New on Sports Illustrated: Rapids-D.C. United Preview

-

As the 25th MLS season kicks off, D.C. United hopes those still with the team will make their supporters forget about who are not.

United looks to get off to a strong start Saturday, when they host a confident Colorado Rapids side looking to avoid the same disastrous beginning they endured last season.

As D.C. United prepares to start a new season, it has said goodbye to former stalwarts Wayne Rooney and Luciano Acosta. United, fortunately, must also deal with a knee injury to Paul Arriola that could see the talented midfielder miss the entire season.

The good news for United, which finished a disappointing fifth in the Eastern Conference last season after entering 2019 as one of the title favorites, is that those new to fold have the potential to make an immediate impact. Julian Gressel scored a career-high eight goals for Atlanta United FC in 2019 and midfielder Edison Flores was paid handsomely to come over from Liga MX.

"We're looking forward to it," coach Ben Olsen told United's official website to this weekend's kickoff. "It's never perfect the first month with everybody scratching for points with an imperfect team. We move on."

While the goal for United might be to play more aggressively up front and on the wings, defense should obviously still be at the forefront. D.C.'s 38 goals conceded last season were the second-fewest in the league, however, it was pummeled 5-1 by eventual runner-up Toronto FC in the playoffs.

United has played relatively solid defense while conceding eight goals during its 5-0-4 stretch against Colorado. D.C.'s last league loss to the Rapids came on the road April 3, 2011.

Colorado, meanwhile, was one of the league's worst defensive teams with 63 goals allowed during an overall rough 2019 campaign. The Rapids were essentially dead in the water following on 0-9-2 start that cost coach Anthony Hudson his job, but did manage to show life under new gaffer Robin Fraser, and won five of their final seven matches.

In an attempt to improve defensively, Colorado traded for Philadelphia defender Austin Trusty.

"The defending group is really making strides forward," Fraser told the Rapids' official website. "Everyday is an opportunity to learn."

Meanwhile, veteran Kei Kamara (14 goals in 2019), Diego Rubio (11 goals), Andre Shinyashiki (seven goals) and Jonathan Lewis, along with the addition of talented Dutch playmaker Younes Namli, should provide consistent offense for the Rapids in 2020. Seven times last season the Rapids scored three or more goals.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New on Sports Illustrated: The Patriots’ Post-Brady Era Begins Now

-
Image
In Mac Jones, Bill Belichick drafted a Round 1 quarterback for the first time ever—and looks to usher in a return to dominance. Of course the first time Bill Belichick drafts a first-round quarterback, it’s one for whom he could get an unvarnished scouting report from good buddy Nick Saban —and without even having to do any draft-day maneuvering. Now, the post-Tom Brady era in New England really begins. The Patriots treated 2020 as something of a gap year, with a league-high eight opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a starting quarterback, Cam Newton, who didn't sign with the team until June. They were, for the first time in two decades, mediocre, but that 7–9 record bought them the ticket to a fresh start: the No. 15 pick, which they used Thursday night on Alabama QB Mac Jones. The oft-cited statistic that Belichick had never drafted a QB higher than pick No. 62—used on Jimmy Garoppolo in 2014—was inherently flawed, given that Belichick had Brady as a starter for 19 of
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NBA Draft Big Board 3.0: Top 80 Prospect Rankings

-
Image
Ranking the top 80 players in the 2021 NBA draft with the NCAA tournament in the rearview. View the original article to see embedded media. With three months until draft night and the NBA’s regular season winding down , the league at large has begun shifting full focus to the off-season. Players have until May 30 to declare as early entrants for the draft, after which point the predraft process will open up in full, leading up to the combine and lottery at the end of June . Our Big Board is long overdue for an update, and fully expanded out to 80 prospects as we all attempt to make sense of the big picture moving forward. As usual, the Big Board is primarily based on my personal evaluations from both live viewings and on film, in many cases dating back several years. The rankings also incorporate feedback and opinions I glean from NBA executives, scouts, and others around the industry. This is not a mock draft, and team fit is not considered, but it is also intended to be somewhat
Read more

New on Sports Illustrated: NCAA Board of Governors Unanimously Votes to Extend Mark Emmert’s Contract

-
Despite recent controversy, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to extend Mark Emmert's contract through 2025. The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to extend president Mark Emmert's contract through Dec. 31, 2025. The news was announced Tuesday as a one-line news item buried within a larger update after the board's quarterly meeting. He's the fifth president in NCAA history and has been in the role since 2010. Emmert previously held high-ranking roles at Washington, LSU, Connecticut and Montana State. His base salary is reportedly $2.7 million.  Within the announcement, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to updating name, image and likeness rules. Dellenger: Inside the Hidden Industry of Name, Image and Likeness and the Changing World for College Athletes Emmert came under fire after disparities were shown between the men's and women's college basketball tournaments this year, specifically the weight room. Prior to the public backlash,
Read more