COMMERCE CITY — With one-third of the season complete and the MLS going into World Cup hiatus a week from now, it’s a good time to take stock of where the Rapids stand.
If the season ended today, Colorado would be in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, along with unbeaten Los Angeles, once-beaten Columbus, streaking Real Salt Lake, New York, San Jose, Toronto and Houston.
Columbus, which visits Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, lost the battle of the unbeatens last week, falling 2-0 at home to Los Angeles. The Crew also drew 2-2 at San Jose on Wednesday.
Rapids, beware: Columbus dominated Los Angeles, outshooting the Galaxy 21-3.
“From the second minute of the game, we rocked it, but we didn’t quite click,” Crew defender Andy Iro said. “It happens.”
Rapids coach Gary Smith knows Columbus won’t be easy to beat.
“The group that they’ve got is strong, talented, versatile,” Smith said. “Other than L.A., which seems to be capable of beating anyone at the moment, (the Crew) are on a wonderful run. I’m sure they’re extremely confident.”
Smith was hoping he could get seven points out of the four-game stretch preceding the two-week World Cup break, including the last two games plus Saturday’s match and next Wednesday’s game at Chicago.
But having accumulated six points with wins in the past two games, he’s getting greedy.
“If we can get nine points out of that, nine out of (a possible) 12, that’s a very good return for us,” Smith said.
Really hot.
Rapids rival Real Salt Lake is on a franchise- record five-game winning streak, and it’s doing it without Kyle Beckerman, who has a foot injury.
RSL finished the regular season 11-12-5 last year but qualified for the playoffs with a 3-0 win over Colorado and went on to win the MLS Cup.
Now Salt Lake is off to the best start in franchise history (6-3-1). The Rapids (5-3-1) don’t play RSL until Sept. 25 and Oct. 23.
Irony from the ‘keeper.
Fans in the Rapids Supporters Terrace were all over Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller last week, chiding him for the poor performance of the U.S. in the 2006 World Cup, but Keller gave props to Rapids striker Conor Casey for his game-winning chip.
“It was a phenomenal goal,” Keller said. “I mean, Conor shouldn’t even have been here. He should have been with the U.S. team going to the World Cup.”
Keller was in goal for all three U.S. games in the 2006 World Cup — a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, a 1-1 draw with Italy and a 2-1 elimination loss to Ghana.
Ouch.
Former Rapids goalkeeper Preston Burpo, now with New England, went down with a broken leg last week after colliding with New York’s Dane Richards. New England went on to win 3-2.
“Unfortunately, there’s still a game to be played after that,” New England coach Steve Nicol said. “So we just spoke at halftime that, you know, ‘Let’s get out and make sure we’re doing this for Pres- ton.’ And that’s what they did.”
