The Colorado Rapids have not won an MLS match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park since the opener back on April 7.
Then again, the Rapids haven't had a packed house since that match, a rousing win against D.C. United that helped christen the brand new grounds. So team officials are hopeful that a sold-out stadium Saturday will drive the team to a second victory at home. As of Friday morning, only standing-room tickets remained.
Fernando Clavijo's club has managed only a loss and three ties in Commerce City since the 2-1 win against United almost two months ago.
One variable that might swing matters back in the Rapids' favor is an improving injury situation along the back line, where starting defenders Ugo Ihemelu and Greg Vanney are returning to health. Ihemelu started earlier this week in the Rapids' U.S. Open Cup win against Real Salt Lake. Vanney has returned to practice but has not played in a match since spraining his left ankle in a May 13 win at the New York Red Bulls.
Just as important as the pair of starters' availability is the subsequent lineup options their health presents. Specifically, Pablo Mastroeni then becomes available to move into the midfield. Recently, the steady Kyle Beckerman has been paired in the center with Jovan Kirovski.
Second-year forward Jacob Peterson is another option to shake up the lineup coming off a stirring performance in the Open Cup win. Peterson started the match alongside Conor Casey and provided the Rapids' game-winner in the dying seconds.
MASTROENI THERE - AND BACK AGAIN: The Rapids are also trying to sort through a complex situation involving Mastroeni and his availability for upcoming MLS matches.
The important midfielder-turned-defender has been called into Bob Bradley's national team for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. But he has two games remaining on international suspension, stemming from last year's World Cup ejection against Italy.
So U.S. Soccer officials and Rapids officials are attempting to determine what, exactly, constitutes "sitting out" a match. If being named to the U.S. team for a tournament is enough, Mastroeni might be released back to the Rapids for matches during the period of suspension.
If Mastroeni must be present, however, then Bradley would likely opt to keep him with the team for the tournament's duration, therefore fulfilling the suspension. Rapids officials hope to have more answers by early next week, if not by the weekend.
REDS AND HOOPS, PARTNERS?: Could a partnership be near for Major League Soccer's team in Dallas and the recent Champions League runner-up, Liverpool FC? FC Dallas general manager Michael Hitchcock and ranking members of the Hunt Sports Group have spent time recently with Liverpool ownership partner Tom Hicks.
Hicks, who lives in Dallas, recently paired with George Gillett to purchase a controlling interest in Liverpool. So the likelihood of Liverpool playing matches at Pizza Hut Park or taking advantage of the complex's ample training fields in some kind of visit to Dallas have improved dramatically.
"Obviously, Liverpool is one of the logical options for us," Hitchcock said. "It does make sense in a lot of ways for both of us.
"By no means do we have a partnership finalized," he said. "But there is a lot of interest on both sides."
FC Dallas has endeavored over the last two years to form global partnerships. The goal was to form one such agreement with a Mexican club, a South American club and a European club. Mexico's Tigres UANL and Brazil's Atletico Paranaense have filled the first two "roster" spots. Hitchcock said a number of teams from Europe are under consideration.
But only one of them has an owner that lives down the road from Pizza Hut Park. Hicks also owns the Dallas area's Major League Baseball team (the Texas Rangers) and the local NHL team (the Dallas Stars).
The two existing partnerships include a pair of annual exhibition games with each club. FC Dallas has already exchanged exhibitions in 2007 with Paranaense and will meet Tigres in a home-and-away series later this summer. So Hitchcock said that, yes, any new partnership would include a game in Frisco.
Or, alternatively, the long-range vision is to create an international tournament, which would include FC Dallas and its three foreign partners.
One thing seems certain: nothing is likely to happen this summer with Liverpool, at least not with an exhibition. FC Dallas' schedule is jam-packed due to SuperLiga, U.S. Open Cup, MLS play and the home-and-away series with Tigres.
COMING AND GOING TO THE NORTH: Just seven weeks into the MLS season, 21 players already have played minutes for Toronto FC. That number will rise quickly with a number of Mo Johnston's top players expected to miss games soon not just for Canada, but also for Wales (Carl Robinson) and for the U.S. under-20s (Maurice Edu).
But Johnston's men have some work to do before challenging the original MetroStars in terms of stocking the rosters and stuffing the score sheets. In 1996, no fewer than 36 players got on the field for the MetroStars.
CALL-UPS TAKE A BITE: The New England Revolution will feel the impact of the upcoming Gold Cup more than most teams, and will definitely be affected more than any other MLS club where it comes to losing important U.S. internationals. Taylor Twellman, Michael Parkhurst and (the apparently ageless) Steve Ralston were all selected by Bob Bradley to assist in the U.S. chase for the Gold Cup in June.
MLS players will report on June 3, with the Gold Cup final set for June 24 in Chicago. Don't be surprised to see Bradley's men in the Windy City on that date, defending their 2005 title.
While New England's roster will certainly feel the sting of the international call-ups the timing does, at least, favor Steve Nicol's team. The Revs have four MLS contests over that period. All four are at home and the opponents involved (Kansas City, Columbus, Real Salt Lake and Toronto) have a combined record of 7-12-6.
TWO PLACES AT ONCE?: Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan gets to have his national team cake and eat it, too.
Guzan was among three goalkeepers named by Bradley to assist in the Gold Cup defense. That's a swell honor for the rising 22-year-old goalkeeper.
But Bradley said Guzan won't necessarily miss any games for Chivas USA, which is good for both club and player. Guzan has been among the steadiest MLS goalkeepers this year. (And plenty of observers still believe Toronto FC's entire season may have changed if not for Guzan standing so tall in the opening minutes of the Canadian club's debut. Only some big moments from Guzan kept TFC from taking an early lead and perhaps riding the confidence to better subsequent performances.)
Tim Howard and Kasey Keller are the clear Nos. 1 and 2 in the U.S. net, according to Bradley. Guzan will be an "emergency" 'keeper for the Gold Cup. That is, he'll only be brought into camp if something happens to one of his peers.
"I think Brad, as a young goalkeeper, has benefited greatly from working with Timmy and Kasey," Bradley said. "The plan at the moment is that Brad would be the third goalkeeper but would stay and play games with Chivas USA unless we suffer an injury and need to call him in."
NOT THE FIRE'S MONTH: The Chicago Fire's dispiriting May is getting close to becoming a record-setting month. The club's 3-0 loss Thursday represented its fourth consecutive setback. That marks the Fire's first four-game losing streak since 2002, when the team not only fell four times in a row in MLS contests, but also lost to Mexico's Morelia in the CONCACAF Champions Cup during that time.
Chicago will aim to avoid a winless May on Sunday when it plays Real Salt Lake at Toyota Park. A loss would match the club's longest losing streak; Chicago lost five consecutively early in its expansion season in 1998.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
