Foreign Exchange: Three questions with Burgundy Wave's Matt Pollard
Austin FC hosts Colorado Rapids in what could be one of the most vital matches remaining on its schedule. We checked in with a friend to learn more about the Rapids' new players (and if they'll play).
In the first of five High Value Games for Austin FC heading into the last third of the season — and we'll explain more about what that is on Friday, but the short version is it's a match involving teams in the 1.18 to 1.5 points per game, upon which playoff bubble team chances hinge on — the Colorado Rapids come to Q2 Stadium on Wednesday night.
(Technically, Austin doesn't even qualify as a bubble team right now per the metrics we're using, but a win tonight would get the hosts within 0.013 PPG of what we're calling Bubble Territory.)
To help learn more about the Rapids' side of things, we turned to our friend Matt Pollard at Burgundy Wave, which is essential for any Rapids fans.
We've returned the favor, and we're both quite late getting these up, but he apparently is having a similar week to the one I'm having (which is quite busy and, for me at least, not all that fantastic). I'll link out to my responses to his quite-good questions when they're up (but you'll have to go to the site; the link won't automatically appear in the email version, though you can also check the link to the whole site above).
To the questions!
Rafael Navarro was arguably the most important player for the Rapids and now he's off to St. Louis. What's his legacy, and what's the biggest thing the Rapids will miss now that he's out?
Outside of Conor Casey, I think he’s the best center forward in club history. Paxten Aaronson said he’s the player with the best mentality he’s ever been around, German and USMNT teammates included. He has been the best pressing forward in the league the last two years. He had the Brazilian technical skills as well. He was a true professional and was genuinely happy here.
He annoyed center backs. He made it easier for his teammates to play with him and through him. He won penalties and (usually) converted them. I think his leadership was underrated because of the perceived language barrier. With Zack Steffen out long term and Keegan Rosenberry on the bench, this Rapids team will lack on-field leadership.
The Verde faithful are probably going to see Darren Yapi start tonight. He was really bad on Saturday in Columbus. He also is at his best and most dangerous late in games when he’s been out of form.
The Rapids brought in a number of players during the summer; which ones are most likely to appear on Wednesday, and how will they change the match?
Fortunately for Austin, probably none of the big three. Sayed Abu Farkhi was in country 10 days ago and probably signed a little over a week ago. Morgan Whittaker and Ibrahim Sadiq were Deadline Day deals. Even if one of them is traveling with the team and gets their paperwork, they haven’t trained with their new teammates. My favorite part about being a soccer journalist is having to speculate on visa processing time.
In the absence of those three, and with Navarro departed, this is going to be a thin bench. There will be at least one call-up from Rapids 2. Second-year Generation Adidas attacker Alex Harris could feature. He creates space and is shifty. Rookie MAC Hermann winner Donavan Phillip has been a bright spot off the bench as well, with a good defensive work rate. We could see Matt Wells get creative and play somebody out of position.
Free agent signing Youssef Maziz should feature. He made his debut August 15, the game after Austin’s trip to Colorado. He’s been excellent in chance creation and has taken set pieces.
The Rapids also happen to be on the right side of the playoff line, and a win on Wednesday gets them to 34 points with 10 matches left. Do you think they make the playoffs, and if so, how deep do you expect them to go with the reconfigured lineup?
I haven’t thought enough about the playoff race. Most of Rapids Twitter is locked in on next week’s Open Cup Semifinal, against St. Louis. To answer the question, I think the Rapids just make the playoffs. They’ve won all five games at home post-World Cup. They’ve got good matchups at home. They’ll win home games and finish between sixth and ninth.
How good they are in the playoffs depends on how good the three new signings are and how quickly they get acclimated. MLS teams that lose their best defender (Lucas Herrington) and best attacker (Rafael Navarro) in the summer rarely peak in November, even if they do well to replace them. Colorado hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. I’m not optimistic.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
Some of you are wondering why Facundo Torres' goal was disallowed on Saturday ... and why it even went to video review. We sought answers from PRO and got them.
Despite managing just a single point on Saturday, interim head coach Davy Arnaud says there's reason to believe his team can reach the playoffs. But video review had a role in a needed win instead becoming a last-gasp draw.
Austin FC appeared to get an equalizer just two minutes after going down early. When it was waved away, it took more than 90 minutes to finally salvage the point at home.
Austin FC has a long road to making the playoffs, being in 14th place to start September. But the team could be in much better position by the end of the month. Here's how.
In the first of five High Value Games for Austin FC heading into the last third of the season — and we'll explain more about what that is on Friday, but the short version is it's a match involving teams in the 1.18 to 1.5 points per game, upon which playoff bubble team chances hinge on — the Colorado Rapids come to Q2 Stadium on Wednesday night.
(Technically, Austin doesn't even qualify as a bubble team right now per the metrics we're using, but a win tonight would get the hosts within 0.013 PPG of what we're calling Bubble Territory.)
To help learn more about the Rapids' side of things, we turned to our friend Matt Pollard at Burgundy Wave, which is essential for any Rapids fans.
We've returned the favor, and we're both quite late getting these up, but he apparently is having a similar week to the one I'm having (which is quite busy and, for me at least, not all that fantastic). I'll link out to my responses to his quite-good questions when they're up (but you'll have to go to the site; the link won't automatically appear in the email version, though you can also check the link to the whole site above).
To the questions!
Rafael Navarro was arguably the most important player for the Rapids and now he's off to St. Louis. What's his legacy, and what's the biggest thing the Rapids will miss now that he's out?
Outside of Conor Casey, I think he’s the best center forward in club history. Paxten Aaronson said he’s the player with the best mentality he’s ever been around, German and USMNT teammates included. He has been the best pressing forward in the league the last two years. He had the Brazilian technical skills as well. He was a true professional and was genuinely happy here.
He annoyed center backs. He made it easier for his teammates to play with him and through him. He won penalties and (usually) converted them. I think his leadership was underrated because of the perceived language barrier. With Zack Steffen out long term and Keegan Rosenberry on the bench, this Rapids team will lack on-field leadership.
The Verde faithful are probably going to see Darren Yapi start tonight. He was really bad on Saturday in Columbus. He also is at his best and most dangerous late in games when he’s been out of form.
The Rapids brought in a number of players during the summer; which ones are most likely to appear on Wednesday, and how will they change the match?
Fortunately for Austin, probably none of the big three. Sayed Abu Farkhi was in country 10 days ago and probably signed a little over a week ago. Morgan Whittaker and Ibrahim Sadiq were Deadline Day deals. Even if one of them is traveling with the team and gets their paperwork, they haven’t trained with their new teammates. My favorite part about being a soccer journalist is having to speculate on visa processing time.
In the absence of those three, and with Navarro departed, this is going to be a thin bench. There will be at least one call-up from Rapids 2. Second-year Generation Adidas attacker Alex Harris could feature. He creates space and is shifty. Rookie MAC Hermann winner Donavan Phillip has been a bright spot off the bench as well, with a good defensive work rate. We could see Matt Wells get creative and play somebody out of position.
Free agent signing Youssef Maziz should feature. He made his debut August 15, the game after Austin’s trip to Colorado. He’s been excellent in chance creation and has taken set pieces.
The Rapids also happen to be on the right side of the playoff line, and a win on Wednesday gets them to 34 points with 10 matches left. Do you think they make the playoffs, and if so, how deep do you expect them to go with the reconfigured lineup?
I haven’t thought enough about the playoff race. Most of Rapids Twitter is locked in on next week’s Open Cup Semifinal, against St. Louis. To answer the question, I think the Rapids just make the playoffs. They’ve won all five games at home post-World Cup. They’ve got good matchups at home. They’ll win home games and finish between sixth and ninth.
How good they are in the playoffs depends on how good the three new signings are and how quickly they get acclimated. MLS teams that lose their best defender (Lucas Herrington) and best attacker (Rafael Navarro) in the summer rarely peak in November, even if they do well to replace them. Colorado hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016. I’m not optimistic.
Verde All Day is a reader-supported online publication covering Austin FC. Additional support is provided by Austin Telco Federal Credit Union. For more coverage, check out Emergency Podcast! (an Austin FC Podcast) wherever you get your podcasts.
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