly with what the Rapids do best. (Gary Smith'd love him, though!)
It can look like longball sometimes when things aren't clicking, because it kind of is. They're hoofing it to the unmoving forwards, who at that point are best served either passing back, taking on the defense by themselves (Deshorn Brown actually did that a few times, to be fair) or hoping that an overlapping run by a fullback can make it happen instead. I recall at least one time in that Whitecaps game, Buddle got the ball smacked to him, standing in front of all four Whitecaps defenders, who didn't even move that much to take him on. It was lifeless, and a perfect symbol for the road play that I was talking about before.
For those of you who didn't want to read all of that garglemesh, here's the TL;DR version:
If Pareja decides to go do-or-die and plays the same type of game he loves to play at home with a lineup that features speed and talent on isolation plays, I think the Rapids have a chance to nick a goal or two in this match, and perhaps even shock the world with a victory. If he goes conservative and sits back like he has so many other times… let's not talk about it. Go Rapids.
Here's what we all think will happen:
Purple Rox – Sporting KC vs. LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy will win the West. As much as I hate to say this, the two time defending champ still is the team to beat out West. Real can't seem to beat them and Portland, while strong, has been extremely lucky with all their ties and goal tending, and ultimately will be exposed with a Galaxy team clicking on all cylinders.
KC will win the East. Defense wins. KC has only allowed 30 goals all season. A late season surge has them moving in the right direction. With Zusi, Besler, and Nielsen, I don't see even the likes of New York besting them in a 2 games.
Keane and Donovan against KC's defense? I'll take KC's defense and Zusi. KC will hoist their second cup since 2000.
New York as always underperformed and the club has finally won some silverware to go in Red Bull Arena with the 2013 Supporter's Shield Trophy. Personally, I think this trophy has lost significance ever since MLS went away from a balanced schedule, but that's an argument for another day. New York have done well at home and should have enough firepower to go back to the MLS Cup for the first time since 2008. Former Rapids player Mike Petke has had a fantastic debut season as manager for the Red Bulls.
Steve Vockrodt – LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls
This is the year that MLS's wet dream of a L.A.-New York final comes true. L.A. has too many weapons and always steps up their game in the postseason when international call-ups aren't calling. New York rides to the final on the strength of their offense, but will succumb to a stronger L.A. side.
RockyCoors – Sporting KC vs. Portland Timbers
It's simple enough that if Kansas City hosts the MLS Cup, then they will bring the silverware back to Missouri for the second time. Portland does it's best work at home but on the road are average. While both have excellent atmospheres for growing supporters if one of these teams hosts the final then that's who the smart money is going to be bet on.
That ends up being three votes for SKC, two for the Galaxy, and one vote each for the Timbers and Rapids. Just about everyone (Ben!) thinks that either SKC or the Galaxy are going to make it to the final, if not both. It's worth noting that last year, only one of our contributors got their prediction right. Even then, Chris thought that the Galaxy were gonna beat the Red Bulls.
Who's your pick for the MLS Cup this year?
More from Burgundy Wave:
As per usual, we've had a chat with Dave Clark from Sounder At Heart. His answers to my questions about the Sounders are below, you can find my answers to his questions about the Rapids over at SaH.
BW: Since we last met, there's been a… bit of a dip in form from the Sounders. What's the biggest reason for the sudden spat of bad results leading into the playoffs?
SaH: I think if there was one easy answer it would have been fixed already. It clearly hasn't been fixed. While the team is performing better than they were it still isn't right. Problem the first, getting numbers sucked forward while facing youthful speedsters. Maybe Seattle uses tactical fouls a bit better now. Problem the second, getting the ball to the forwards in dangerous areas. Using Clint as a CAM in the diamond may have solved that. Problem the third, health. The team is much healthier than it was and may be as close to full health as they'll get until the offseason. Problem the fourth, depth. With more health Sigi will have options off the bench that are capable of changing games. That's something unseen for some time here. Still, it is only better. The next month will determine if it is good enough.
SaH: The team and Clint are figuring this 'playing with Dempsey' thing out. The fanbase seemed to think that he would just waltz in and do whatever he wanted. This team game took some time to develop. His passing and awareness of his teammates is better. Those same teammates are starting to learn that than can be more aggressive taking spaces because the passes Dempsey can make are better than they are used to seeing. One of the great things about Playoffs is that a team can ride one great player. Seattle has a great player. It's time to ride him.
BW: There's been a lot of talk about Sigi's job come the end of the year. Is it all just talk, and if it's not, what's the bare minimum that his team needs to accomplish for him to keep it? Just beating Colorado? Any deep playoff run? MLS Cup?
SaH: Both lead owner Joe Roth and owner/GM Adrian Hanauer have said that they will not make the decision to retain or release Sigi based off of just the Playoffs. That makes answering this question a bit tough. Sigi had a poor regular season by Seattle standards. How much of that was his fault and how much of it was because of injuries and other absences? If Sigi gets hot and goes on a deep run it's pretty certain he's staying. If the team struggles in an early round (this or the next) then things get complicated. It's a discussion that is ripping through every comments section at Sounder at Heart and honestly, no one really knows the answer.
Projected Lineup: Gspurning; Gonzalez, Traore, Hurtado, Yedlin; Alonso; Evans, Rosales; Dempsey; Johnson, Martins
Thanks again to Dave from Sounder At Heart.
Good news! Originally it looked like the big playoff match between the Colorado Rapids and the Seattle Sounders was going to be eschewed on the national TV circuit (which would have been immensely confusing given how much MLS loves to show Seattle's crowds on that stage) because the MLSSoccer preview read that it was to be shown on MLS Live.
Fortunately, it looks like things have been swapped around, and the Rapids-Sounders match will indeed be shown on NBC Sports Network on Wednesday evening. If you're in Colorado or Seattle, the match will be shown on the usual local networks. (Altitude 2 for the Colorado folk.)
I don't think I need to remind you what happened the last time that the Rapids were on National TV against the Sounders. (I do not expect this to happen again.)
This is awesome for pretty much everyone but me, since I don't own a TV and was expecting to watch the match on Live. Sadly, everything closes in St. Petersburg by 10:00 pm and I'm gonna have to go to Buffalo Wild Wings or something to watch a 10:30 start. Pray for me! (I'm joking.)
