How will the Colorado Rapids use Tony Cascio in 2012?
by UZ on Jan 13, 2012 10:00 AM MST
in MLS SuperDraft
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Former Colorado Rapids coach Gary Smith had a very restrictive system when it came to youth players. There seemed to be a system that kept the kids in the reserve team for at least a year and sometimes more before they could even sniff the field for some first team football at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
It was a system that worked fairly well - well enough to get Colorado to the MLS Cup in 2010 obviously - but it was a bit, shall we say, out of date. This is a league that is increasingly being driven by the youth players and leaving them off the field like Smith did with Eddie Ababio, Ross LaBauex or Andre Akpan just got frustrating as less talented but older tenured players were getting the field time during the injury situation last season.
Fortunately, it's pretty likely that our newest player Tony Cascio isn't going to be quite as bound as former Rapids youth were under the new regime.
Cascio's skill-set is varied and impressive, to say the least. The guy can play at any spot in the midfield as well as a bit of forward if needs be, the kind of versatility that coaches just love from players. The question is where we're going to see him next year and how much we're going to see him play.
The key lies in our usual service-master, Jamie Smith. As we all remember - unless you've been trying to block out the memories of the event like I have - Jamie tore his ACL in the Rapids' final win of the year against the Columbus Crew. That's guaranteed to keep him out until probably July or August at the very least, and at his advancing age of 31 it might just spell the end of his career. His injury history has been completely terrible and he missed over half the games in 2011 even as he scored 3 goals and a couple assists. With the loss of Sanna Nyassi as well, that leaves only Cascio remaining for offensive playmaking on the wing.
With Jamie Smith completely healthy, I think the Rapids would use a bit of caution on their rookie, keep him in the reserves as much as possible while sneaking him into a first team position every couple of games or so. Unless there is another big name signing who can play wing - another player at wing in general will likely be a required pick up in the offseason unless they move Danny Earls up there or something - we're likely going to see Cascio penciled in to 20 or more starts on the left wing in 2012 opposite of Brian Mullan, or on the right wing with, perhaps, Wells Thompson at his side.
It's not an exaggeration to say that Cascio might be one of the most important players on the Rapids for 2012. He can't just be the next Ross LaBauex, he's going to have to break ground like no Rapids rookie has done in a very, very long time.
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I can certainly see Cascio being called upon to play the Jamie Smith role of being the “Inside Forward” where he cuts in from the wing—that was Jamie’s bread and butter. If you look at most of the “chalkboard” from Rapids games, Jamie may have been played on the wing, but he spent most of his time cutting in the middle of the field. I can see Cascio being used in the same way. Kind of like the opposite of Omar Cummings (who is played as a striker, but likes to drift out wide).
Ababio deserves a shot. I like his attacking edge, but that’s a tough call to make because Kimura also possesses that ability to get up the pitch and make good things happen. Ababio seems to be more the type to like to work the ball into the box than pump in crosses, which is what Kimura was being groomed to do. Pump a cross in and hope it hits Conor in his big shiny head. Or, you know, get a goal of his own like against San Jose in 2010, and then again in 2011 against… can’t remember, but it was the same thing.
Akpan is probably the most complete young striker we have. He was great in 2010 and could be even better in 2011. I’d like to see him getting more minutes. Ross Labeaux also made a pretty good case for himself. Joseph Nane had a good moment or two, but I can’t see him as part of the plans.
I mean, the Rapids have an entire slew of young players waiting to go: Armstrong, Emory, Amarikwa, Janniere, Earls… All of these guys are young talent ready to go. It will be interesting to see if Pareja has plans for them.
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