Sounders FC v Colorado Rapids
June 28th Kick off 1pm
Referee: Alex Prus.
Assistants: Emiliano Monje, Jeff Hosking; 4th: Mike Rottersman
Sounders and Rapids Meet for the Third Time
The two sides have already met in cup and league with a 1-1 MLS draw in Colorado being followed by a 1-0 Sounders victory at Tukwila in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Sounders goal scorer that day was Kevin Forrest who has just been released by the club.
Colorado Rapids History 101
On October 17, 1995, the Colorado Rapids were named as one of Major League Soccer’s original ten franchises. In the six months before their first game, the Rapids built a franchise from scratch, bringing in a veteran coaching staff and a solid core group of players that included many well-known international stars. Bobby Houghton became their first head coach and Kansas City their first ever opposition.
Eight days later, in front of a crowd of 21,711, Marcelo Balboa scored twice as the Rapids earned their first ever win with a 3-1 triumph over Dallas Burn. But despite having established USA national team players like (now Sounders technical director) Chris Henderson, Domenic Kinnear, Steve Trittschuh, Roy Wegerle and Balboa, Colorado weren’t successful in season one. They finished last in their conference and had the worst record in the nation.
1997 proved a totally different experience. A new coach, Glenn Myernick, was brought in and joined by a new General Manager, Dan Counce. Myernick brought in Paul Bravo, Wolde Harris, Ross Paule, and Seattle native and now Reading FC keeper Marcus Hahnemann.
After a shaky start, the Rapids made the post-season and progressed all the way to the MLS Cup Final, after Chris Henderson scored an 87th minute volley against Dallas in the Western Conference final. They lost the final 2-1 to D.C. United, and haven’t emulated that success since.
Colorado – the Dangermen and an Old Friend
Goalkeeper Preston Burpo will be the best known Rapids player to longer time Sounders fans. In 2005, Preston played 2,430 minutes for the USL-1 champion Seattle Sounders recording 124 saves. He has shared the goalkeeping duties with Matt Pickens this season, with both playing four games each.
The Rapids have acquired Pat Noonan from Columbus Crew. Sounders fans will remember his role in the goal that Crew scored at Qwest Field.
Pablo Mastroeni has 63 international appearances for the USA. The Argentine-born midfielder earned his first cap for his adopted country in a friendly against Ecuador on June 7, 2001 and was called into Bruce Arena’s World Cup squad for Japan/Korea 2002 despite having never appeared in a qualifier. He started in three of the United States five matches as the side reached the quarterfinals of the tournament for the first time since 1930. He has started seven of the Rapids eight games this season. Pablo proposed to his wife, Kelly Long, during a halftime television interview of a Miami Fusion’s match Sept. 5, 2000 at the Metrostars. Aah.
Midfielder Colin Clark has been impressive so far this season but has been a target for hatchet men on the opposition, particularly against Chivas USA where he was persistently fouled and left unprotected by a weak referee. Against Seattle, who are a relatively clean side, he may well get the chance to show his capability. It will be interesting to see how Sigi decides to cope with the threat Colin poses. He was invited to try out for the AC Milan youth system when he was in high school.
Centre forward Conor Casey will be absent as he is representing the USA in the Confederations Cup final.
Jordan Harvey was featured in Sports Illustrated as the Old Spice Athlete of the Month in October of 2001. He joined Colorado in the 2006 Supplemental Draft and had his breakout year in 2008, making his professional debut and playing in 15 matches. Entering his third year with the Rapids, he played a large role in the Rapids MLS Reserve Division championships in 2006 and 2007.
Forward Omar Cummings is one of the many Jamaicans plying their trade in MLS. He has amassed five caps now for the “Reggae Boyz” with one goal already scored, against Canada in a World Cup Qualifier last November. He has been called up to the Jamaican Gold Cup squad.
Colorado Form
Rapids are unbeaten in their last eight MLS games with three wins and five draws. In their last outing they secured a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas. Omar Cummings equalised six minutes from time to strike out a first half effort from Dallas’ David Ferreira.
Before that, they recorded a 3-0 home win over DC United, and are clearly the form time in MLS. They lie one point behind Seattle in the Western Conference but have played two games less.
Sounders Form
Sounders drew 1-1 in New York last week in a performance that heartened many because of the toughness they exhibited. Freddie Ljungberg didn’t play but is listed as a probable for Sunday’s game. The game before that was the incredible 3-3 draw against DC United.
Injury News
COLORADO RAPIDS
PROBABLE: GK Terry Cook (L knee strain)
SOUNDERS FC
OUT: GK Chris Eylander (L medial knee bone bruise); DF Zach Scott (groin injury); TAYLOR GRAHAM (metatarsal)
DOUBTFUL: FW Jarrod Smith (L hamstring strain); MF Brad Evans (L ankle sprain);
PROBABLE: MF Seb le Toux (R ankle sprain) (L hamstring strain); MF Freddie Ljungberg (hamstring)
Prost Amerika will bring you its match review immediately after the game.
Stadium Facts
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is comprised of the 18,000-seat home stadium of the Colorado Rapids and its surrounding 24-field, fully-lit soccer complex.
Constructed and operated by Kroenke Sports Enterprises, the Rocky Mountain Region’s leading sports & entertainment company, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park cost $131 million to build, which included construction of the stadium, the 24-field complex, and infrastructure improvements leading to the complex, such as road widening.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park’s 917-acre site is a public-private partnership between Kroenke Sports Enterprises and Commerce City. The site also hosts the brand new city offices of Commerce City, lots for retail outlets, offices for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and a new visitors’ and educational center for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, among other entities.
Colorado – The Fans
Colorado Rapids have fan groups called the The Front Range, Centennial Firm, Class VI, Legion 5280 and North Corner Council (NCC).
For more information about Colorado Fan Groups click here
For another match preview, visit the excellent Sounder at Heart website.
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