Matt Pickens Likely To Return To Starting Duty vs. Santos Laguna

Remember Matt Pickens? Starting 'keeper for the Rapids for the past few years and the team MVP in 2012? Well, it's pretty likely he's going to be back when the Rapids face off against Santos Laguna in their Albuquerque friendly over the weekend.

Pickens originally broke his arm during the early stages of their 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake, and finally made his way back to full health a few games ago, sitting on the bench behind the upstart youngster Clint Irwin. The coaching staff will probably want to see him in action, though, and the Santos game will provide a perfect opportunity. So, uh, I guess we will be seeing a starter in that game, kind of.

Now, this doesn't mean that Clint Irwin is all of a sudden out of the starting job -- he has had two straight clean sheets in a row, and that's gotta count for something -- but I think that after seeing Pickens in action again against Santos, even if it is only a friendly, the actual competition for the GK spot can begin anew. Without Steward Ceus, ideally.