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Rapids' Cummings continuing to impress
High-powered striker raises level of Colorado attack
By Owen Perkins / MLSnet.com Staff
Omar Cummings is tied for the league lead in assists with seven. (G. Ellwood/Getty Images)
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Just when Colorado Rapids fans have gotten comfortable with a new standard of excellence set by Omar Cummings, the Jamaican striker takes it up another notch, improving by increments measured in leaps and bounds in every aspect of his game.
It's been this way for most of the past two seasons as Cummings keeps expanding the notion of "coming into his own." The most surprising part of his game is that he can keep surprising. He went into last weekend ranked in the top 10 in goals and owning a share of the league lead in assists, and his play in a 1-0 loss to the defending MLS champion Columbus Crew highlighted his ability to singlehandedly wreak havoc on opposing defenders.
"I thought Omar was outstanding," head coach Gary Smith said after the match. "He caused their back four a helluva lot of problems. You see the amount of problems that he causes teams."
Cummings ran rings around the Columbus defense, often taking on two,
three, and even four defenders, masterfully controlling the ball and setting up numerous chances for the Rapids, none of which he or his teammates could finish.
"It's something we work on in practice and something even the coaches encourage you to," Cummings said. "When you do it in the game, if it works, that's great. Just build on that, add goals, add assists, and take it to the next level."
While Cummings continues to push his side to higher levels of opportunity on attack, the Rapids remain stuck in their efforts to find the finishing touch. He had seven of the team's 16 shots, and played a hand in helping create countless other opportunities in front of the net, making for an exciting but ultimately frustrating match at home.
"It's unfortunate we couldn't convert our chances, me in particular I would say," Cummings lamented after the loss. "That's the way it goes. If you don't take your chances, you lose."
Cummings hit the target on three of his seven shots, one which he thought crossed the goal line midway through the second half. Colin Clark played a beautiful cross to him, and Cummings headed it to the near corner, where a diving William Hesmer smothered it on the chalk.
"Unfortunately the referee didn't call it, so no goal," Cummings said. "I think it went over just before."
The Rapids' best opportunity to hit the net came in the 34th minute when Jordan Harvey sent a long ball forward that Cummings outran past a stumbling Chad Marshall to catch in front of the net. It was the one shot he wished he could have again, as he unloaded awkwardly on the bouncing ball, sending a weak effort to Hesmer from point blank range.
"I just didn't quite get a hold of it and just kind of fumbled to him," Cummings said. "Unfortunate I guess."
Cummings might have been his own toughest critic after the shutout loss. But his coach had his share of criticisms as well, praising Cummings to no end, but recognizing that Cummings is still working toward the confidence and comfort level in front of the net that can complete his transformation into one of the MLS elite.
It's the elusive element the Rapids as a whole remain in search of. As a young squad developing quickly, they still lack that intangible quality that comes with continued seasoning - the ability to keep their heads under pressure and capitalize on their potential in tight games, earning their breaks the way the best teams do week after week.
"The missing ingredient is that one opportunity that Omar has in the first half where he can be a little more cultured," Smith said, referring to the failed chance one-on-one with Hesmer. "It's that coolness and calmness in and around the penalty area when Pat [Noonan] gets a chance that Omar squares to him and he has a clear shot on goal but he doesn't find the corner and allows the goalkeeper to make a clean save. It's that opportunity that gets slid down the side of their center back and Pat Noonan's on an angle and chooses to pull it back to Omar who squirms it.
The Rapids have seen a handful of games this seasons when they dominated most of the match but ended up with a draw or a loss as a result of a momentary lapse in their own final third and a dearth of finishes at the other end.
"We are talking about very fine lines," Smith said. "When you go behind, good teams make it extremely difficult for you. It slowly but surely got tighter and tighter. And you do get a little more frustrated and excited and excitable, and when that opening arises you're just not as calm and collected as you need to be to find the corner and to make it count."
With the Rapids' sights set on the postseason they've missed two years running, there is little room to be satisfied after finishing a match empty-handed. Cummings found it difficult to find the positive in the immediate aftermath of a performance that earned him undisputed man-of-the-match status.
"Missing chances, you never feel like you had the best game," Cummings said. "For them basically they had a free kick and that was it. For us, not converting our chances and seeing the game go further and further without getting a goal was very frustrating."
The Rapids' performance made it hard for onlookers not to feel hopeful that the team can get in synch in front of the net. But if nothing else, Cummings and his coach are clearly in synch, recognizing that candy-coating the disappointment can't mask the bitter taste of defeat lingering in the Colorado locker room.
"Listen, I'm being critical of one or two chances, but how many times does Omar create things on his own?" Smith said. "He's an extreme handful. I'd just like to see - as we move forward and certainly as he grows as a player - that calmness in front of goal to take a chance when there's not going to be many in the game.
There's going to be few openings, and that one goal at that time gives us the lift and the boost that we need to maybe see the game out, and sadly they get it, and they get that same boost."
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLSnet.com
High-powered striker raises level of Colorado attack
By Owen Perkins / MLSnet.com Staff
Omar Cummings is tied for the league lead in assists with seven. (G. Ellwood/Getty Images) COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Just when Colorado Rapids fans have gotten comfortable with a new standard of excellence set by Omar Cummings, the Jamaican striker takes it up another notch, improving by increments measured in leaps and bounds in every aspect of his game.
It's been this way for most of the past two seasons as Cummings keeps expanding the notion of "coming into his own." The most surprising part of his game is that he can keep surprising. He went into last weekend ranked in the top 10 in goals and owning a share of the league lead in assists, and his play in a 1-0 loss to the defending MLS champion Columbus Crew highlighted his ability to singlehandedly wreak havoc on opposing defenders.
"I thought Omar was outstanding," head coach Gary Smith said after the match. "He caused their back four a helluva lot of problems. You see the amount of problems that he causes teams."
Cummings ran rings around the Columbus defense, often taking on two,
three, and even four defenders, masterfully controlling the ball and setting up numerous chances for the Rapids, none of which he or his teammates could finish.
"It's something we work on in practice and something even the coaches encourage you to," Cummings said. "When you do it in the game, if it works, that's great. Just build on that, add goals, add assists, and take it to the next level."
While Cummings continues to push his side to higher levels of opportunity on attack, the Rapids remain stuck in their efforts to find the finishing touch. He had seven of the team's 16 shots, and played a hand in helping create countless other opportunities in front of the net, making for an exciting but ultimately frustrating match at home.
"It's unfortunate we couldn't convert our chances, me in particular I would say," Cummings lamented after the loss. "That's the way it goes. If you don't take your chances, you lose."
Cummings hit the target on three of his seven shots, one which he thought crossed the goal line midway through the second half. Colin Clark played a beautiful cross to him, and Cummings headed it to the near corner, where a diving William Hesmer smothered it on the chalk.
"Unfortunately the referee didn't call it, so no goal," Cummings said. "I think it went over just before."
The Rapids' best opportunity to hit the net came in the 34th minute when Jordan Harvey sent a long ball forward that Cummings outran past a stumbling Chad Marshall to catch in front of the net. It was the one shot he wished he could have again, as he unloaded awkwardly on the bouncing ball, sending a weak effort to Hesmer from point blank range.
"I just didn't quite get a hold of it and just kind of fumbled to him," Cummings said. "Unfortunate I guess."
Cummings might have been his own toughest critic after the shutout loss. But his coach had his share of criticisms as well, praising Cummings to no end, but recognizing that Cummings is still working toward the confidence and comfort level in front of the net that can complete his transformation into one of the MLS elite.
It's the elusive element the Rapids as a whole remain in search of. As a young squad developing quickly, they still lack that intangible quality that comes with continued seasoning - the ability to keep their heads under pressure and capitalize on their potential in tight games, earning their breaks the way the best teams do week after week.
"The missing ingredient is that one opportunity that Omar has in the first half where he can be a little more cultured," Smith said, referring to the failed chance one-on-one with Hesmer. "It's that coolness and calmness in and around the penalty area when Pat [Noonan] gets a chance that Omar squares to him and he has a clear shot on goal but he doesn't find the corner and allows the goalkeeper to make a clean save. It's that opportunity that gets slid down the side of their center back and Pat Noonan's on an angle and chooses to pull it back to Omar who squirms it.
The Rapids have seen a handful of games this seasons when they dominated most of the match but ended up with a draw or a loss as a result of a momentary lapse in their own final third and a dearth of finishes at the other end.
"We are talking about very fine lines," Smith said. "When you go behind, good teams make it extremely difficult for you. It slowly but surely got tighter and tighter. And you do get a little more frustrated and excited and excitable, and when that opening arises you're just not as calm and collected as you need to be to find the corner and to make it count."
With the Rapids' sights set on the postseason they've missed two years running, there is little room to be satisfied after finishing a match empty-handed. Cummings found it difficult to find the positive in the immediate aftermath of a performance that earned him undisputed man-of-the-match status.
"Missing chances, you never feel like you had the best game," Cummings said. "For them basically they had a free kick and that was it. For us, not converting our chances and seeing the game go further and further without getting a goal was very frustrating."
The Rapids' performance made it hard for onlookers not to feel hopeful that the team can get in synch in front of the net. But if nothing else, Cummings and his coach are clearly in synch, recognizing that candy-coating the disappointment can't mask the bitter taste of defeat lingering in the Colorado locker room.
"Listen, I'm being critical of one or two chances, but how many times does Omar create things on his own?" Smith said. "He's an extreme handful. I'd just like to see - as we move forward and certainly as he grows as a player - that calmness in front of goal to take a chance when there's not going to be many in the game.
There's going to be few openings, and that one goal at that time gives us the lift and the boost that we need to maybe see the game out, and sadly they get it, and they get that same boost."
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLSnet.com
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