On the strength of a long-range Jamie Smith free kick and a late lazer from left back Scott Palguta, the Rapids came back from 1-0 down to upend the Houston Dynamo 2-1. The win at Robertson Stadium snapped a four-game winless streak, and made the Rapids the first MLS team to come back after falling behind and earn a win this season.

In a tense, physical affair, all the opportunities came in the final 20 minutes. It started with former Rapid Colin Clark, who picked up his first goal for the Dynamo in the 71st minute. Clark, who was traded to Houston after suffering his second torn anterior cruciate ligament the past summer, made a quick move after receiving a Je-Vaughn Watson pass and fired it past ‘keeper Matt Pickens.

Colorado didn’t have to wait long to strike back. Tally Hall misjudged Smith’s 40-yard free kick, and could only flail as the ball rolled into the net in the 74th minute.

This left the late heroics for Palguta, who earned a rare start for the Rapids. Caleb Folan was credited with an assist for knocking a Marvel Wynne throw-in toward Palguta. The veteran lined up a left-footed shot from 18 yards that snuck in between Hall and the post.

From there, the Rapids hung on for the road win, the team’s second on the road this year.

Going Yellow: The Rapids string of earning yellow cards ended on Wednesday. The team had at least one booking in the first seven games of the season. This time it was the men in orange seeing yellow. Cam Weaver and Brad Davis each picked up cards in the physical first half.

Cummings Concern: Just as players were getting healthy, a mainstay went out. Omar Cummings came up limping after a collision with Lovel Palmer just before half. Folan came on for Cummings.

Next Up: The Rapids get little time to enjoy moving to 4-3-1 (13 points) on the season. The MLS Cup champions return to the road and to action on Saturday against the New England Revolution, 2-3-3 (9 points).

The Rapids won an MLS cup with a team that relied on a midfield built to challenge balls, disrupt attacks and allow little room for opponents.

Colorado midfielders spent a lot of energy. Only one of the four starters, 27-year-old Jeff Larentowicz, is younger than 30. While 30 is not old, asking players older than 30 to continue to burn with the same intensity for a 34-game grind, is to invite pulled hamstrings, open passing lanes and increased pressure on the defense.

In swapping Colin Clark during the season for Brian Mullan, the team got older. Acquiring Sanna Nyassi, 21, helped close the age gap this winter, but it was only a start. By adding a couple of defenders, which the team will do in the coming weeks, the next area that will need help is midfield.

Across the Middle: Larentowicz’s arrival before the start of the ’10 season proved a godsend for Pablo Mastroeni, 34. The middle tandem complemented one another and provided a scrappy engine to build around. Jamie Smith, 30, struggled as he recovered from injury, but provided good service from the wings. Mullan, 32, is easily outpaced, but with Anthony Wallace or Kosuke Kimura at his back, he’s rarely exposed.

Outlook: The starting four will not be available for all 34 matches. Beyond incorporating the speedy Nyassi, the team doesn’t have anyone on the roster who fits in the Larentowicz-Mastroeni mold. Wells Thompson, 27, has the fire, but he moves toward chaos too quickly. Nyassi and Thompson will see the field, but each has limitations.

Ross LaBauex, 22, has the ball handling to trigger offenses, but so did Mehdi Ballouchy, and the team never integrated him. The reserve games could be his proving ground. Davy Armstrong, 19, will also get needed seasoning in reserve matches and both players might make a U.S. Open Cup roster.

Joseph Nane, 23, is the big question mark. He’s tall (6-2). He arrives after toiling for Toronto FC for a season. And he’s a Denver product (Denver South High School).

Likely Move: Coach Gary Smith likes grinders in the middle of the field. Knowing that his starters will have to be spelled, look for Thompson and Nyassi to get time on the wings. If his 11 games in Toronto are an indication, watch Nane take up the reins with Larentowicz as defensive midfielders.

The Rapids will also need to add two young midfielders and one veteran. Smith will need someone with the experience to help kill off 1-0 games late. A couple of U.S. college players or 20-somethings from overseas would round out the midfield roster.

Next Up: Forwards

Along with Mullan, the Rapids receive Houston’s natural fourth round 2013 MLS SuperDraft pick. The Dynamo picked up a midfielder recovering from a second torn ACL in two years, and allocation money. 
 
Mullan was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy with the 9th overall pick in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft. After two seasons and 31 appearances in Southern California, he joined the San Jose Earthquakes in 2003 and appeared in 83 games before the team moved to Houston.

With the Houston Dynamo since the club began in 2006, Mullan has played in 136 games. For his career, he has scored 26 goals and added 46 assists. This season, the right-sided midfielder has appeared 22 games, with 17 starts, and scored three goals and registered three assists.Mullan is a four-time MLS Cup champion capturing titles with Los Angeles (2002), San Jose (2003) and Houston (2006 and 2007).

On the international level, Mullan has earned four caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team.A native of Littleton, Colorado, Mullan attended Regis Jesuit High School and was the 1997 Colorado Player of the Year.

Originally signed by Colorado in February 2006, Clark scored 10 goals and had 10 assists in 84 career appearances with the Rapids, though has unfortunately had each of the past two seasons cut short with knee injuries.

In other roster moves, the Rapids waived defender Mike Holody. Holody was selected by the Rapids in the fourth round, 59th overall, of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft and appeared in four games his rookie season, but had yet to see any action in 2010.

Conor Casey, who has missed two games with a head injury suffered on July 25, returned to training this week. Coach Gary Smith did not say if Casey, the team’s leading scorer, would start, but said he would play a significant role.

Simultaneously, the midfield will have to shuffle again as the team confirmed Friday that Colin Clark is lost for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Clark was untouched when he went down in the second half of the Aug. 7 game against San Jose.

While there is no silver lining to the loss of Clark, the one area the Rapids have an abundance of quality players is midfield. The team returned to the 4-4-2 in last week’s 1-0 home win against the ‘Quakes. Clark’s absence sould be absorbed by giving more minutes to veteran Claudio Lopez or returning Mehdi Ballouchy to the starting ranks.

The Series: The Rapids, 7-5-6 (27 points), meet the Union, 4-10-4 (16 points), for the first time. Philadelphia will travel to Colorado in the return match on Sept. 29.

Lately: Philadelphia earned a point on Wednesday in a 1-1 tie with Colorado nemesis Real Salt Lake. The Rapids win on Aug. 7 snapped a seven-game winless streak.

On TV: Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Mountain Time at PPL Park, and the match will be broadcast live on KWGN Channel 2.

The Colorado Rapids announced Friday that Clark has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament his left knee, the club announced today.

Clark suffered the injury on Aug. 7 in the second half of the Rapids’ 1-0 win against San Jose and will miss the remainder of the 2010 season.
 
Surgery to repair the injury is scheduled to take place next week.
 
This marks the second straight season in which Clark has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee. In 2009, he missed the team’s final 10 regular season games after the injury occurred in a training session on Aug. 11. 
 
Clark appeared in 16 games this season, with nine starts, playing 866 minutes.

Rapids man of the match Omar Cummings attacks the goal. His would-be cross produced the game's only goal. (Photo by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Jon Busch has had some fine games in goal, but Saturday night was not one of them.

The San Jose Earthquakes ‘keeper mishandled a cross/shot from Omar Cummings and dumped the ball into his own goal. That 26th minute gaffe proved to be the difference maker as the Colorado Rapids snapped a nasty winless streak and snuck past the ‘Quakes 1-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

It was disappointing that the scoreline didn’t better reflect the Rapids effort. The team controlled play for long stretches and looked dangerous from the opening whistle to the end. Cummings, Mehdi Ballouchy, Colin Clark and sub Claudio Lopez each came close to adding to the margin.

Still, against an opponent that was just a point behind the Rapids, Colorado got the win and improved to 7-5-6 (27 points) with the team’s first win since June 5. San Jose dropped to 6-6-5 (23 points).

Blame the Ball: ‘Quakes coach Frank Yallop was quick after the game to blame the dreaded “Jubulani” ball for the goal. This rang hollow. First, Busch has been facing the ball all season. Second, his coach was simply looking to cover a mistake.

On the goal, Busch was cheating from the near post to his left when Cummings fired across from goal from that side. Busch went down on his left knee and had both hands in position to snare the ball. However, he glanced to his right and seemed to break his concentration an instant before the ball rolled into his hands.

It could have had eight panels, 18, 32, 64, but once he glanced, that was the end. Blaming the ball is just looking for an excuse.

Lineup Change: With forward Conor Casey out for a second game recovering from the effects of a collision at Seattle on July 25, coach Gary Smith junked the 4-5-1 in favor of the 4-4-2. Former ‘Quake Quincy Amarikwa got his first start of the season up top with Cummings. Neither scored, but their pace was frightening. A little time working together and these two may be deadly.

Clark’s Fall: The one dark moment on the evening was Clark hobbling off the field with his shirt covering his face. Clark made a cut and planted the left leg that he injured last season in the 56th minute. He went down without a touch.

Watching the action from behind, it looked like he hyperextended the knee. Knowing this was the same knee that suffered an ACL tear last July was doubly troubling. Ballouchy came on as Clark was carted to the lockerroom.

Rapids 11: Matt Pickens, Marvell Wynne, Julien Baudet, Drew Moor, Kosuke Kimura, Wells Thompson, Pablo Mastroeni, Jeff Larentowicz, Clark (Ballouchy 58), Amarikwa (Lopez 66), Cummings.

San Jose 11: Busch, Jason Hernandez, Brandon McDonald, Bobby Burling (Tim Ward 41), Ramiro Corrales (Scott Sealy 80), Arturo Alvarez, Joey Gjertsen (Cornell Glen 64), Sam Cronin, Bobby Convey, Ryan Johnson, Chris Wondolowski.

Bravo Baudet: Baudet, who looked out of place and off pace against Dallas, was a rock in the middle of defense. He effectively eliminated attacks all night. His headers were off on offense, but you can’t have everything.

Casey, the leading scorer for an otherwise anemic attack, is expected to miss his second game since going out with a head injury late in a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders on July 25. Casey was out of action during last Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against F.C. Dallas.

Now the Rapids, 6-5-6 (24 points), face the ‘Quakes, 6-5-5 (23 points), with each team scrambling for a playoff spot.

Earlier: This is the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. In the tight confines of San Jose, the Rapids fell 1-0 on May 1 to a 33rd minute laser from Chris Wondolowski.

Swoon: The Rapids went 0-2-3 during the month of July. The team has not won since beating Columbus Crew 1-0 on June 5. The game featured a great headed goal from defender Drew Moor off a free kick from midfielder Jamie Smith.

Likely Look: The Rapids started last week in a 4-5-1 with Omar Cummings as the lone striker. As the game wore on, the insertion of substitutes led to a change in shape in the final minutes as Quincy Amarikwa came on as a second forward and Carlos Lopez made a late appearance in midfield. Neither provided the winning score, but the team looked more dangerous in a 4-4-2.

Coach Gary Smith is unlikely to change shape to start, but it will be interesting to see if he calls on the 4-4-2 for a late burst.

Probable Starters: Expect to see Cummings soloing up top with Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Mehdi Ballouchy, Jamie Smith and Colin Clark in the middle. Matt Pickens will be in the goal, with Kosuke Kimura, Julien Buadet, Moor and Marvell Wynne across the back.

Pablo Mastroeni delivers one of the few bright spots for the Rapids against Kansas City with a first-half shot that goes just wide left. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

There are ugly wins and ugly losses, but there is rarely an ugly tie.

On Saturday night, the fans at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park got to see an ugly tie as the Colorado Rapids salvaged a point against the visiting Kansas City Wizards, 1-1.

For the unfamiliar, an ugly tie is when the home team lets a mediocre visitor control play for long periods, fans see their own players tripping over the ball and falling on home turf, and the team’s best player get a chance to deliver a win and instead clanks the ball off the post.

All of these things came to fruition as the Rapids dawdled and frittered on a gorgeous July night.

For the record, Kansas City scored first when Craig Rocastle sent a through pass from his half of midfield that found a streaking Davy Arnaud. Arnaud zipped past a lumbering backline and waited for Matt Pickens to commit to a side. When Pickens went to the near post, Arnaud fired to the far post to put the visitors ahead in the 20th minute.

It looked like KC might double or treble its lead as Kei Kamara, Teal Bunbury and Arnaud continued to pester the goalmouth. Pickens made back-to-back saves on shots from Kamara and Arnaud in the 39th minute to keep the Rapids in the game. Bunbury had the best chance in the 41st when he beat the ‘keeper, but the ball ricocheted off both posts before Pablo Mastroeni cleared it.

Looking for a change, coach Gary Smith took off Mehdi Ballouchy and inserted Jamie Smith at half. This followed the mericful replacement of Scott Palguta with Danny Earls in the 44th minute. Palguta, playing at left back, was outmatched by Kamara’s speed and reduced to the role of Greco-Roman wrestling with the forward. Palguta’s efforts earned him a yellow card in the 36th minute and little else.

Adding Smith and bringing on Claudio Lopez for Colin Clark in the 62nd minuted changed the shape of the team and the fate of the game. Colorado continued pressing for the equalizer and found it when Conor Casey took a Smith pass, turned in the box and bulled his way past defenders before beating ‘keeper Jimmy Nielsen in the 74th minute.

In the 89th, Casey got the chance for a win on a perfect diagonal pass from Lopez. Nielsen went down as Casey moved in the box. With an open net, the forward attempted to chip a left-footed shot. It clanked the left post and bounced out for a goal kick, leaving an ugly tie in place.

Records: The Rapids slipped into fourth place in the Western Conference at 6-4-5 (23 points). Kansas City remained fifth in the Eastern Conference at 4-8-4 (16 points).

Rapids 11: Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, Palguta (Earls 44), Omar Cummings, Ballouchy (Smith 46), Jeff Larentowicz, Mastroeni, Clark ( Lopez 62), Casey.

Wizards 11: Nielsen, Michael Harrington, Jimmy Conrad, Shavar Thomas, Roger Espinoza, Arnaud (Graham Zusi 86), Stephane Auvray, Rocastle (Jack Jewsbury 63), Ryan Smith (Josh Wolff 75), Kamara, Bunbury.

Next Up: The Rapids next game is a road game at Seattle on July 25, which will be televised live nationally on Fox Soccer Channel (9 p.m. Mountain). The Rapids return home to face FC Dallas at 2 p.m. on July 31.

Relocated: The originally scheduled game at Philadelphia on July 14 was rescheduled for September 29.

Conor Casey takes a try at the goal as rain pounded the players during the Colorado Rapids and New York Red Bulls 4th of July game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The game ended in a tie 1-1. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/coloradosoccernow.com)

On a sodden Fourth of July night, the fireworks were in short supply as the Colorado Rapids tied the visiting New York Red Bulls 1-1.

The Rapids took the lead on a perfect pass from Conor Casey to a hard charging Omar Cummings at the far post in the 15th minute. Marvell Wynne had started the break with a tight pass up the right sideline to Casey, who was just onside. Cummings met Casey’s pass at the edge of the six-yard box and snapped it in the goal past former teammate Bouna Coundoul.

The lead lasted only as long as Juan Pablo Angel was unmarked. In the 34th minute, marking failed on a corner kick, and Angel blistered the net with his ninth goal of the season off a ball from Sinisa Ubiparipovic.

As the rain worsened in the second half, going from annoying splatters to torrential flooding, the Rapids got the better of play.

Mehdi Ballouchy, who had a goal disallowed in the first half, blasted a shot against the bar from outside the penalty area in the 68th minute. In the 76th minute, Colin Clark cut inside from the left and fired a shot from the edge of the penalty box that veered past the far post. Casey nearly flicked a header in two minutes later.

None of the efforts were enough as the teams split the points. The Rapids moved to 6-3-4 (22 points) and remained in third place in the Western Conference. New York sits at 8-5-1 (25 points), which is enough to remain two points behind the Columbus Crew for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Dubious Mark: With the tie, the Rapids continued a six game unbeaten streak. While that sounds fantastic, the team is also winless in three straight with a series of draws, two since the MLS returned from a two-week break for the World Cup.

Kosuke Returns: The July 4 game marked the return to action for Kosuke Kimura. The defender entered the game in the 54th minute in his first action since May 4. Kimura suffered a stress fracture in his ankle while warming up before the LA Galaxy match.

Rapids 11: Matt Pickens, Wynne, Drew Moor, Scott Palguta (Kimura 54th), Danny Earls, Pablo Mastroeni, Ballouchy (Wells Thompson 77th), Jeff Larentowicz, Jamie Smith (Clark 65th), Cummings, Casey.

New York 11: Coundoul, Chris Albright, Carlos Mendes, Tim Ream, Danleigh Borman, Dane Richards, Seth Stammler, Tony Tchani (Salou Imbrahim 68th), Ubiparipovic (Mike Petke, 89th), Angel (Roy Miller, 84th), Joel Lindpere.

Colorado Rapids Omar Cummings (center), New York Red Bulls Seth Stammler (left), and Tim Ream (right) have their eye on the ball as the rain pounded the players during the 2010, 4th of July game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The game ended in a tie 1-1. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/coloradosoccernow.com)

Colorado Rapids Drew Moor is interviewed after the game against the Columbus Crew June 5 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Moor scored the winning and only goal. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Jamie Smith and Drew Moor connected in the 85th minute to turn a night of unattractive soccer headed for a nothing-nothing draw into a Colorado Rapids win.

Smith, a 74th minute substitute, delivered the perfect free kick to the far post and Moor out leapt a defender to give the shorthanded Rapids a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in front of 14,318.

Smith got his first assist of the season on Moor’s first goal of 2010 as the header beat ‘keeper Will Hesmer to his right. The goal proved to be enough for the Rapids to improve to 6-3-1 (19 points) and drop the Crew to 6-2-3 (21 points) heading into a summer break.

It was the sublime moment in an otherwise balky game where neither side showed much urgency. Perhaps everyone got up too early to watch the US beat Australia 3-1 in the final World Cup tuneup. Or maybe players on both sides were thinking about the coming two week hiatus for the World Cup. Whatever the case, neither side seemed capable of grabbing control of the game, leaving the heroics to an unexpected duo.

Defenders Moor and Danny Earls had been sparks for the Rapids throughout the night. Darting runs from Earls and stalwart defense from Moor had been among the few highlights. Their efforts were atypical on a night where players missed passes, sent crosses sailing out of bounds and gave balls away too easily. It was an evening where one bad pass was greeted by another.

Each team’s stars seemed off the page or off the pitch. The Crew’s Guillermo Barros Schelotto consistently missed on free kicks aimed for the box and badly handled a shot on a three-on-two break in the 74th minute. Conor Casey showed his greatest passion in confronting referee Kevin Stott about a no-call after Omar Cummings was sandwiched between two players in the box, earning the Rapids’ forward a 42nd minute yellow card. Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni was sent off in the 77th minute for lunging in retaliation after being taken down near midfield.

However, the Rapids now get 21 days to ponder the foibles and enjoy a shutout victory. Plus, with the unlikely pair of Smith and Moor connecting, Colorado enjoys sole possession of third place, a point behind Salt Lake, and the taste of winning for the next three weeks.

(Update: I’m a fool, and I forgot that the Chicago game was moved to June 9. The break doesn’t start until then. My bad.)

Clark Starts: Showing a rounding into form after return from injury, Clark started on the left side of midfield and played the full 90. His inclusion in the starting 11 moved Thompson to the bench. Thompson came on for an ineffective Casey, a move that sent Cummings up as the lone striker.

Coming Next: The Rapids, like the rest of the world, can turn on World Cup games starting Friday. The team is off until traveling to Houston for a June 26 game in that Texas sweatbox. The next home game is the July 4 fireworks extravaganza against the New York Red Bulls.

Until Then: Colorado’s next home game will also be Mastroeni’s next game. The midfielder will be serving a mandatory one-game suspension for his Saturday night expulsion.