Questions to answer in MLS preseason camp: Colorado Rapids

(Over the next week we’ll look at two or three Major League Soccer clubs per day, considering what they need to accomplish and what questions deserve answers during preseason training camps. Opening day in MLS is March 2.)

Oscar Pareja’s remodel around Dicks Sporting Goods Park didn’t go much as expected last year.

The first-time head coach wished to remake Colorado from its previous version, which was fairly effective, although with a lesser aesthetic appeal. But balls that staid more reliably on the ground and possession that remained more reliably with the Rapids could not make amends for a defense that yielded 50 goals. (And teams that yield 50 goals almost certainly aren’t visiting the playoffs.)

So it’s Year 2 for Pareja’s way. Here are the pressing questions he’ll want to answer in preseason drills:

• Is his captain, Pablo Mastroeni, back to impact-player status?

What a blow it was in 2012 to have captain Pablo Mastroeni (pictured) stuck on the side, fingers perpetually crossed that he could make it back at all from concussion-related symptoms. Now Mastroeni, 36, is working out full-speed so far, excellent news for everyone involved with the Rapids.

They’ll certainly need him, especially after Jeff Larentowicz’s trade earlier this month to Chicago. If Mastroeni can’t fulfill the holding midfield role, Pareja will likely turn to Hendry Thomas or Martin Rivero.

• What formation will the Rapids deploy in 2013?

Injuries and personnel incompatibility prevented the full conversion to the 4-3-3 Pareja desired last year. There were simply too many ill-fitting parts. When the injuries and a long stretch of poor summer results added pressure to the whole thing, Pareja down-shifted into the more conservative 4-4-2, hoping to restore some temporary stability. So he’s got to get that sorted out over the next six weeks, whether the off-season additions and subtractions have given him the men needed that fit that 4-3-3 vision.

• Can the Rapids arrest Edson Buddle’s spiral?

Clearly, the one-time Galaxy bright light needed some kind of career re-set. Last year was a fairly miserable one for Buddle, who came off an unsuccessful spell with Ingolstadt in Germany to have an equally unsuccessful three-goal season with Bruce Arena and Los Angeles.

If Pareja can get Buddle pointed in the right direction, the outlook at DSG Park this year looks a lot brighter.

MORE in ProSoccerTalk’s preseason camp series:

• Chicago Fire
• Chivas USA