Commerce City – On paper, the Rapids’ overhauled defense looked like one of the best in Major League Soccer, even to a harsh critic like Fernando Clavijo, a Hall of Fame defender.
That only made his smile a little sweeter after Saturday’s 2-1 victory over D.C. United, a team most pundits have tapped to be one of the dangerous teams this season.
With the addition of veterans Brandon Prideaux on the right and Greg Vanney on the left and young speedster Ugo Ihemelu in the middle, the Rapids had few troubles cleaning up any mess United created.
“We never really allowed them to take a look,” Clavijo said.
With center back Mike Petke and keeper Bouna Coundoul as the only players returning from a defense that allowed 49 goals last season, chemistry and communication were obvious concerns early on, especially on the spacious acres at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Ihemelu was key, Clavijo said, allowing Petke and others to step up and engage attackers with confidence.
“It’s been a pretty easy transition,” Ihemelu said. “All the guys back there have so much experience. They’ve all been playing in this league, overseas, with the national team. They’re all smart players.”
Not left out
Herculez Gomez was pleased with his performance Saturday, playing away from his usual position in the center and manning the left side of the midfield. Gomez looked comfortable playing the ball in and created problems for United with his attacking play.
Gomez credited Vanney’s defense with giving him the confidence to push forward and also said the aggressive marking in the center by Kyle Beckerman and substitute Pablo Mastroeni freed him up.
“I wouldn’t look forward to playing those guys, to tell you the truth,” Gomez said. “It makes things a lot easier.”
Footnotes
Just about everything seemed to go off without a hitch Saturday, from the lengthy pregame introductions to the national television production. Things weren’t cooking afterward, though, as the players for both teams discovered there was no hot water for showers….One player particularly impressed by Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was D.C. United backup keeper Jay Nolly, who graduated from Chatfield High School in 2000. “When people say this is the biggest soccer complex in the world and it’s in my hometown, it’s unreal,” Nolly said….D.C. United coach Tom Soehn blamed his team’s lack of possession for its poor performance. The size of the field was of little concern. “It doesn’t matter,” Soehn said. “When you’re not good with the ball you can have a small field and you’re not going to do well.” … Prideaux played the past five seasons with D.C. United, winning the MLS Cup in 2004. Prideaux said he considers just about everyone on the United squad to be a good friend and that facing them for the first time since being traded in December was easy. And, of course, positive. “It’s always fun to play against some friends, and it’s that much more special when you beat them,” he said.
