If a team really is only as good as its most recent game, consider Rapids’ playoff opponent FC Dallas on notice.
The Hoops, who already had secured the No. 1 seed in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, were bombed Saturday 5-2 by a Los Angeles team with nothing to play for.
The Rapids, meanwhile, clawed back for a 3-3 tie in Houston to set up a first-round rematch of the 2005 playoff series the Rapids won.
“It was a good wake-up call,” FC Dallas midfielder Simo Valakari said. “We have to do the little things right.”
FC Dallas played Los Angeles “wide open” and paid for it, Valakari said. That stinging result could factor into Saturday’s game at Invesco Field at Mile High.
FC Dallas was aggressive in a 2-0 win Aug. 30 over the Rapids at Invesco Field, but the Rapids were missing stars Pablo Mastroeni and Kyle Beckerman.
Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo is wary of the Hoops using five midfielders to clog the field and said he would be “very surprised” if they didn’t play a more defensive style.
Valakari and defender Chris Gbandi said they don’t expect extra defensive tactics and the Hoops should stay in their 4-4-2 formation.
Questions on defense
Mike Petke’s suspension is one game more than the Rapids initially thought and could be one of two unexpected changes to their defense for Saturday.
Petke was sent off Oct. 7 for verbally abusing referee Brian Hall, who flashed a yellow card and then a straight red, rather than an additional yellow. The yellow card suspended Petke for the next game for card accumulation, and the red cost him a second game.
Mastroeni filled in for Petke last weekend and should remain with Aitor Karanka in the central defense.
On the defensive wings, Matt Crawford, Hunter Freeman and Dan Gargan have become Clavijo’s primary picks, but that could change.
In last season’s playoff against FC Dallas, Clavijo pulled a mild shocker by starting seldom-used Leo Cullen to give the Rapids a stay-at-home defender that wouldn’t get burned by FC Dallas’ counterattack.
“I would not be surprised to see some changes,” Clavijo said.
Eric Denton and Chris Wingert would be the next defenders in line. Denton played in 22 games this season on the left side, and Wingert can play in the middle and outside. Clavijo alluded to using Stephen Keel on several occasions this season, although the Littleton product has yet to play an MLS match and favors the center.
Left still not right
Clavijo admitted he has not settled on a replacement for left-side midfielder Dedi Ben-Dayan, who returned to Israel in July. The Rapids have used rookies Jacob Peterson and Colin Clark, and striker Nicolas Hernandez.
“It’s a revolving door right now,” Clavijo said.
Odds are Peterson would remain in the role he has filled admirably in the past two games, recording two crucial goals.
Footnotes
Two FC Dallas players have Colorado prep connections. Aaron Pitchkolan attended Regis High School and David Wagenfuhr went to Rampart in Colorado Springs.
