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Rapids rout D.C. United 4-1
Matt Pickens dives to make a critical save on an icy field Sunday night. Pickens allowed one goal as the Rapids went on to rout D.C. United 4-1. (Photograph by Joel Baud/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)
The Colorado Rapids rewarded fans who braved intermittent snow, a constant north wind and freezing temperatures at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with a 4-1 win over D.C. United on Sunday evening.
Forward Caleb Folan made his home debut one to remember. The Irish international scored two goals in his second MLS game. The big forward made his debut against Chivas USA in a 1-0 road win, but made his impact in Commerce City on Sunday night.
With Folan starting alongside Conor Casey, the Rapids went with a big forward front line on a field that carried the remnants of 2 inches of snow earlier in the day. At first, the experiment went wanting as passes failed to find Folan. Then, in the 39th minute, Jeff Larentowicz found Folan spending into the box on a diagnol run. Folan juked his defender before curling a lovely left-footed shot to the far corner past ‘keeper Pat Onstad.
D.C., which nearly tied the game a minute after Folan’s goal, continued to press in the second half. This pressure finally produced a goal when a defensive lapse left Santino Quaranta unmarked in the penalty area. His one-time shot in the 70th minute gave ‘keeper Matt Pickens no chance.
The comeback was short lived. A minute later, leftback Anthony Wallace sent a long ball into the D.C. box. Midfielder Jamie Smith streaked in, put on a glancing header, and froze Onstad who watched the ball settle into the net to his left. The goal was Smith’s second of the season and put the Rapids in command.
Folan provided an insurance strike in the 81st minute when midfielder Sanna Nyassi opted to pass rather than shoot. Nyassi, who entered the game about nine minutes earlier, took long range shots on three previous opportunities. On his fourth foray, he chipped the ball to Folan’s forehead, and the striker sent the ball back across the goal and into the far corner past a diving Onstad.
Finally, Omar Cummings, who replaced a gimpy Casey in the 51st minute, made a mockery of the three minutes of added time and the now driving snow in the 93rd minute. Quincy Amarikwa’s harrassing play on the left side sprung Pablo Mastroeni into the box. Mastroeni’s square ball to Cummings was deflected into the air, and the Jamaican forward thumped it into the goal for the final tally.
A few minutes later, with the wind chill dipping into the teens and snow pelting from the north, the final whistle blew.
Another Record: The Rapids are now 3-0-0 for the first time in club history. The Rapids have outscored opponents 8-2 to start the season.
Caution Concerns: Casey picked up his third yellow card of the season in the 16th minute for an aggressive tackle. A player is suspended for one game after receiving a fifth yellow card in a season. The Rapids have 31 more games to play.
Calf Concerns: Casey, who spent most of the previous game on the bench with a calf strain, pulled up clutching that left calf in the 51st minute. He was replaced by Cummings, who missed the previous match while serving national team duty with Jamaica.
Seeing Yellow: Dax McCarty seemed to be looking for payback from the FC Dallas loss to the Rapids in the MLS Cup final in November. The former Dallas midfielder got a stern talking to after a hard foul on Mastroeni in the 8th minute. He delivered a similar shoulder chuck to Mastroeni in the 41st minute and picked up a yellow card.
Aging Onstad: Onstad retired before the season to become D.C.’s goalkeeping coach. He returned to action after the team’s top two ‘keepers went down in the preseason. There was nothing he could do on the first and final goals on Sunday. However, he looked stunned by Smith’s run into the box, and he simply couldn’t reach Folan’s strike, despite guessing correctly. The four goals may have him looking for the sideline sooner rather than later.
Shirtsleeves: While most players were layering longsleeve jerseys, Drew Moor played with bare arms. Moor, who hasn’t missed a minute of action since 2009, went the full match in shirtsleeves, despite the wind chill, snow and ice on the field.
Next Up: The Rapids travel to Pizza Hut Park for a rematch with FC Dallas at 7 p.m. on Friday. Colorado then travels to Salt Lake City for an April 13 match with their mountain rivals.
After three games in 10 days, the Rapids get a rest before returning home to face Seattle Sounders FC on Friday night, April 22.
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