2009 MLS Preview: Colorado Rapids

By: travis | March 6th, 2009

Starting March 4, and continuing up until March 19, I’ll be previewing every team prior to the First Kick of the 2009 season. I’m going in alphabetical order, with a final season prediction coming at the end of everything. My goal? To make sure that every team is covered here at MLS Offside, with each team blog going into much further detail than I will.

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Colorado blogger needed! Our Colorado blog is currently unmanned and looking for love. This is an unpaid position, but a lot of fun and a way to share the love of your team. If you worship Colorado and like to write about soccer, please email Daryl, daryl[at]theoffside[dot]com.

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Moving out into the mountain regions of Colorado, today’s team is one searching for a return to the playoffs. Last season was all about the coaching change and inconsistent play nagging at the Rocky Mountain club. Of note, Colorado seems headed towards a jersey sponsor, as the release of this year’s kit has revealed the removal of the logo and a big, blank spot where a corporate sponsor should go. There’s a strong veteran presence out in Colorado, and under Gary Smith they are aiming for a successful 2009 campaign.

2008: 11-14-5, 38 pts, finished fourth in the West.

Services acquired: Ivan Guerrero, Ty Harden, Matt Pickens

Left the building: Christian Gomez, Mike Petke, Bouna Coundoul, Jose Burciaga Jr, Facundo Erpen, Tom McManus

Coach: Gary Smith, former Arsenal man is starting his first full season as the coach of the Rapids.

All Eyes on Me: The Jamaican forward Omar Cummings will be called upon to lead the Rapids attack this season. With the Christian Gomez situation no more, Cummings will look to team up with Conor Casey up front and provide a majority of the goals.

Player(s) to Watch: The keeper battle between Matt Pickens and Preston Burpo will be a key point to the Rapids this season. Burpo saw a lot of time in net last year as Bouna Coundoul traveled to Africa for Senegal qualifiers. With Coundoul out of the picture, Pickens was brought in to challenge for the number one jersey. The ever-important Pablo Mastroeni looked like he was going to try his luck overseas, but instead is back for more, and his presence is vital in shutting down the opposing attack. Along with that, former USMNTer Cory Gibbs looks to stay healthy and key the back line. His return to MLS in August of last year went fairly well, with nine starts in nine games. Englishman Terry Cooke had 12 assists last season, and his service to Cummings and Casey will help spur on the Rapids attack.

Young Guns: Goalie Steward Ceus is an interesting prospect to look out for. With the goalie situation up in the air, Ceus could surprise some people by picking up a start or two as the season progresses. The 6-foot-6 striker from the University of Albany might even stake his claim on the starting jersey by the end of the year — although that is more of a long shot. The recent acquisition of former Joe Public striker Gregory Richardson raised a few eyebrows, as he has yet to sign a contract. Richardson is best known for scoring a hat trick against New England during their CONCACAF Champions League qualifier last summer. However, it isn’t certain whether or not he will stay. If he does, he could provide depth at the forward position and look to recapture last year’s hat trick magic.

Bottom Line: With Gary Smith at the helm from the start of 2009, the Rapids are starting off with an entire preseason under the coach who took over during 2008. This should help Colorado discover some much needed consistency, as they struggled last season trying to find an identity while switching into a new system midway through the season. There aren’t any acquisitions or changes that really stand out aside from sending Christian Gomez back to D.C. in exchange for Ivan Guerrero, so you’d have to hope from a Rapids perspective that continuity will lead to success. Looking at the Rapids on paper, they have a veteran-heavy roster in every position — it’s just a matter of these particular players staying healthy and consistent week-in and week-out. I can see this team making the playoffs with ease come the end of the year, although a lot will depend on the goalie situation.