Benjamin Franklin once famously said that nothing is certain in life except death, taxes and the Colorado Rapids scoring off set pieces.
Okay, maybe he didn’t say that last part, but chances are he would have if he was somehow around today. While almost nothing in 2020 has been predictable, one thing that has managed to remain constant from last year is the Rapids’ ability to score off the restart on a regular basis.
In 2019, the club handily led the league with 19 goals scored from set piece situations, a rate of one set piece goal every 1.79 games. Heading into the 2020 season, some pundits questioned the Rapids’ ability to continue producing off the restart at such a high rate. Yet in spite of everything that has happened this year to try and slow down their momentum, the Rapids have not only found a way to maintain their production on dead balls, they’ve actually managed to surpass it.
On Sunday, the Rapids scored two goals off the restart in their 3-1 victory over the defending MLS Cup champions. Keegan Rosenberry’s banger from distance and Cole Bassett’s well-placed header brought the Rapids’ total set-piece goals this season to nine, which translates to a league-leading rate of one set piece goal every 1.77 games.
That level of consistency isn’t due to pure luck, by the way. When asked about his goal after the game on Sunday, Bassett alluded to the source of team’s prowess on dead balls.
“I have to give credit to [Rapids Assistant & Goalkeeper Coach] Chris Sharpe. On the play, he yelled to me and he said, 'start offside.' I wasn't supposed to start offside—my run was supposed to be near post—but he said start offside and drift a bit back post or middle area. It worked out to a T. They didn't know how to stay with me when I was offside, so I just hopped back in the line and 'Pricey' does what he does best: he puts it in a perfect spot.”
Sharpe has been the mastermind behind the Rapids’ continued prowess on set pieces, with head coach Robin Fraser previously commenting on how Sharpe’s meticulous preparation, combined with midfielder Jack Price’s distribution, have been key to their success on restarts.
"Our players are so dialed in on set pieces,” Fraser said after the Rapids’ season-opening win over D.C. United, which included a set piece goal. “Working on them, they're really, really meticulous. Chris Sharpe does a great job in putting them together and giving them some good schemes, and then Jack Price's delivery has been phenomenal last year and this year."
The Rapids travel to Portland on Wednesday night with the possibility of securing a spot in the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. It could well be that a dead ball keeps their postseason dreams alive.
