Right, I’m writing this a bit late in the evening for publication in the morning (early, so if you’re feeling particularly bored or in need of something to waste a few minutes of your day, this will be ready and waiting), so let’s keep things to a relative minimum: I’ll focus briefly on the predicted lineup as well as the impetus we have to win against those Emerald-wearing Sounders.
At the back, expect Nick Rimando to continue. This one is a no-brainer. In front of him, the much-heralded return of Borlave should last more than the 20 or so minutes it did last time (unless Nat manages to get sent off again, which seems a bit of a long shot) and our defensive strength will be the beneficiary. This is of particular importance because I expect our new left back Blake Wagner to be handed a start, as Robbie Russell is not at full fitness. This puts Tony Beltran in his preferred right-side position, which isn’t a bad thing either.
In the middle, Kyle Beckerman will almost certainly be handed a start (he and Nick would be the first two names on the team sheet, no doubt) with two of Ned Grabavoy, Will Johnson, Collen Warner and Arturo Alvarez directly in front of him. I’d like to predict Grabavoy and Johnson as starting together, so I will. Ned, though, could be a bit short of fitness, in which case I’d imagine we’d see Will and Collen Warner, with both Grabs and Collen on the bench. In the tip of the diamond, expect to see Little Luis Gil handed another start as he continues his run in the side.
Up front, Espindola and Saborio will be our tacked-on pairing, and we’ll get yet another shot at making them work well together. Both are coming into something more or less like form, and I think it’s got the potential to be a brilliant pairing for us. That we’re talking still about the pairing potential of the two is certainly telling, though. Form your own conclusions, but I’m quite excited about these two alongside each other.
It’s absolutely essential that we grab three points today: If we fail to do so, we’ll be facing a tough road to a guaranteed playoff spot, though we should have no problem making the qualifying spots. In our optimistic quest for the Supporters’ Shield, the Rapids did us no favors last night by losing to the LA Galaxy. I will discuss our chances in those regards and break them down mathematically over the next week, but today, know that if ever a win was vital, it is tonight. That’s hardly an exaggeration: The difference between success and failure this season is a razor sharp divide. I’ve got full confidence in our squad, and we’ve got a big chance being served to us right now.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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