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Rain falls, Rapids stall
'Keeper Matt Pickens, with a fallen Kosuke Kimura in the background, can only stare into the goal after Sporting Kansas City got the equalizer. The Rapids delivered a fifth consecutive tie, 1-1. (Photograph by Joel Baud/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)
A disjointed Rapids squad produced disappointing play that led to a dispiriting 1-1 draw with visiting Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night.
After an opening burst, where Colorado appeared to be playing faster than its opponents, the Rapids disolved. The squad seemed to have trouble all night finding passing lanes, and that eventually cost two points at home.
It was especially galling to the crowd at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park that sat through rain on a long weekend Saturday night. The evening had begun with such promise as Conor Casey provided the sort of individual initiative that was missing in the 0-0 draw at home on Sunday against Toronto FC.
In the 13th minute, Casey took advantage of a careless back pass, ran onto the ball, rounded the ‘keeper and slotted it home left-footed from an acute angle.
The goal gave Casey, who tallied 13 times in 2010, his first goal of the season in the team’s 13th game.
For the next hour, it seemed that Casey’s goal would be enough. Kansas City, however, found the equalizer through Ryan Smith in the 75th minute. The KC sub laced the ball past Matt Pickens from about 14 yards out.
Smith’s goal seemed to energize the Rapids, but the team was unable to find a winner. Instead, the Rapids (4-3-6) settled for a fifth straight tie. Kansas City, which hasn’t won since opening day, snapped a five game losing streak to improve to 1-6-2.
Six Days: After three games in six days, the Rapids could celebrate a mid-week draw in New York sandwiched by two ties at home.
Lingering: While not losing has its virtues, the Rapids took only three points from a possible nine in this week’s gauntlet of games. Now the team gets a week to rest and ready for a June 4 date at home with the Philadelphia Union.
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