NOTE: VIEW PHOTOS FROM RAPIDS TRAINING SESSION

© BilFish/CSA — The Rapids prepare for the Burn against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountain skies

Okay, the Rapids won a game. What's next?

Their upcoming game against the Dallas Burn is important, as Colorado has struggled neck-and-neck with their Texas rivals like two horses hoping to avoid the glue factory, racking up two 1-1 ties in League play and getting blown out at the Cotton Bowl, 3-0, in a U.S. Open Cup match, all the while swapping third and fourth places in the Western Conference.

"We're trying to get sharp," said holding midfielder Kyle Beckerman. "The four days off are just to get refreshed, get away from the ball. Our focus is to get fit and get sharp."

Talking with American Soccer News, Beckerman thinks the breather was good after the win against Chicago, which was preceded by nothing but dismal play throughout the team.

"Every game is different," he said. "We went two games giving up six goals. We [had] to do something to stop the bleeding. So it was 'Kyle, sit in there, I don't want you to really go forward. If you're sitting there, it takes away their counterattacks.' Lately that's what I've been doing, which I don't mind. It's fine with me.

"[It'll be] the same on the [upcoming] road trip, breaking up plays, trying to keep it moving from one side to the other."

Beckerman knows the team must gain the confidence to play well, and hopes the win against the Fire has provided that spark.

"When we get possession, it's my job to take it from one side and get it to the other. I'm the link. The link from defense to midfield to offense."

The recent game against the Fire finally provided an opportunity to create those links.

Beckerman felt "it was a different Colorado Rapids team. Everybody was moving. Against Dallas [in the Open cup] I didn't see much to play that forward ball [to], and all you're left with is falling to a fullback, and then the other team just presses you.

"This league is built a lot on confidence. If you get that and get on a roll, anything can happen. If we get on the same page [like with Chicago], we can get on a roll. I think we can, we haven't beat Chicago since I don't know when. I'm definitely sensing [that confidence]."

The defensive midfielder sees a building process in the Rapids' playing intensity, and Hankinson believes that understanding where the Rapids came from is critical to guiding where they are going.

"We went through a stretch against Dallas in the Open Cup and San Jose where individually we weren't bringing our best," said Hankinson.

"Our strategy against Chicago wasn't about a system of play. It was about encouragement for every player to play to their abilities. Every player came with game, and when you collectively play like that...We're about to show a video for the first time this year on our own game showing successful moments, so that we can try to visualize what we're capable of in a positive way.

"[Against the Fire] Alberto [Delgado] and Pedro [Jean Philippe Peguero] did a good job making runs in back of the defense. Beckerman's play was more to his position, meaning sit in defensively and distribute to switch the direction of attack.

"Our possession overall was better, which allowed [midfielders Chris] Henderson and [Mark] Chung to get into forward spots. We took better care of the ball."

Possession and care is what Colorado will need against an erratic Dallas side that comes out one game and blows out D.C. United, 5-1, where a few weeks earlier saw the same being done unto them by Kansas City.

On Saturday the Rapids have an opportunity to show they can a) win on the road, which they didn't do in July and b) beat back the Burn to maintain position in the Western Conference table.

Will they return to form after this win and begin to eke out ties and losses as they have after several other wins this season? Or can Rapids players and the coaching staff remember their good measure against the Fire as they feel the heat in the Cotton Bowl?

Hankinson feels "this is the more important of the three [away games], because it's in Conference. Our blessing this week [during training] is that it's hot. We're working hard in the beginning of the week to get past the heat factor.

"When we first went to San Jose and Dallas, we had a bit of a meltdown. [So we said] Let's not think about the heat and not complain about it, and get to the point where we're focused on our game, not the hot conditions."

Stre-ttt-ch 1-2-3
Injuries remain a sore spot for the Rapids, but they have finally found some equilibrium they hope to use in the final part of the season. Pablo Mastroeni remains out as does Darryl Powell and Gary Sullivan, but all are up and running, and Hankinson sees Sullivan as a potential sub in the next two weeks for caution point-laden defender Nat Borchers, who will miss a game if he is carded again by a referee.

"The good thing about coming through adversity like this," said Counce, "is that guys have gotten minutes that normally wouldn't have played a lot. So, we're comfortable now calling on Seth [Trembly], calling on Jordan Cila and others."

And the General Manager feels the team is becoming healthy at the right time. "[When Pablo and Powell return] we'll be looking at the last nine games or so with the team we'd like to have going into the playoffs," Counce said.

"A lot of times you are great the first half and bad the second half and out of the playoffs early. With the playoff system we have, the time you want to 'go right' is now, leading into the playoffs, and we feel good about our position to do that."

But before the Rapids get to the final nine or even 10 games, they'll have to go through the Dallas Burn. All of them. None of the Dallas team is sidelined with injury, even original starting goalkeeper Scott Garlick being available after appearing in the Burn's 0-4 Open Cup stonewalling by Kansas City Wednesday night.

"They have a number of guys that can be dangerous," said Hankinson. "Ronnie O'Brien has created big problems on the outside with one-on-one play. Our wingback has to be on his game to go step for step with him."

Hankinson currently sees Matt Crawford as his first choice from the available lineup to face-off against O'Brien. "[Crawford's] a quick player himself. He's one of the players that has made massive steps in a positive direction and I'm sure he's up to the task.

"[Dallas' Jason] Kreis can shoot from anywhere. I had him from when he graduated from Duke...and Jason would not hesitate to hit a ball from 35 yards."

Speaking of shooting, how is Hankinson going about creating a striker line that can actually score consistently? The coach talked about his recent thinking on the matter.

"I watched [San Jose's Brian] Ching and [Landon] Donovan play so well together [against us]," he said. "They understood each other's moves perfectly. We're so far away at the striker spots...so we clearly have to open our minds.

"What two are going to find that relationship where they can pester defenses and get a goal or two and complement each other's style and play with an intensity that defenders don't want to have to play against?"

A break followed by a full week of practice is a good start. The team spent time drilling in the midmorning heat, working on crossing and runs into the box, corner and free kick set pieces as well as situational scrimmages (e.g. one side is up by a goal) to help the team concentrate more effectively.

"Time off is supposed to let you relax," Hankinson said, "but we need to be sure bodies are prepared to do the hard work and concentrate. How we manage moments in the game is going to be the difference in results."

Hankinson sees real positives in the pair he put up top against Chicago last week, especially Cuban striker Alberto Delgado.

"Alberto had good moments and average moments in the game," Hankinson said, "but if you're a defender, he's a pain. He's a busy, physical guy and he wants to mix it up.

"We've got to reach that level if we're going to break through this scoring issue. I'm looking for that [forward] relationship. I haven't made my decision for this Saturday."

With three games on the road in the next two weeks, Hankinson knows he has to start by thinking first about the Burn.

"We're not in this to avoid Dallas," Hankinson finished. "We have to play them."

The Rapids hope to make a statement that they are worthy of a playoff spot when they travel to face the still-smarting-from-a-whippin' Burn at the Cotton Bowl at 5 p.m. (MDT). Saturday's game will be televised on Fox Sports Net and available on radio station KKFN 950 AM. Note this time has been moved up due to a double-header being played after the MLS match.

Adversity off the field
The Rapids faced adversity off the field this week as Denver Post columnist David Harsanyi slammed the sport of soccer in general -- and Commerce City and the newly-announced stadium partnership specifically -- implying that Commerce City had made a grave mistake in working in partnership to bring the new Rapids stadium to their town, and pointing out that the City's only worthwhile entertainment in the area was a strip club.

General Manager Dan Counce was caught off guard by the opinion piece.

"That's somebody who has an axe to grind against soccer," he said. "We were surprised to see that, and it shows a little bit about what he lacks in terms of knowledge of the situation."

American Soccer News spoke last week with several of Commerce City's council members and the mayor, who voted unanimously to move forward with the Prairie Gateway stadium project.

Like the dozen or so people interviewed, Councilor-at-Large René Bullock had nothing but positives to say about the unique public-private partnership.

"With a million-dollar view here, and with the improvements to transportation, it will benefit the whole region," he said. "This has got to work for the citizens of Commerce City, or what good is it?"

Counce agrees, and listed a number of positives he sees for the local community.

"[The Denver Post columnist] didn't talk about the youth fields and the [commercial/retail] development. It's an attention-getter for a city trying to change its image. Soccer is a family sport in the U.S. and young girls and boys are playing and their parents are coming to the game, and it's a suburban image, and I think that helps Commerce City.

"The amount of people the stadium will bring to the community will be good, and retail businesses will get more traffic, and the city will benefit from infrastructure improvements [primarily the increased commercial real estate combined with major work on two arteries through the city, Quebec and 56th].

"600,000 square feet of retail? I believe Commerce City is a community that wants that revenue base. It takes somebody who's not really looking to not see the benefits."

Counce also feels that Stan Kroenke, owner of the Colorado Rapids among other local teams, has put his money where his mouth is on this deal, fully partnering to build out the entire 360-acre site.

"Kroenke is guaranteeing $65 million in cash and bonds, so it's not a direct loan from the city. It's an incentive," Counce said. "Kroenke's buying land as well, and it's a play that that part of our community is going to grow.

"People of Kroenke's background, [Phil] Anschutz's background, Lamar Hunt's background, and the Kraft's in New England [all MLS team owners], don't invest in projects to say they've had enough after 24 months. These are long-term projects, visions for the future. Not, 'I hope in three years I'll get my money back.' I don't think anybody would argue that soccer is here as a participation sport already.

"[And, of course,] the Rapids benefit from being in the center of all that."