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Coundoul rapidly proving himself

Pat Rooney, Special To The Rocky

Published May 5, 2007 at midnight

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Bouna Coundoul knows all it will take is one bad match for the second-guessing to begin.

So far, that hasn't happened, and Colorado Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo hasn't wavered in his belief that Coundoul can handle the starting goalkeeper job.

Coundoul, who arrived in the U.S. from Senegal in 1997, certainly doesn't lack for confidence.

Yet the reality heading into the 2007 season was that the 25-year old Coundoul had only four starts under his belt in Major League Soccer. And in order to make room for Coundoul, the Rapids would have to trade one of the most efficient goalies in MLS during the past few seasons, Joe Cannon.

So far, the leap of faith has proved rewarding to Clavijo, Coundoul and the rest of the Rapids, who host defending MLS champion Houston tonight at 7:30 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in a rematch of the Western Conference final last year, which the Dynamo won 3-1.

"I'm pleased personally, and the team is pleased," Clavijo said. "Bouna has done tremendous. He's a young goalkeeper that is going to make a few mistakes along the way, just like anyone else. But when you look at Bouna and what he can bring to the team and how he is in the locker room, everyone wants him to do well."

Cannon, the 2004 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and a finalist for that award last season, was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy in a deal that essentially reaped three starters, with the Galaxy sending Colorado forward Herculez Gomez and defender Ugo Ihemelu while paving the way for Coundoul to take over in goal.

During the Rapids' 2-1-1 start, Coundoul has not disappointed, as evidenced by the handful of brilliant saves he made while posting his first shutout this season, in a 2-0 win Monday at Real Salt Lake.

"I didn't have tons of experience around the league, so for a young goalie, good games are always going to boost your confidence," Coundoul said. "Plus, the team believes in me. Everyone believes in me, so it helps me realize I can go out and do what I'm capable of doing."

The rematch tonight of the Western Conference final pits a Rapids team that is tied for first in the West against a Houston team that has scored only one goal but has allowed only two during a 1-2-1 start.

The match also continues a stretch in which the Rapids will play three games in 11 days, but Clavijo indicated it should be too early in the season to worry if fatigue might hinder his team's hot start.

"We want to be, by the midterm of the season, we want to be No. 1 in the league," Clavijo said. "It's going to be hard, three in (11) days, but we have to do it. It is going to be hard throughout the year for all the teams. We have to take advantage of the game we play at home and rob points on the road like we did at Salt Lake."