Conor Casey made a run in the 83rd minute that was nothing short of spectacular. He beat Defender No. 1 (Bobby Boswell) in the air to win the ball. He beat Defender No. 2 and No. 3 (Richard Mulrooney and Brian Mullan) with a step-over fake along the left sideline that he did three times. And he beat Defender No. 4 (Boswell again) with a wrong-foot cutback before Defender No. 5 (Geoff Cameron) arrived and fouled him just outside the goal box. He deserved that penalty kick for sure. 

But as good as the run was, the PK that followed was the worst we’ve seen from Casey since he joined the Rapids. Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad guessed correctly and dove to his right, but he made the save with his trailing left hand and knocked the ball up and into the crossbar.

It was almost the second consecutive week that the Rapids used a late Casey goal to earn a point on the road in a 1-1 tie.

Brian Ching’s 20th-minute header was a world-class goal. Brad Davis’ hard, curling cross was low and behind Ching. But, to reach the cross, Ching changed his momentum away from goal and down to send the ball toward goal and up. There was probably a little involved in this goal, but there was more skill than luck. Ching is a player who keenly understands the angles of midair crosses to the face of the goal. His glancing header went in just under the crossbar and just inside the far post. No goalie on the planet would’ve stopped that shot.

Man of the match: Ching and Onstad each deserved it.

Sunday’s game was the second in a row in which the Rapids faced a winless team.

Wade Barrett’s shaved head is the most conservative haircut I’ve seen of his. There really is nothing like a shorn Barrett. … It’s breathtaking. I highly suggest you try it.

It looked like Onstad just got a haircut as well.

Telefutura has some crazy graphics during its telecasts.

Omar Cummings did clip Onstad in the head in the 73rd minute. But the Telefutura replay showed, without a doubt, that Cummings was able to alter his follow-through at the last second. His shooting motion was beginning as Onstad slid to cover the ball, and Cummings’ toe turned toward the inside and his swing followed just before his foot met Onstad’s head. The Houston players were upset, and Omar received a yellow card. But the Jamaican pulled back significantly at the last second, or else the goalkeeper could’ve been hurt badly.

I thought Kosuke Kimura, back in the starting lineup at right back, had a very solid game. Disclosure alert: I like the way the guy plays. But I thought he was very active, made some nice passes forward and brought his usual high level of energy.

Super sub Terry Cooke provided another infustion of offense late in the game. He had a chance to score on the rebound of Casey’s PK. And he also whistled a shot just wide of the Houston goal that would’ve made an incredible finish in extra time. The final whistle blew just seconds after Cooke’s shot whizzed past the Dynamo’s far post.

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