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Rapids begin title defense vs. expansion Timbers

Mar 18, 2011 - 4:52 PM Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rapids open defense of their 2010 Major League Soccer Cup Championship when they host the expansion Portland Timbers at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday.

The rapids return pretty much the same lineup that made the run through the playoffs, so big things are expected in 2011.

"I think continuity is a big part to it," Colorado coach Gary Smith told The Sports Network. "Having won the Cup the challenge was to keep the players together. Not because the guys necessarily didn't want to be here, but because you have two expansion teams coming in. There is difficulty in trying to protect and maintain a healthy group with salary cap issues and all sorts of things that impact keeping a winning group together in this league. We've been able to do that."

The return of the strike-pair of Omar Cummings and Conor Casey gives the rapids one of the better combinations in the league. Cummings was rumored to be headed overseas after the 2010 season, but he returns and Smith stated he expects him to be in Colorado this season and beyond.

"Omar has two years left on his contract with us," he said. "I think to a man in the staff, everyone sees him being here for that time. Nobody wants to lose Omar. He's part of what has been an extremely exciting pairing with Conor Casey. The combination and the relationship that those two guys have built over the past couple seasons has been great for us."

The Timbers play their first MLS game under less than idea circumstances, at the defending league champs, but they are not intimidated by the competition.

"I think we're all itching to get out there and play Colorado, they're the defending champs," Timbers defender Eric Brunner told his club's website. "You respect that, but you don't fear it."

"I think the best thing to do is really use the energy and excitement kind of as fuel for the game and get yourself a little added bonus with adrenaline for the first game," Timbers defender Kevin Goldthwaite added.

A new journey begins on Saturday for Portland, while the Rapids are hoping to get their 2011 defense underway.

"I'm looking forward extremely to the opening game and seeing how the team copes with the new challenges in front of them," Smith said. "It certainly won't be easy to get into the postseason and compete for the Cup again."