Defending MLS champs Colorado Rapids have a tough road schedule in May, but head coach Gary Smith likes both the start and end of the 2011 season, where he hopes his team will take advantage of a favorable home stretch.
The Rapids will be keen to get off to a good start in March and April, a span in which they will have four of their first seven games at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. After that, the club will play four away games in May that include two midweek fixtures, in Houston and New York.
Colorado will finish off the regular season with three of their last four games at home against San Jose (Sept. 24), Dallas (Oct. 1) and Rocky Mountain rivals Real Salt Lake (Oct. 14).
READ: Rivalries highlight 2011 MLS schedule
“I’d hope that the four games at home will give us a bit of an edge and help us get into our stride,” Smith told MLSsoccer.com. “Those three games in the last four, while you would expect those [opponents] to be in contention, they are home games and that could be helpful in the run-in."
Apart from the New York and Houston midweek games, the May stretch includes away games against New England and D.C. United. The Rapids’ only home games that month will be against Toronto (May 22) and Sporting Kansas City (May 28). Those two fixtures sandwich the match against New York.
Smith trusts his roster will be up for the challenge.
“With the increased amount of games to play, we have to expect there will be some of these midweek fixtures,” he said. “It does mean a lot of travel and it is going to be a tough season. We just have to hope we have a strong enough squad to deal with it and that is my job to ensure that.”
The Rapids leave for a six-day preseason trip to Arizona on Friday, where they will play four games against Kansas City, Columbus, the LA Galaxy and the US U-18s.
