The start of the 2010 campaign saw the Rapids face Chivas USA for the opening road fixture. Omar Cummings slotted home in the 2nd half to see the Rapids win 1-0 for their first season-opening victory on the road in the history of the club.
Many fans were in shock after star forward Conor Casey was left off the United States national team world cup squad. However, Casey scored a blistering 13 goals and had 6 assists throughout the campaign. He also scored key goals against Columbus in the playoffs and scored the game-tying goal in the MLS Cup final against FC Dallas.
Omar Cummings proved that he is one of the best strikers in the league with 14 goals. The Omar-Casey tandem is one of the best in MLS apart from Sebastian Le Toux and Danny Mwanga of Philadelphia Union, a club that missed out on playoff qualification in their first season in the top-flight. Cummings has been the subject of transfer rumors throughout 2010 and as of January 2011 is in Birmingham, England, training with Aston Villa of the Premier League. A loan deal is possible, however Rapids officials are adamant that the Jamaican hit man will be in a Colorado uniform come March 19 for the home opening fixture against Portland Timbers.
Pablo Mastroeni is the long-time captain of the Colorado Rapids. He arguably played one of the best seasons of his career in 2010. There were rumors that he was going to retire at the end of the season but with the 2011 Champions League looming, the Argentine-born defensive midfielder who has two world cups under his belt for the United States, has chosen to stay with the club he joined from the now defunct Miami Fusion in 2002.
The 2010 MLS Cup Final was held in Toronto, Ontario, the largest city in Canada, and home to Toronto FC. I had a blast with friends and fellow Rapids supporters at the final. I told myself that I was not going to miss this opportunity as the last time the Rapids were in the final was 1997, when they lost 2-1 to a DC United side coached by Bruce Arena. I arrived in Buffalo, New York and boarded a Greyhound Bus that made stops in Niagara Falls and the towns leading to Toronto. I was greeted at the bus station by fellow members of the Bulldog Supporters Group and we made way to the Delta Chelsea hotel where the majority of fans and Rapids staff were staying in downtown Toronto.
The MLS Cup Final was a chilly game played in near freezing temperatures at BMO Field. The Rapids found themselves down by a goal after a fantastic finish from FC Dallas talisman David Ferreira. Colorado keeper Matt Pickens nearly stopped the volley and the Texan club was lucky not to have conceded a penalty in the early stages of the match as Conor Casey appeared to have been taken down in the penalty area. Casey would get revenge in the second half as he tied the game at 1-1 after a cross by Jamie Smith. Both teams had chances to win in regulation, but Hartman and Pickens held strong as the teams prepared for extra time. Mac Kandji deserves the distinguished medal of honor after he sacrificed his body in the second period of extra time which setup the game-winning goal. Kandji tore his ACL on the play that was ruled as an FC Dallas own-goal. Nonetheless, the Rapids held firm in the final minutes of the game as Matt Pickens made some fantastic saves and Drew Moor solidified himself as the Rapids defensive player of the year.
The rest is history...
COLORADO RAPIDS - 2010 MLS CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!
