The Colorado Rapids relish the chance to hit the road again this weekend, taking on Seattle Sounders FC for an MLS rematch and a chance to extract vengeance on the team that knocked them out of the U.S. Open Cup.
A win Sunday would find Colorado leapfrogging past Seattle into third place in the Western Conference as the team continues a steady ascent up the table and looks to extend an eight-match unbeaten streak and collect three points on the road as they have done twice already this season, defeating L.A. and New York in April and May, respectively. Downing Sounders FC would make for a perfect trilogy of big road wins in successive months.
"We've played a lot of games at the beginning of the year where we're on the road and we've got to overcome some injuries, some people in, some people out," team captain Pablo Mastroeni said. "This is just another challenge for us. Come Sunday, we'll be ready to take on a good Seattle team in front of a hostile environment. The attitude stays the same. We're going to go there and try to do our best to accumulate points."
The Rapids attitude and their work ethic has seen them through schedule challenges at every turn. Though they won't whine about it, it's typical of their season that the benefit of back-to-back games at home comes in a span of playing three games in eight days, the final one far away in Seattle. They bring a surging squad to Seattle, high on confidence and fully fit, save for a case of "tired legs," as head coach Gary Smith put it.
"The lads have put a lot of effort into the game, but that is football," Smith said. "That is the season. We've got to deal with that as well as everybody else does, and one thing we won't do is complain. The group will get on with it. What I know is that you will get every ounce and breath out of them, and they'll give it everything they've got at Seattle over the weekend."
The expansion Sounders FC have been the surprise of the season, starting strong and riding a stretch of 10 matches with only one loss into Sunday's match. They boast the best supporters in the league in terms of turnout, with an average attendance of over 29,000 through the club's first eight home games.
"It's going to be a good crowd. It wakes you up," Mastroeni said. "Especially with three games in a week, there's nothing better than going to a place that's a little over the top, and you're going to feel like you're playing in a different league, as far as the atmosphere and how good they are as fans. I think it's going to be good for us and wake us up a little bit and get us in the game real quickly."
Quick is always good for Colorado, as they've scored first in all five of their wins on the season. They have adjusted well to the absence of striker Conor Casey, who was tied for the league lead in goals when he left to participate in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Omar Cummings has risen to the challenge, scoring four goals in his last three games since Casey's call-up. The acquisition of Pat Noonan has helped the club keep pace over the past two matches and 1-0-2 without Casey.
"Pat was a little more creative, effective going forward," Smith said of Noonan's second start at forward since joining the club 10 days earlier. "He certainly looked as though he was in a much better physical position. On another day he may have had more efforts at goal, but that wasn't necessarily down to Pat's inability. His movement was terrific. What he does, he creates space for himself in and around the area."
Though Smith continues to characterize the team as "suffering for a lack of Plan B" on the front line, the Rapids attack has been consistent throughout the season. The lack of depth among strikers could haunt them if Casey and Cummings ever answer call-ups simultaneously, but so far Smith has shown that his squad has the resources to take points under the most challenging conditions.
Colorado's defense has been in prime form, limiting opportunities for opponents and holding teams to two goals over the last three games, posting their second clean sheet a week ago against D.C. United.
The Rapids and Sounders FC played to a 2-2 draw in Colorado in May, and despite pairing up for an Open Cup match four days later, the match was held at the Sounders training facility, not at their home stadium where the rematch will take place Sunday.
"They're going to be a difficult task at home," Smith admitted. "Good support. They play a very pressurizing game at home. We're going to need to be in top form to get anything out of it. But we've been many places this season when people expected us to get nothing, and we've come away with something.
"One thing's for sure, you can bet this group will give it everything they've got. If it's a lack of quality, then we'll get beat with a lack of quality, but it certainly won't be for a lack of effort."
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
