Weekend in Colorado

Getting up at 5 am on your day off isn't normally something that you look forward to, but when you're a Kansas City Wizards fan, and you're getting up so that you can meet up with a van to ride out to Denver to watch the Wizards play, it's something you definitly look forward to. By plane and automobile, 40 plus Wizards fans made the trip out to Denver this weekend to watch the Wizards take on the Colorado Rapids. 18 of us traveled in 2 12 passenger vans. As anyone that has taken the drive from KC to Denver will tell you, it's one of the most boring drives in the US, but when the closest MLS team to you is 8-10 hours away, sometimes you gotta make the long boring drives.

Once in Denver, with the realization that another Kansas City team was in town to play as well, a group of us made the trip to Coors Field to watch the Royals come from 2 down in the 8th inning to win the game 5-2. Coors is an amazing stadium, and it's situation near downtown Denver, and within walking distance of the Breckenridge Brewery, almost makes me change my mind about a downtown baseball stadium in KC.

Saturday was another early morning for many of us, as we got up to go to a local pub to watch the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea. A rather dull encounter only avoided penalties thanks to a late Didier Drogba goal to give Chelsea the 1-0 win, and a "double" as they'll call it. For me personally winning the league cup and the FA Cup is in no way a double, but I digress.

It was then on to a supporters match between the Cauldron and a mix of the Colorado supporters groups, which was won by the home fans, 7-3. After that is was on to the parking lot to tailgate with the Rapids supporters. From the fans I've met, that have come to KC or from going to other teams stadiums, the Rapids supporters are right up there with the Dallas fans as some of the friendliest in the league, they welcomed us, fed us, and gave us beer, in my book, that's a trifecta.

As for the game, the Rapids took the lead in the first half thanks to an iffy handball call that he switched from being outside the box to inside giving the Rapids a PK. The Wizards equalized in the second half, thanks to Davy Arnaud who received a great cross from Eddie Johnson, as he beat Pablo Mastroeni to the ball and beat Colorado keeper Bouna Coundoul. The Wizards level of play picked up remarkably in the second half, thanks to the introduction of Carlos Marinelli into the game. Marinelli, who was thought to still be a few weeks away from returning, was able to change the make up of the game, and add a stronger punch to the Wizards attack. The traveling support of the Cauldron were great, and also got some props during the HDNet broadcast crew according to fans back in KC who watched the game, the quote apparently in the broadcast was "what a subdued crowd.... well except for the KC fans."

You can see pictures from both the Wizards-Rapids game, and the supporters match here, thanks to Yellow Card Journalism.

3 Stars of the Game
1. Davy Arnaud - KC - Scored the tying goal and was working his butt off all night, it was about time he earned himself a goal this season.
2. Terry Cooke - CO - Was giving Jose Burciaga a lot of trouble down the week and was creating a lot of chances that CO, specifically Roberto Brown numerous times, was unable to finish.
3. Eddie Johnson - KC - Created numerous chances, and probably should have had a goal, his great cross into Davy in the box was brilliantly placed, he also had another few crosses later in the game from almost the same position that no one was just able to finish.