The Rapids Show The Big Mo

Last week, a convincing 4-1 win over the Montreal (No) Impact—who stopped the Revolution with their own convincing 2-0 win.

Yesterday?  A 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo.  These last two games have stoked the fire in the bellies of all Rapids fans who have longed to see them string two solid, exciting games together.

What the Rapids have now, dear friends, is momentum.  A fickle thing, to be sure.  It can often make things seem better than they really are.  Those on the good side of momentum often believe that this can't stop once things get rolling.

Leadership expert John Maxwell talks about momentum:

If you’ve got all the passion, tools and people you need to fulfill a great vision, yet you can’t seem to get your organization moving and going in the right direction, you’re dead in the water as a leader. If you can’t get things going, you will not succeed. You need to harness the power of the leader’s best friend – momentum.

ƒWhen you have no momentum, even the simplest tasks seem impossible.

ƒOn the other hand, when you have momentum on your side, the future looks bright, and obstacles appear small. An organization with momentum is like a train that’s moving at sixty miles per hour.

Isn't that the truth?  Deshorn Brown only found wood recently, and his only goals were off a penalty miss against Portland, and then a late (pretty) score against Goats USA.  He looked on the verge last week against Montreal--but found the back of the net twice (here and here), the first giving the Rapids that blessed momentum early!

Then there is Kamani Hill.  He scored his first goal during his debut with the club in October 2012.  Promising start--then blanks until last week against Montreal.  Then another beauty off a corner yesterday.  One goal in two years--two goals in two games.  Momentum--lovely momentum.

As a team, 15 shots on goal with 9 on target, compared to the Dynamo's anemic 5 attempts on goal with none--none--on target.  This can speak to the Rapids defense, or to the fact that the Dynamo were short on players for various reasons.  But even so, MLS players are MLS players, and to find the back of the net seven times in two games can build... you guessed it... needed momentum.

So, one more home game on Wednesday vs. the Chicago Fire, then off to FC Dallas on Saturday--then the World Cup break.  One game against Orlando City on the 17th, then they resume on June 28th against a tough Vancouver team at DSGP.  Here's hoping that World Cup break doesn't break the momentum.   This can be a great opportunity for Coach Pablo to examine what worked, what needs improving, and to rest our Rapids for the last half of the season.

Let's go Rapids!