The playoffs are not the time when most teams bench their leading scorer or dust off a player for his first start in two months and then ask him to play out of position.
But such is life for Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo, an eternal optimist with confidence as thick and impervious as Teflon.
“It’s simple,” Clavijo said with a smile Wednesday as the Rapids practiced for their Major League Soccer showdown Saturday against FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas.
One team must score to win the second leg of the aggregate- scoring series after the teams battled to a 0-0 tie last week at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Not surprisingly, FC Dallas played defensively, utilizing one forward and five midfielders to eat up space in the Rapids’ attacking zone. The surprise was Rapids 12-goal scorer Jeff Cunningham resigned to the bench for 70 minutes and Leo Cullen playing right back in his first game since July 20.
Clavijo defended his tactics, saying FC Dallas’ packed defense and penchant for counterattacking down the flanks forced his hand.
“Looking back, absolutely, I was right on target,” he said.
Clavijo used Jean Philippe Peguero and Jovan Kirovski as attackers, counting on their size to be more effective than Cunningham’s speed.
Cunningham said he was not upset with coming in off the bench and said the depth and current form of the squad has made Clavijo’s selection process tough. Cunningham conceded he and Kirovski are not “on the same page” offensively.
“Just knowing Peguero, and knowing what his tendencies are, for me, it’s a better partnership,” Cunningham said. “But the same time, Jovan is a great player, so you have to find a way to keep him on the field.”
Cullen, who typically is a defensive midfielder, appears likely to maintain his right back position with Nat Borchers struggling to recover from an ankle injury.
Clavijo said he likes Cullen because he is a stay-home defender who won’t get burned down the flanks by FC Dallas’ counterattack and has more experience than rookies Hunter Freeman and Dan Gargan.
Since acquiring Kirovski from Los Angeles last month, Clavijo has used the forward in every game to complement Cunningham or Peguero. Kirovski is a possession player who tracks back for the ball, attracts defenders and opens up space for strikers.
Clavijo said Kirovski was drifting too far back against FC Dallas, crowding attacking midfielder Alain Nkong and creating unusable gaps up top and in front of defensive midfielder Kyle Beckerman.
Kirovski rebounded in the second half with one of his better performances and the team seemed to surge when Cunningham replaced Cullen in the 70th minute and came close to scoring on two occasions.
Clavijo said to solve FC Dallas’ 4-5-1 formation the Rapids must be patient, play the ball wide, get crosses into the penalty area and shoot from long range. The Rapids expect FC Dallas to maintain its defensive approach at Pizza Hut Park.
“I don’t know how their fans are going to take it, but they need to do more than what they tried to do here,” Clavijo said. “We will be prepared if they do that. Absolutely.”
Footnote
Rapids goalie Joe Cannon sat out practice Wednesday but said he expects to play Saturday. He said he is getting shots to alleviate discomfort from a lower abdominal strain.
