Article Contributed on: 3/30/2008 9:27:20 PM
"Who are these guys and what did they do with our Rapids?" The question was posed by one of the die-hard Rapids fans in the opening day crowd, sometime in the second half. This certainly wasn't the same team that limped off the field on closing day last October, eliminated from a playoff berth. Actually, it wasn't the same team. As the starting line-up was announced on Saturday, several of the names were met with polite applause and "Who's That?" The most enthusiastic cheering was for star keeper Bouna Coundoul, home-grown talent Colin Clark, veteran Terry Cooke and forward Omar Cummings, who played in several games late last season.
Then there was that other familiar face, David Beckham, who finally showed up to play in Denver. And for much of the game he looked like the only Galaxy player who had a clue. Not for nothing, Beckham took all the free kicks and some of the corners -- he can plant the ball smack in front of the goal from just about anywhere. Fortunately for the Rapids, the scoring opportunities Beckham created were squelched by Coundoul, who caught or deflected numerous incoming shots before any Galaxy players could redirect them into the net.
Other then Beckham's free kicks and some Landon Donovan corners, Galaxy players had a very hard time penetrating the Rapids new and improved defensive line: Kosuke Kimura, Stephen Keel, Facundo Erpen and Jose Burciaga. The renowned Donovan managed one of his signature attacks, passing to himself around Keel, while spurting past Keel on the opposite side, and running the ball at the net. Coundoul anticipated this maneuver and ran out to deflect the ball out of bounds.
The Rapids mid and forward lines had no trouble getting past the Galaxy defense. Terry Cooke scored first, running in to take a rebound shot that clanged off the post, sending it to the far corner. Cummings scored the third goal on a straight forward run up the right side, shooting across past the keeper, while Clark scored the fourth goal by driving right and left through two defenders to take a close-in shot just past the keeper's reach.
The second goal was a PK by Christian Gomez, after Galaxy's Abel Xavier was yellow-carded in the box. While not quite as exciting as the other goals, it was a psychological blow to the Galaxy players, putting them down 2-0 early in the second half. But they were frequently their own worst enemies, mishandling passes and coughing up the ball to Rapids players. Alvaro Pires, in the midfield, was having a very hard time dealing with Rapids newcomer Gomez. Despite being the smaller of the two, Gomez made Pires look like an amateur. The midfield rivalry turned many of Beckham's passes into turnovers, when Pires couldn't hang on to the ball.
At some point I felt a bit sorry for Beckham, dealing with teammates who couldn't anticipate or handle passes. It wasn't the best showcase for his experience and skill. Nor for Landon Donovan's. They did have an occasional flash of brilliance with a passing sequence that looked more like pinball. They didn't really kick the ball; they redirected it in a zigga zig (ahhh) pattern up the field. At which point the Rapids defensive line would take it away.
The game ended on an exciting note, beginning with a second infraction by Xavier, for whom one yellow card wasn't enough. In the 89th minute, he was ejected from the game after another nasty tackle from behind. Seconds later, Rapids sub Ciaran O'Brien took down a Galaxy player in similar fashion. Retaliation? Or just poor judgement? Whichever, when the ref whistled play to a stop, a mini brawl ensued, as Donovan marched up and shoved O'Brien, and other players quickly piled in. Beckham took the high road, trying to restore order. O'Brien was ejected with a red card, and the game quickly ended.
So a great day for Rapids fans. A big win, a chance to see the Big Star, no snow, and hey, no cheerleaders. The game ball arrived via sky diver, and confetti guns showered a section of the midfield with white bits, which stayed there through the entire game, but which probably can't be used as an excuse by the Galaxy players for their lackluster performance. Rumor at the tailgate party was that keeper extraordinarie Bouna wouldn't last here much longer, if wealthy European teams starting bidding on his contract and offer him the big bucks he deserves. Meanwhile, the New Improved Rapids, at least this week's version, was impressive and highly successful. This could be a great season.