COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Christian Gomez's impact on the Colorado Rapids attack has been everything the club hoped for when trading for the former MLS MVP in the offseason. He has ignited the Rapids offense, sharing the team lead alongside Terry Cooke in assists with six and trailing only Omar Cummings and Tom McManus in goals with three.
Head coach Fernando Clavijo believes there's still more to come from Gomez, however, as the midfielder continues working himself back to full fitness after a series of nagging injuries - to his right knee, shin, and right leg, that have slowed him down throughout the season.
"I don't feel that Christian is 100 percent yet, fitness-wise," Clavijo said after the Rapids last league game, July 27 against the Crew. "He was nursing an injury for about three to four weeks. He was unable to run to get fit. Then he goes to the All-Star Game and he started the game, and of course that was something I wasn't looking for. We have to deal with it. Hopefully we can get him fit."
Gomez started in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game, playing 59 minutes and scoring his side's first goal in the MLS 3-2 victory against West Ham United. Gomez followed his appearance in Toronto by playing all 90 minutes against the Crew, the first complete game he'd played in nearly two months, since a June 7 match in Los Angeles.
The centerpiece to the Rapids attack has been limited to an average of 71 minutes per game this season. He arrived in Colorado as a marked man and has felt increasing pressure as opposing defenses have focused on him in their efforts to shut down Colorado's attack.
"In our league, he's going to be marked," Clavijo said following Sunday's friendly with Everton. "Everybody knows him. We need him to be fit. He missed three-and-a-half, four weeks of fitness, and we have to get him back into match fitness. [Sunday] was a good day for him to be able to do that."
With the Everton match hotly contested by Colorado, Clavijo had the option of either resting Gomez or taking the opportunity to work him back up to full speed. Clavijo chose the latter, and was pleased with the result, getting a second 90-minute performance from Gomez, his second complete game on successive Sundays.
"It was for his conditioning," Clavijo said, emphasizing that the decision to stick with Gomez was more about his midfielder's fitness than the coach's hunger for a win against the English Premiership side. "It was important for him to go 90 minutes. We're talking about resting some of the guys, making some changes, but we used this game first to win it, second to get some of the players back where they need to be."
Gomez wasn't the only one getting a full workout against the Toffees on Sunday, as Clavijo used only four substitutions, three at the half and one in the 87th minute. Aside from splitting the goalkeeping duties between Bouna Coundoul and back-up 'keeper Preston Burpo, Clavijo primarily stuck with his starting squad, using the friendly as an important opportunity to solidify the team play in preparation for Colorado's run for a playoff berth.
"I thought it was needed," Clavijo said of his approach Sunday. "I looked around and I didn't see anybody except maybe Christian and Conor [Casey] struggling a little. It was an exercise that we wanted to do. You have to remember, the mind starts playing tricks when you get tired. I want to make sure that people understand how everybody's role plays on the field. I thought they did well."
No comments:
Post a Comment