to be played just about four hours up the road -- in front of their own fans. "The fans are the advantage. Having the fans to back you helps a lot," De Rosario said. "We're confident in playing Colorado. I think we'd rather play here than in Dallas [for the conference championship.]
RAPIDS UPDATE: Just three weeks ago, the Colorado Rapids went to Robertson Stadium needing a result to secure their place in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They left it late, but an 88th-minute goal from Jacob Peterson gave them a 3-3 tie and the point they needed. Now they head to Houston just a victory away from a second-ever trip to an MLS Cup Final. "I think it's a whole new ballgame now," Rapids forward Jovan Kirovski said to the Rocky Mountain News. "Yeah, it's disappointing our regular season wasn't the best, but now all that matters is this one game. I've said all along during the season, we have the players here who can beat anybody on any given day. We have experienced players who have been around, and we're not afraid of anybody." ... The Rapids know what to expect from Dynamo on Sunday. The difficulty is in stopping them. "They play to their strengths and are very specific. They know what they want to play for," Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo said. "They have a defensive midfielder, in Ricardo Clark, who, for me, is one of the best. (Dwayne) DeRosario is outstanding in the offensive midfield. He creates a lot of things and has the freedom to go forward." Said Kirovski: "I think Houston is the most organized team in MLS. They play a certain way and stick to that way." ... With Thiago Martins suspended, Clavijo went to his veterans, putting Kirovski as the spearhead of the attack and Mathis underneath. Niko Hernandez was also moved to a wide role with Terry Cooke out injured, while Chris Wingert also got a start as a fullback with Dan Gargan out, because Clavijo said he wanted to maintain more possession. "You'll not see a lot of changes," he said, "but some for tactical reasons." ... Despite a sub-.500 season, it can all be erased on Sunday. "One game can change a whole season for all of us," Clavijo said. "One game we can erase everything we did not do throughout the year. We have always performed under pressure. To be honest with you, we do well every time with our backs to the wall."
