Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni will be called to lead again in 2010. (Getty Images)

We’re moving on in our look at each Major League Soccer roster to see where all the clubs are at in their pre-season. So far we’ve looked at Philadelphia, Chicago and Chivas USA. Today we stay out west and look at Gary Smith’s Colorado Rapids.

Last season had some ups and downs for the Rapids. Offensively at times they looked like they could not be stopped with Conor Casey and Omar Cummings leading the charge but injuries got in the way of post season glory for this bunch.

The winter months have given Smith and his club some time to make some moves and so far they’ve been pretty active. I still see this club making more moves before the season kicks off next month. But lets see how they are doing at each position right now.

Keepers:

Who they have: Matt Pickens and Steward Ceus

Notes: After Pickens things get pretty thin for the Rapids. No doubt they probably have a couple keepers in camp to fill that third keeper spot behind Ceus. I would imagine this isn’t a huge area of concern or we’d hear about them making deals for a backup or even a starter at this point in the winter.  If I were them I’d be looking for a quality back up to pressure Pickens. I like Pickens but part of me thinks they could do better here.

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Defense:

Who they have: Drew Moor, Ty Harden, Julien Baudet, Michael Holody, Scott Paguta, and Chad Borak.

Notes: Another thin area for this club on paper but with guys like Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz on your roster you’re able to keep less defenders in a way. Some rumblings this winter have suggested that Mastroeni will be moved to the backline now that Larentowicz is in town. I think this is a good move for both parties as Mastroeni has started to show his age a bit in recent years and a move out of the midfield may be a wise thing.

Still if that doesn’t happen this group is incredibly thin. I like Baudet and sorta like Moor and Holody but that’s about it for me with this bunch. I think Smith and the front office need to get some more depth in this area or else they will have another up and down season. We saw last year that this group was decent but not nearly good enough to take on the top offenses in the league.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Wells Thompson, Greg Dalby, Jeff Larentowicz, Mehdi Ballouchy, Pablo Mastroeni, Ciaran O’Brien, Jamie Smith, Nick LaBrocca, Colin Clark, Kosuke Kimura, and Ross LaBaux.

Notes: Parts I like include Thompson, Clark, Mastroeni, Larentowicz, LaBrocca, and Smith. After that I’m not entirely sure about this group. Look when everyone was healthy last year this group was as good as any but injuries showed their lack of depth in a big way.

I like the addition of Thompson and Larentowicz this offseason, they both should add the right parts that were missed last year at key moments.

Hopefully for the fans there and for the league we get to see Clark healthy here, I really believe he is one of those guys that has the potential to be a big deal in this league. We’ve seen moments out of him where he is special but injuries just killed it for us all last year with him.

I’d still like to see the Rapids go elsewhere in terms of their playmaker in the midfield. I’ve never been a Ballouchy guy and I probably never will be. He did improve last year but I think its time for them to move away and find someone that can create offense on a consistent basis.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Conor Casey, Omar Cummings, Andre Akpan, Facundo Diz, Pat Noonan, and Ross Schunk.

Notes: When they are on their game Casey and Cummings are the best pairing in the league, hands down. But as we saw at times last year they can get off track in a heart beat if the midfield isn’t in line or if the defense is giving up too much.

I still have to wonder if Casey’s head is on straight here and if he and Smith got everything sorted out after his little outburst after the season ended. At times this winter it sounded like he was going out of town but the rest of the time things were quiet.

The more I looked at their draft the more I did start to like the Akpan pick. It wasn’t great at the time but he was the best player available when they first picked in the second round. He isn’t ready to go just yet but towards the end of this year we’ll see how valuable this pick really can be.

As long as Casey and Cummings return to their stellar midseason form from 2009 the Rapids should be fine in this department.

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Overall:

I think this season still has a lot of ups and downs written all over this bunch. They’ve improved in certain areas but not addressing their defense as much as I’d like this offseason worries me a bit. I know adding Larentowicz is a defensive move but the backline still needs work in my eye. This club is either going to frustrate people with their midfield or they will struggle against top clubs yet again because of their midfield.

Lets face it this is a big year for the Rapids, no playoffs in three years is a dry spell for any club and with more clubs in the league it will only get harder. I believe the Rapids aren’t done this offseason though so it should be interesting how they fill their holes in the final month before the new year.

With stars like Conor Casey and Pablo Mastroeni, the Rapids should have done better in 2009. (Getty Images)

Consistent play was always an issue in 2008 for the Colorado Rapids, and it turned out 2009 wasn’t much different. The Rapids looked like a team that could contend in early on in 2009 but the ladder part of the season tore this group apart as injuries were racked up and the offensive production that was one of the best in the league at times turned into a pumpkin.

Gary Smith took over late last season and did actually get his club started in the right path in 2009. Conor Casey and Omar Cummings turned into one of the league’s best duos as they each racked up the goals while Cummings also provided the assists. The play out of the midfield was actually more impressive as Mehdi Ballouchy actually looked like he had a decent touch for once and Colin Clark started to actually produce like we all expect him to.

But injuries took over this club and when that happen any sort of consistent play this club would produce would go out the window as expected. Their depth showed it was a big weakness and in return the guys that were producing well turned out to not be able to produce when it mattered most. The ladder part of the season Casey could only find the back of the net from the PK spot and Cummings went dry from the start of September till the end of the year.

Rapids fans are left with a lot of what ifs on the season after a promising summer that saw so much productivity out of Casey and Cummings. In the final six weeks of the season the Rapids completely came apart. Some people like Ives even called out everything about the team’s current state of affairs like it was going down as fast as a sinking ship.

What Went Right In 2009:
When Casey and Cummings were on it was pretty cool to watch. The two would light up pretty much any club that stood in their way. The midfield play then was also fun to watch as it had such a good nucleus of talent.

What Went Wrong In 2009:
It seems as the more shares of Arsenal that owner Stan Kroenke buys the worse things get for this bunch in Colorado. As mentioned above the last few weeks of the year really did them in for good on the season. Injuries took a big toll on the club mostly because they are build to use the wings and when guys like Colin Clark went down for the year so did the production of this group.

What’s Next:
For this bunch it is all about getting healthy and correcting what went wrong late in the year. Sad part is I don’t see this bunch getting any better over the offseason with the way things currently are in Denver. Finding a Designated player in the offseason may help but building some depth will probably go a longer way in repairing this club on the field. Off the field this bunch needs a make over. A couple years ago things seemed so promising as they moved into a new stadium but now it seems like this group has gone down the deep dark path that teams like FC Dallas are in. They need to repair things within their fanbase in a big way.

After a couple weekends of SuperLiga play breaking up the flow of the season schedule the majority of the MLS clubs are back in play this weekend. Only Chivas, Seattle, and Toronto are out of action this week. Gotta love that unbalanced schedule the league has, I don’t see why a club like Toronto is off this week but oh well.

Anyways, time to get down to business. Feel free to send your game predictions as well.

Friday:

San Jose Earthquakes – at – Real Salt Lake:

The Quakes have been turning things around but so have Jason Kreis’ club. Last week RSL absolutely dominated another club at home. It was a result that I am sure was good to see for Kreis because his club needed a bounce back after giving up points to Houston on the road prior to that. This one will be big for RSL, three points at home should be a given with the way Yura Movsisyan and Clint Mathis are playing. I do wonder how they will play without Will Johnson (Canada) and Kyle Beckerman (USA) who are both with their respecitve countries for the Gold Cup. San Jose will need a big performance from Ryan Johnson and Darren Huckerby to get anything from this one. I think the difference will be the venue, San Jose hasn’t been very good on the road and RSL is still one of the best home clubs over the last two seasons. RSL needs this win to stay in playoff contention, another stumble against a club like San Jose would not look good at this point in the campaign.

WVH Prediction: RSL 2, San Jose 1

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Saturday:

DC United – at – Columbus Crew:

Probably game of the week material here folks, good thing too since it will be on ESPN2 for a primetime affair. Both will be missing their fair share of guys to the Gold Cup, while each look to remain at the top of the eastern standings (one a point separates the two right now). I want to see exactly how DC is set to stop Guillermo Barros Schelotto here this season. Last year he was a handful for the Black-and-Red and seeing how DC will be without Dejan Jakovic (Gold Cup) it could be a little more interesting this time around. DC needs a big game out of rookie Chris Pontius and veteran Christian Gomez if they want the three points. I think with what each club will be missing makes this game smell like a draw. I think Columbus has the chance to win this one but I’d like to see their offense click a little more than what I’ve seen out of them recently. Plus I know DC is always good for a late goal.

WVH Prediction: Columbus 1, DC 1

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Chicago Fire – at – Colorado Rapids:

Let’s face it both clubs need some points right now, especially the Fire who haven’t looked well in league play for a month or so. Colorado looked to be getting hot before last week’s cool-down in Seattle. The Fire have been one of the better road sides this season while I’m still waiting on Colorado to figure out their stadium there in suburban Denver. I’ve said before that I like the Rapids and what they have with Omar Cummings, Colin Clark and so on. But this is still a young team that hasn’t shown up enough and it is going to hurt them. I think SuperLiga refueled the Fire a bit and they will win this game due to some solid play from guys like Brian McBride and Blanco. This could be one of those go either way kind of games but the Fire have more confidence right now (even with the reserves losing in the Open Cup this week).

WVH Prediction: Chicago 2, Colorado 1

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Houston Dynamo – at – Kansas City Wizards:

KC is another club in need of points right now. As tight as the eastern conference is they cannot afford to drop more games at home here. They may have some luck though as Houston comes to town missing a few key players due to the Gold Cup. Houston will have to bank on play by veterans Brad Davis and Brian Mullen to get through this one. KC will be lacking a strong veteran in their defense in Jimmy Conrad which makes me believe this one could end up on level terms. If Houston can find a way to get their offense to go through Cam Weaver like they did a couple weeks ago I’d be all over the Dynamo winning this one. I just feel like KC will keep them honest in this one and hold them to a draw.

WVH Prediction: KC 1, Houston 1

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New York Red Bulls – at – FC Dallas:

I seriously feel bad for the Red Bulls. This is game number 19 on the season for them while most clubs are at 15 or 16. Crazy. Anyways I’ve seen the Red Bulls in town each year for the last couple of seasons and sadly enough I won’t go this year (family obligations folks). The Red Bulls continue to stink up the place and on the road it’s hasn’t been a good thing to see in a while. Dallas is slowly turning the corner and a few guys will get a bigger chance this weekend with Kenny Cooper gone with the US national team. Word has it Jeff Cunningham looked really good in practice this week and so did a few others. I think the Red Bulls will keep it close but Dallas will pull through due to another mental lapse from one of the Red Bull defenders.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 1, New York 0

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New England Revolution – at – LA Galaxy:

Speaking of weird scheduling this is the Revs’ 13 game of the season. Weird how that works but anyways, I did think the Revs were like Chicago and used SuperLiga to turn things around a bit. LA is full of confidence though as they get Landon Donovan back for this one. Even though I like the Revs and how they play I just see an energized Galaxy in this one that takes the three points. LA can’t lose momentum right now in the west and three points will certainly make things more interesting. Usually I’m not as quick to make a selection in LA’s favor like this but I just feel good about them for once.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, NE 0

Aside from the big game across the pond we do still have two MLS games to talk about today. Colorado hosting Dallas and Toronto hosting once again New York. Since today is a double dip of games the preview is going to be cut a little short on the fact that I have a lot to do today in very little time.

Feel free to leave your game predictions below.

New York Red Bulls – at – Toronto FC:

Its been only a week and a half since their last encounter at BMO Field but the result should be close to the same as last time. New York looked better at home against Seattle last week and I would imagine there could be some let down from Toronto’s emotional high from winning the Canadian Cup last week in Montreal. The thing is I know Toronto is still a quality side and they are improving on all ends right now. The Nick Garcia trade will continue to be a good one for this club and I think he will help clamp down the Red Bull attack.

I think in the end Toronto just has too much talent and New York just sucks something awful on the road. Its going to take a lot for them to event get a draw on the road at this point but I think Toronto will have a little more energy in their tank and that will be more than enough for this one. Dwayne De Rosario and Amado Guevara should have another big night at BMO as the locals welcome home their Canadian champions.

WVH Prediction: Toronto 2, New York 1

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FC Dallas – at – Colorado Rapids:

I have to say that Dallas is starting to play well, it’s just too bad that it is too little too late here. They, like New York and San Jose have nearly played themselves out of contention here already. Colorado on the other hand has a bunch of games in hand on everyone and in those games at hand most of them coming up are at home. After the way they handled a quality DC side a week ago I would imagine they should do a similar thing to Dallas, who’s defense is a lot weaker than what DC has.

Omar Cummings is proving to the league that he is the real deal here and that once Conor Casey returns to the line-up, they will be one tough duo to stop here. I think Cummings and the play of Colin Clark will be a lot to handle for Dallas. I do see the Red Stripes getting one in this one but it won’t be enough.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 3, Dallas 1

Brad Davis leads the league in assists and no one is talking about him. (Getty Images)

Right now we nearly 40 percent (if not more) through the 2009 season. While we all know of the guys making headlines I thought it would be a good time to discuss some of those guys that are making a difference who aren’t getting all the love from the press. Some may be names that we already know but I figured it was necessary to hype them up a bit more for once.

Some of these guys are newcomers, some are not. All however are making an impact on their club though.

If you have a guy that I’ve missed that needs a little more love from the bloggers, writers, and press just leave a note below and tell us all who and why. I know I won’t get everyone’s but these are a few that I felt deserved a little hype.

Brad Davis (Houston) – Here’s a guy that’s been around the league for a while but hasn’t seen nearly the respect he deserves. Right now he leads the league in assists with seven. I think it is about time we hear his name mentioned more often. He’s been a valuable player for other clubs before and right now he is a big reason why Houston is charging up the standings.

Gerson Mayen (Chivas USA) – Whether he has come off the bench or started for the top club in the league this season, the young Mayen has definitely left a good impact on his club so far. With four assists he has been able to get himself involved in the attack and help Chivas out in the standings. He has had some hype from a few Chivas writers but I think he needs some more hype nationally, especially since he is a product of the Chivas youth academy.

Logan Pause (Chicago) – Pause is one of the few guys that is out there every game for the Fire. He like teammate Brian McBride have been out for every minute of each game so far this season. Honestly no one talks about Pause but he is one of those valuable role players that every club looks for when building a title contender. He’s a steady cog to the midfield and one that helps keep possession.

Colin Clark (Colorado) – I’ve been saying for a couple years that Colorado needed Clark to step up and play big. This season he is finally doing so with two goals and five assists. One of the biggest beneficiaries to Clark’s success is the league’s top scorer Conor Casey. We very well could see the start of an amazing duo here.

Bryan Namoff (DC) – Think about the DC defense for a second. Who’s one guy that’s been there all season and hasn’t missed a second? Namoff would be that guy. I thought getting guys like him and Clyde Simms re-signed this offseason were bigger than finding a new designated player for this club.

Luciano Emilio and DC travel to New England to face Shalrie Joseph and the Revs. (Getty Images)

I won’t lie, last night’s game between Chicago and Chivas put a sour taste in my mouth for this weekend. The game itself was entertaining but the officiating was lacking in quality as we’ve all seen by now. Hopefully this weekend won’t be filled with yellow and red cards or lots of questionable PK calls.

Sorry for the rant but that’s just how I feel going into this weekend.

As for the weekend ahead here, we have a full slate of games with everyone in action except for Chivas (who played last night). I do hope we get seven quality games like last night’s contest though. Aside from the horrible officiating in the middle it was a good game. I’m gonna start switching things up here for the weekend previews. While I like doing longer previews for each game, time just doesn’t allow me to do so anymore for the weekend games. Instead I will stick with a quick preview and a player to look out for along with the score prediction.

DC United – at – New England Revolution:

DC has been playing well as of late but how much will DC be missing guys like Ben Olsen and Christian Gomez in the midfield? Throw in the fact that New England should be getting Taylor Twellman back for at least some part of this game and it could be an interesting meeting between these conference rivals. I think this one will be tighter than some expect it to be. The Revs may send Shalrie Joseph up top again to get some physical play against a young United back four. That could throw off the visitors if he switches between his midfield role and his temporary striker position that Steve Nicol has been putting him at lately. Honestly this one could go either way so I am taking the draw.

Player to keep an eye out for: DC’s Rodney Wallace has been very tough to cover lately from his defensive position. His runs from the back could be a big x-factor for DC.

WVH Prediction: New England 1, DC 1

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Colorado Rapids – at – New York Red Bulls:

We keep saying that New York needs this game each week and they continue to give up chances and points. Colorado should be a team that could allow New York to be successful against at home (Rapids are 1-2-2 away from home this season) but I actually like the Rapid’s chances here. New York will also be without Jorge Rojas who is suspended for this contest. I think the loss of Rojas will put more pressure on Albert Cedades to create chances and keep possession in the middle for the Red Bulls. While I think he can do it he won’t be able to do it alone. Colorado has been far more consistent in their scoring this season behind Conor Casey and company and I think they continue to make the standings a little tighter with a road win tomorrow.

Player to keep an eye out for: Colin Clark for Colorado has really started to get more involved here in the offense lately.

WVH Prediction: Colorado 2, New York 1

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Toronto FC – at – Houston Dynamo:

The big story here is Dwayne De Rosario returning to Houston where he won a pair of titles with the Dynamo. He’s looked good lately along with Amado Guevara in helping TFC stay near the top of the standings. They’ll need a big performance out of those two and guys like Pablo Vitti or Chad Barrett up top. Houston has played great lately (unbeaten in six) and have been tough to score on in that time. While I think Toronto will keep it close I just don’t see them beating Houston at home here yet. The Dynamo are too clever in the midfield and are so dangerous on set pieces with Brad Davis, Brad Mullan and Brian Ching.

Player to keep an eye out for: Brad Davis has been creating a lot of chances lately for Houston. Last week he tallied two assists in the Dynamo win over San Jose.

WVH Prediction: Houston 2, Toronto 0

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Real Salt Lake – at – San Jose Earthquakes:

This could be a real stinker of a game. San Jose is winless in eight games and we all know RSL’s track record on the road. First and foremost for Jason Kreis and company, they have to get on the board here in this one. No goals in five road matches this season. One would think against San Jose they would get on the board in this one right? I think so since the Quakes lack the creative punch in the middle ot slow down RSL. However I just think San Jose is due a result here after the way they played on Wednesday in Columbus. I’m calling a draw here but not by much.

Player to keep an eye out for: San Jose’s Ryan Johnson has scored five of the club’s ten goals this season, I would expect him to keep that up this weekend.

WVH Prediction: San Jose 1, RSL 1

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Columbus Crew – at – Seattle Sounders FC:

I’d really love to see these two sides go at it with everyone healthy. But the thing is Seattle is a bit banged up and Columbus just lost another key player (Brian Carroll) for some more time. Seattle will have some key members of their midfield back in this one with Freddie Ljungberg and Brad Evans ready to go this week. I see the Sounders controlling the midfield and the pace of this game from the start thanks to those two and the loss of Carroll for Columbus. I just don’t think people will realize how big of a loss Carroll is for the Crew.

Player to keep an eye out for: Look for Seattle’s Fredy Montero to have another solid game here. His pace will be tough for Columbus to handle.

WVH Prediction: Seattle 3, Columbus 1

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Kansas City Wizards – at – LA Galaxy:

I’m a little worried for the Wizards on the road tomorrow. They will be missing two key offensive players in Josh Wolff and Santiago Hirsig. With this being one of the last games for Landon Donovan for a while with the Galaxy (national team duties this summer) I would imagine the Galaxy will push the tempo a bit more and actually look for the three points. The loss of Sean Franklin in the back worries me for them but not seeing Wolff on the field makes me think it will be balanced out a bit here. Even though the Galaxy are the draw queens of the league I am going with them for a change here.

Player to keep an eye out for: Either off the bench or starting, I think Edson Buddle could be a big factor for the Galaxy in this one. He needs to start scoring for the club here and this could be a good time to start.

WVH Prediction: LA 2, KC 1

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FC Dallas – at – Chicago Fire:

The Fire have a chance to move into a tie with Chivas for first overall. I just don’t see FC Dallas making this much of a game here with the way the Fire have been as of late. Chicago may not be as rested as Dallas but they will control the pace of the game from the start.

Player to keep an eye out for: If Dallas has any hope of scoring it could be from youngster Brek Shea who has really shown a lot of growth in recent weeks for the Red Stripes.

WVH Prediction: Chicago 3, Dallas 1

If you think I missed a quality goal just let me know.

The order goes as follows:

Chris Pontius (DC), Steve Zakunai (Seattle), Yura Movsisyan (RSL), Clint Mathis (RSL), Andy Williams (RSL), Robbie Findley (RSL), Colin Clark (Colorado), Landon Donavan (LA), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Alejandro Moreno (Columbus), and Gonzalo Segares (Chicago).

2008 Record and Finish: 11-14-5, 38 pts., finished forth in West, missed playoffs.

Player Movement:

Incoming:
Ty Harden (trade with LA for his MLS rights)
Matt Pickens (trade with Chicago for his MLS rights)
Ivan Guerrero (trade with DC)

Outgoing:
Mike Petke (Waiver Draft)
Tim Ward (waived)
Bouna Coundoul (released)
Jose Burciaga Jr (out of contract)
Facundo Erpen (option declined)
Tom McManus (option declined)
Christian Gomez (trade with DC)
Mike Graczyk (trade with DC)

Unsigned Draft Picks:
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe
Steward Ceus
Michael Holody
Henry Kalungi
Ross Schunk
Jordan Seabrook

Questions going into 2009:

1. Now that Christian Gomez is gone, who will be called to step up to be the playmaker in the middle?

The Rapids really had one of the best midfield last year…on paper. There is a reason why they play the game on the field because there are times that the best group of players on paper fail to live up to the hype. That was the Rapids last year. They had a great looking core of young and veteran players in the midfield but were never able to be consistent with their play.

Once Gary Smith took over as head coach we saw Christian Gomez get pushed to the bench and later on shipped back to DC. With Gomez gone we are left to wonder who will pick up the pieces in the middle of the park and set up the attack. Right now I just don’t know who that will be.

Instead of signing players from abroad this winter the club set out to lock up the core of young players to long-term deals. Will that pay off in 2009? We will have to wait and see. If we base it off the performance of the club last year I can’t say they will do any better than how they finished a year ago.

2. Can this club ever get consistent?

I really believe the biggest thing against this club right now is now the lack of depth or decent attacking options with Conor Casey, its the club’s history. They’ve never finished better than 3rd in the West and typically see a 4th place finish. This day and age in MLS a 4th place finish won’t get you in the playoffs each year.

I think over coming the history will help this club get more consistent. Its a weird way about it but I like the direction they are taking with Smith at the helm. They signed their core of young players and still have some room in the cap to possible get one or two more impact players before the season kicksoff.

3. Who is due for a breakout year? And who needs to step up?

Two part question here. A breakout year has to come from someone in the midfield like a Colin Clark (last year’s expected breakout player from this club) or Nico Colaluca. Both need big years in the midfield to help push this club to the playoffs again. Defensively this club is set in my mind but both guys need breakout seasons and the juice to step up and carry this club.

Look at the 2009 Schedule:

Unlike some clubs the Rapids have a balanced schedule. No Thursday-Sunday swings in one week and for the most part they play about the same amount of games each month. That is partly due to the fact that they aren’t in any other extra tournaments like SuperLiga or the CCL.

A lot of road games early and late in the year. That means they will have to make good on keeping DSG Park a fortress like it should be. If they get on a spell where they don’t win two in a row like last year then you could see this club struggle to reach the playoffs again.

2009 Season Outlook:

I like the youth on this club but there is still something missing for me. I want to see them be consistent. Offensively I just think they are missing an element that will keep them in games out west. I think defensively they are a little better than most people will expect. Plus getting Matt Pickens in goal will be a solid boost.

Right now I just don’t think this club is a playoff contending team. The youth could surprise people but I just don’t see them sneaking up on anyone to get an automatic bid out west and with how good the east is I just highly doubt they can get a wild-card spot.

Mainly, I just feel like this group is a year away from possibly being something special.