COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Colorado Rapids manager Pablo Mastroeni says there is "a good possibility" that midfielder Jermaine Jones will be in the starting lineup for the second leg of the Western Conference semifinals against the LA Galaxy.
The Rapids head into Sunday's match trailing 1-0 from the first leg, and given that they only scored 39 goals during the regular season, they'll need all the offensive firepower they can muster. That demands that Jones be on the field from the beginning.
If that's the case, it would mark Jones' first start since July 4 against the Portland Timbers, when he tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. Since then he has been limited to two substitute appearances -- a 22-minute stint in the regular-season finale against the Houston Dynamo, and the second half of last week's playoff opener against the Galaxy.
"[The knee] is getting better and better, but you can only do so much running in training," Jones said following Saturday's training session. "You need games. I want to bring what I can do on the field."
As for whether he'll start, Jones said, "It looks like it. I feel good and I think it's an important game.
"For me, personally, what I want to do what do always, go out and play with that effort. And try to push the younger players or my teammates to the glory, to that win that we want."
Jones' return to the starting lineup would also be good news for United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is set to announce his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica.
But precisely where Jones will line up for the Rapids on Sunday is unclear. He spent the early parts of this season playing as a central attacking midfielder, but he was stationed on the left wing against the Galaxy. Mastroeni wouldn't tip his hand, but did indicate that has a few tactical wrinkles planned for the Galaxy.
"I think we went into [the first leg] with the mindset that we were well organized, to not be easy to play through when we went to LA," he said. "I think it's going to look a little bit different [Sunday]. I think the element of surprise is critical in that regard, so I think once you'll see it, you'll say, 'Wow, that's a little different.'"
Regardless of the approach, the Rapids will need to take a balanced mindset into the match. The Galaxy has plenty of players capable of punishing opponents on the break, including Gio dos Santos, Landon Donovan and Emmanuel Boateng.
"You have to be really careful," Jones said. "If you go out there and try to run and go crazy, and they sit back and wait for one counter-break, then you need three goals to win.
"We have to be smart, but still we play at home, and we go in with a little bit of confidence that we've never lost here at home.
"That's what we take into that game. And after that, it's a game that you want. Go out there and enjoy it."