With more than a week to prepare for their next game, the Rapids will spend the majority of their time working on location, location, location.
Despite an abundance of strikers and attacking midfielders, the Rapids (5-4-2) have struggled to create scoring opportunities and have been pressed to finish many of those chances.
With Chivas USA (4-5-1) visiting Invesco Field at Mile High on June 21, Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo will try to get the goals flowing by revisiting a cleaner transition game, holding the ball up top and getting quicker combination play.
“We need to work on being in the right place for the ball and attacking from different areas,” Clavijo said Monday.
A little more than a third into the season, Clavijo said he is pleased with the team, which is in third place (17 points) in the Western Conference and singled out winger Terry Cooke, defender Hunter Freeman and newest signing Aitor Karanka for being effective.
Cooke leads Major League Soccer with six assists. Freeman has solidified his starting role at the troublesome right back position. Karanka has created a strong partnership with Mike Petke in the central defense.
The Rapids have scored 15 goals in 11 games this season but have a minus-2 goal difference.
Much of that disparity came in a 5-2, season-opening loss to Houston and a 4-1 loss to Chivas USA on June 3.
Striker to audition
Argentine striker Victorio Aldolfo Martini will audition for the Rapids this week, Clavijo said. Martini, 21, is a product of the River Plate youth academy and recently has been on loan with a club in the Argentine second division.
Clavijo said Martini is skilled and fast and could be signed to fill the team’s roster vacancy.
Clavijo said the Rapids are ready to bring in a player now that goalie Matt Jordan is nearly healthy after injuring his back early in the season.
The Rapids could have another spot to fill if defender Matt Crawford is unable to recover from a nagging hip injury, which forced the 25-year-old to miss nearly the entire 2005 season.
“We need to do something in the next two weeks here,” Clavijo said.
Footnotes
Chivas USA striker Ante Razov was named MLS player of the week. Razov scored three goals in two games last week. … The Rapids reserve team will take on the Boulder Rapids Reserve PDL at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Pleasant View Fields in Boulder in an exhibition match.
