Denver, CO, July 05, 2004 (ASN) — The Rapids' July 4th crowd is always good — just not quite as good this year, with only 41,979 fans to last year's 60,000-plus.

Colorado's performance on July 4 is always good — just not quite as good this year, winning just 1-0 over the hapless New England Revolution versus a 3-2 thriller over Kansas City last year.

The quiet victory celebrations in the locker room were a clear counterpoint to the noise and thunder of the 4th of July fireworks explosions and jubilant oohs and aahs of the crowd.

After floundering without an identity for the first third of the season, a new Rapids team has appeared, one with successful, workmanlike qualities: grit, determination, a pragmatic realism, and a quiet joy appreciating the win even as individuals express their need to continue improving in order to step up for the team.

In other words, a team we haven't seen. Gone is the self-recrimination and weekly repetition of platitudes grown old… "stay the course, we're working hard, no new taxes."

"It wasn't necessarily our best performance from a style point," Rapids Head Coach Tim Hankinson said realistically, "but certainly [we] continued to battle and eventually got the result."

In place of misplaced commentary is a more accurate reflection of the team's performance combined with their longest winning streak since last summer.

"The back four and [keeper Joe Cannon's] performance is really what saved us and gave us the chance to finally get the win," said Hankinson after the game. "We have to do a better job at pressuring midfield and pressuring higher up. We've got a week to work on it."

Hankinson was further willing to admit to the team's Achilles' heel when it comes to allowing dangerous crosses into the box, something New England demonstrated in spades Sunday night.

"That's something we have to get better at," Hankinson said, "closing down the crosser. [It is] something we have to improve upon as the season goes on."

Even their game style has changed, from being a first-half only team to being an opener and closer (with a 60-minute muddle in the middle).

And Colorado's style off the field has changed as well. Every player now knows he stands a fighting chance to prove his abilities on game day and every starter knows he has competition for the job. Legitimate, professional competition based on peer pressure to perform.

"Definitely," Captain John Spencer agreed. "We've got a lot of competition for places. Everybody on the road is just knuckling down, working really hard."

The coach sees it in a broader perspective.

"You lose a ball and chase and get it back, and let that energize your teammates," Hankinson said, "because that means that your teammates see you as completely committed to the cause that night. If you don't turn and chase after losing a ball, then your teammates are going to question your commitment on that evening."

Performance du jour
One is led to speculate whether, after seeing Jonnie Walker's implosion in the MetroStars 6-2 loss Saturday against D.C. United, Joe Cannon may ratchet up his campaign to get noticed by U.S. head coach Bruce Arena.

Yet it is doubtful even he could have better scripted the multitude of shots aimed at him by the Revolution front line, and his perfect response, so perhaps that is a line of inquiry best left unexplored.

In any case, celebrating our national holiday in fine style, Cannon was clear Man of the Match with seven —aggressive, often diving— saves to preserve the victory and frustrate the Revolution to no end.

"I've started eating better this year," Cannon offered as one aspect of his consistency in goal.

"Bruce Arena came to me and told me in the camp [that] I played well but I needed more games [having sat in France for a year], so just playing games and getting back into things is great. I feel it's very important for me to not make mistakes and try to keep us in the game, and that's what I'm here for."

Thus, while the Rapids backline could not keep the Revs from getting their head on the ball, Cannon could keep it out of the net, using his feet, hands and body to stop everything coming his way.

"We did well, but today was Joe Cannon's day," said defender Pablo Mastroeni. "He made a bunch of great saves and kept us in the game, and that is what we need. Joe Cannon came up big today and helped us put one in the bag."

Opening and closing
The Rapids have a new attitude when they come on the pitch, and it shows in the first minutes of play.

A surprise lineup, described as a 4-2-3-1 by Hankinson, and which included Spencer playing an attacking midfielder to newly-signed Cuban Alberto Delgado's lone-wolf striker position, did not deter the Rapids from attacking hard.

Also starting again was Jordan Cila as an attacking center midfielder, having earned the honors with decisive play on the road.

"He played very well in Columbus, helping link us," remarked Hankinson.

"The own goal would have been his goal — he pressured the defender," the coach continued." And he won the game for us in New York in front of their 40,000 people, and that was certainly a performance worth rewarding, so we gave him that opportunity."

Regarding his play as attacking midfielder Cila said, "I like that spot. It gives me the opportunity to run and see things.

"For me it's a confidence thing, and now I have the confidence I can play here and I can do well in this league, and that's all I really needed. The difference between a good and a great player is decision-making, and now I have the confidence to make, maybe, decisions I wouldn't have made before."

Opening with a strong attack in the first 10 minutes, the Rapids had two good opportunities sent into the box, where a leaping Delgado headed them over the bar.

Unfortunately, erratic play ensured inconsistent efforts and a creation of dangerous counterattacks for the Revolution.

Especially threatening to the Rapids success was the play of Colorado midfielder Kyle Beckerman, who in just the first 20 minutes had tallied several useless forward passes, been outrun by Revolution forwards, run away from another Rev attacking with the ball, cleared a brick on defense, and caused most of the fouls (some in dangerous territory) against New England.

The Revs settled early into a defensive 4-5-1, surprising the Rapids a bit. Despite hanging back, New England found a bounty of goal-scoring opportunities on the wings.

Hankinson said, "We expected [the Revolution] to play more of a 3-5-2 because that's what they played last game against New York when they won. That threw us a bit.

"[New England] was a team that wanted to sit back, to defend well and play on our impatience, which is easy when you've got this many home fans and you start overcommitting even your defenders in the attack. That just sets you up for the counterattack, which they showed they could produce."

And so went the first half, with the Rapids failing to push forward effectively and the Revolution failing to destabilize Cannon's Zen through several decent crosses into the box and shots on goal.

Halftime proved as interesting as much of the game, with corporate and sports mascots vying for the best takedown during a short soccer scrimmage at center field. Best of Show goes to the Chik-Fil-A corporate cow twins, who delivered a "chicken sandwich" on McD's redheaded Ronnie.

Also in keeping with the businesslike and patriotic spirit of the evening, referee Kevin Terry was not forced to deliver even one caution card, although 23 fouls kept the game from being truly free-flowing.

And no cards is increasingly important for a Rapids center backline that sees Nat Borchers and Mastroeni both in danger of another suspension due to accumulated caution points.

As it is, Mastroeni is already flying to meet the U.S. Men's National Team, called up to play in the friendly against Poland on July 11, and will miss the first leg of the home-and-away series facing the Los Angeles Galaxy.

It appeared the Rapids would come out charging in the second half, with Chris Henderson forcing Revolution keeper Matt Reis into a diving save to push the ball past the endline after a 30-yard blast towards the far post.

Instead, Colorado settled into the non-traditional Jell-O brand midfield. What Hankinson said was simply reverting to a 4-4-2 about 10 minutes into the second half looked more like a morass of synchronized swimmers without the underwater music on to keep them aligned.

Finally, giving the crowd what it was hungry for in the 75th minute, the Rapids put one away and added yet another goal scorer to the roster.

Proving again his offensive capabilities, left midfielder Matt Crawford opened the Rapids scoring drive.

"[Crawford's] not, by nature, a defensive player," said Hankinson. "His real nature in this game is to attack and give crosses."

"Tonight we told Kyle [Beckerman], rather than sharing the defensive midfield role with Crawford, 'You be the holding player' and free up [Crawford to attack]. Right now Matt can probably play six spots on the park, and so he's a very valuable player."

Crawford sent a cross in from the left side, where Henderson got his head on the end of it in the middle of the 18-yard box. The ball sailed inches high, crashing off the crossbar above a diving Reis, conveniently dropping to an unmarked Delgado. The first-ever MLS goal scored by a Cuban international bounced undiplomatically off the sprawling keeper before slipping into goal.

"It was frustrating, the two chances that I had early, and then not being able to pull the trigger on goal," said Delgado regarding his opening play.

On playing alone up top, Delgado said "it was a little bit difficult at the beginning, having to do all the runs alone.

"In the second half, it was a little bit better after the adjustment, having Spencer play up top with me, because both of us could cover each other's back and try different combinations."

Delgado, the game's only scorer, was swapped out for Gary Sullivan in the waning minutes of the game to act as a stopper with a big noggin. And Sullivan performed, with several key headers to disrupt New England's final attempts to tie the game.

Injury improvements
In the middle of a tough stretch of games piling one on top of the next, Hankinson believes that even "as guys may look tired, we'll be getting back a fresh, hungry player."

He expects Jean Philippe Peguero to be ready for the L.A. Galaxy series this coming week. Delgado is continuing to ramp up to be "90-minute fit" after being signed only last week. Rey Ángel Martinez is still ten days away from practicing after his broken toe, and veteran Mark Chung has started practicing but is also another ten days out, according to the coach.

Scoring Summary:

COL - Delgado (Unassisted) 74'

Colorado Rapids: Joe Cannon, Antonio de la Torre, Nat Borchers, Pablo Mastroeni, Ritchie Kotschau, Kyle Beckerman (Seth Trembly 74'), Matt Crawford, John Spencer, Chris Henderson, Jordan Cila (Darryl Powell 60'), Alberto Delgado (Gary Sullivan 86').

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Marshall Leonard, Avery John, Jay Heaps, Joe Franchino, Clint Dempsey, Richie Baker, Steve Ralston, Jose Cancela, Felix Brillant, Pat Noonan

Referee: Kevin Terry
Referee's Assistants: George Gansner, Jose Corro.
Fourth Official: Scott McCaslin.
Attendance: 41,979.
Temperature: 74 degrees and cloudy

BilFish can be reached at bilfish@cybersoccernews.com.
© Fisher/Cyber Soccer Associates, LLC 2004