DENVER - The word of the day for the Colorado Rapids is intensity. Or rather, the lack of intensity the Rapids have lately been displaying at the beginning of games, a failing that led to their 2-1 loss Wednesday night to the San Jose Earthquakes.
"We keep talking about it and then we just start out lazy, lackluster, and slow," said midfielder Terry Cooke. "We wait until we go a man down or a goal down and then we start picking the game up and it's not right."
Coach Fernando Clavijo believes that the problem is one of focus, not fitness.
"The curious thing for me is that we put in an incredible effort on a very hot day at altitude for the last 20 minutes, so fitness is not an issue," Clavijo said. "It is just about how we prepare mentally from the beginning so we dont get knocked down before we can react."
One bright spot for the Rapids was the MLS debut of Haitian rookie Fabrice Noel. In addition to displaying some dazzling moves in midfield, Noel was one of the few Rapids midfielders who attempted to play a possession game through the midfield.
"You see a young kid who comes in and demands the ball and wants to play when everyone else was pretty much running away from the ball," said Clavijo. "When things don't work you have to look and give an opportunity to somebody who wants it; somebody who's willing to run to the ball and make things happen. ... I was pleased with the way [Noel] played."
Goal scorer Wolde Harris believes some changes need to be made before their game Saturday at home against the Chicago Fire.
"We have to collectively find a way to get out of the gate much quicker and much faster to put teams under pressure, especially here at home," Harris said.
Clavijo agreed: "We need to come out to play, we need to come out with a different attitude, and we need to make sure we come out for 90 minutes."
Geoffrey Urland is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
