There’s no sense in wasting (digital) ink on the state of the Rapids’ season. The only focus now (at least until the final whistle blows on Sunday) is winning the Rocky Mountain Cup.
Head coach Pablo Mastroeni knows the fans have been through a tough year and the message he’s sending to his team is that they need to deliver for the fans in this final match for the Cup in 2015.
“It’s been a tough year,” Mastroeni admitted via the team website. “We’d love to reward the fans for their dedication and their belief in us with this trophy.”
As a former participant in the rivalry on the pitch himself, he knows how important this is for the fans and the club. “It’s a rivalry I hold close to me,” he said.
Colorado enters the match with a three-point and two-goal aggregate lead, meaning they can even lose the match by a goal and still retain the Cup.
The previous two meetings were chippy and hard-fought, as Mastroeni described them, and Sunday’s finale will go a long way to proving the character of the club.
“At this point in the season, it’s important to come away with something,” Mastroeni believes.
That something is a big shiny trophy that can live in Commerce City for a year.
The Rapids and Real Salt Lake kick at 5 p.m. on Sunday from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Catch the match live on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or listen online via the stream or iPhone or Android apps.
