Cedar Rapids Rampage Season Preview - 2017-2018
The boys are back! With November now here, Cedar Rapids Rampage are back in the US Cellular Center for their third year. After racing out to a fast start on the season, a vastly improved Rampage squad could not overcome a resurgent Milwaukee Wave, and narrowly missed on a MASL Playoff spot with a winning 12-8 record. Player/head coach Hewerton Moreira guided the second year MASL franchise to an impressive list of wins, none bigger than defeating the defending (and eventual) MASL Champion Baltimore Blast, 5-3 at home. It was a contest that thrilled fans on a miserably cold, damp, and fog-covered night, and highlighted the impressive turn-around the team made after a 5-15 debut season. Many on the team had an even more successful summer season with Cedar Rapids Rampage United in the PLA, where they won the PLA West regular-season title and again qualified for one of the outdoor league's four playoff spots. This success made Hewerton a hot commodity in the coaching ranks, and St. Louis Ambush lured him away with a lucrative offer to become their player/head coach for the upcoming 2017-2018 season. Here is our third annual take on the season and the good, the bad, and the ugly in store this coming season...
The Good
Jonathan Greenfield - Greenfield takes the reigns as Rampage player-coach, becoming the team's third head coach in three years. A former South African youth international, Greenfield has heightened expectations after being a part of last year's reinforcements (dubbed "Old Milwaukee Light" for it's prevalence of veteran players from the Milwaukee Wave system). He won't have savvy veteran defender Jonatan Santos who left for Milwaukee, or the physical presence of Robert Acosta who left to join Hewerton at St. Louis, but a returning Pablo Da Silva, Chicago Mustang import Osvaldo Rojas, and promising young defender from Rampage United (and a Mount Vernon native) Drew Russell look to fill the gaps left. Like Moreira, Greenfield has played under some of the best coaches in the game, including two who have won the league's Coach of the Year award, Keith Tozer (father of Rampage SC, and current St. Louis Ambush defender, Alex Tozer) and Mark Pulisic (father of USMNT wunderkind Christian Pulisic). The big question hovering over this season will be how Hewerton does with new tools in St. Louis vs how much more Greenfield can get out of a team that should have playoff ambitions.
Bolstered Offense? - No bigger signing was made this off-season than perennial goal machine Taylor Bond from Chicago Mustangs. Having been a thorn in the Rampage's side for the last two seasons, Bond provides a physical, technical, and motivated strike to the mix, that compliments other perennial weapons Gordy Gurson and Tony Walls. All three very different forwards, with very different skill sets, who can be stars yet again this season. A work-horse who is always willing to battle for every inch, Derek Huffman, and an outdoor revelation in Alex Bradley, are the X-factors that could be devastating if all put in work. No one expects instant chemistry with a new group, but the foundation is there if the work is put in. After an injury burdened year and a falling out of favor with Hewerton, we still await word on if Jamar Beasley will return. Beasley showed flashes of his MVP self in games against St. Louis at the beginning and end of the year. Last, but certainly not least, Tony Aguilar and Bobby Hurwitz improved their play even more last year, and provided game clinching goals at key times last year. Those three are dependable and good locker room guys that are invaluable in any year. Lastly, with Angel Curiel's departure to Milwaukee, can Rampage United's breakout most-improved player, Kenan Malicevic, replicate that form during the indoor season?
Brett Petricek - Can he replicate a rookie season that saw him be near the top of the league in many goalkeeping categories. He has the potential to be one of the best in the league this season.
The Bad
The Road Start and End - The difficulty level of the opening two road matches are worth noting. Milwaukee has reinforced their team with some of Cedar Rapid's best players and will host Cedar Rapids after the high of a hard fought overtime victory in Tacoma. Then the Rampage travel to Baltimore Blast as the Blast raise yet another championship banner, yet this time at their beautiful new home of SECU Arena (home of Towson University). As if that match wasn't difficult enough, the Blast will be extra motivated to win this revenge match over a Cedar Rapids team that clearly shocked them with a torrid first half last year. Finally, their road swing at the start of the year concludes with another team motivated by revenge, a very good Florida Tropics side that was spanked on New Year's Eve by the Rampage. Don't expect anything like that this time around, as the Tropics were exceptional at home as the year went on. The end of the schedule features the 2014-2015 Champion Monterrey Flash (who beat the Blast for the title that year) in a cross-border road contest after a trip to RGV Barracudas in their lovely State Farm Arena. Also near the end are road contests at a revamped St. Louis and Syracuse. Our crystal ball says Cedar Rapids will need to go AT LEAST 1-2 to start the year, and 2-2 in those road games at the end of the year, to have a fighting chance at a playoff spot in the Central.
The Ugly?
The Hewerton Saga and the Chicago Mustang Effect - How badly will the franchise miss Hewerton Moreira's presence as coach, and how much will St. Louis benefit from his arrival? These matches with the Ambush will be physical grudge matches, with the team having something to prove versus their old coach. Expect a physical but fair war between the two sides. Also, will the recent defections from Chicago as the Mustangs move to MASL2 most benefit Cedar Rapids or rivals for the title like Monterrey Flash, who pick up Rampage-killer Wilo Martinez?
Players OUT:
Hewerton Moreira (St. Louis Ambush)
Jonathan Santos (Milwaukee Wave)
Robert Acosta (St. Louis Ambush)
Angel Curiel (Milwaukee Wave)
Patrick Kelly (Kansas City Comets)
Alexis Apodaca (RGV Barracudas)
Jamar Beasley (?)
Players IN:
Taylor Bond (Chicago Mustangs)
Edwin Rojas (Chicago Mustangs)
Oslwaldo Rojas (Chicago Mustangs)
Mario Alvarez (Chicago Mustangs)
Alex Bradley (Rookie)
Kenan Malicevic (Rookie)
Drew Russell (Rookie)
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