The latest evidence came Sunday evening as the Rapids fell 2-0 to Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Colorado, which edged the Columbus Crew 1-0 in the wild card match on Thursday, couldn’t generate legitimate threats as Sporting spent the evening shoving them around the field.

There was a great deal of literal shoving as Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor and Caleb Folan all departed with injuries. Moor injured his shoulder, Kimura broke a bone in his left foot, and Folan left with an ankle sprain.

This means a team that hasn’t scored more than two goals in an MLS match since July 20 would have to win by at least that margin just to get a penalty kick chance against KC on Wednesday night. Or, the team could repeat its three-goal win from July 20 and advance to the next round.

Otherwise, Kimura, Moor, Folan, Jamie Smith, Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey and Anthony Wallace — who will all be out with injuries on Wednesday — will have company in the training room.

Teal Deal: Teal Bunbury scored both goals for Kansas City on Sunday. The second-year player from Akron continues to make a fool of my prediction that he would be a bust when KC drafted him in the first round before the 2010 season.

Also Missing: Defender Tyrone Marshall was ejected during the Sunday match, which makes him unavailable for Wednesday’s return leg.

This ejection and the injuries leave Marvell Wynne guiding a back line of Scott Palguta, Danny Earls and either Mike Holody or a player transplanted from another spot (Wells Thompson?) on Wednesday night. This is not good news for a defensive clampdown.

It will be chilly in Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for the 8 p.m. battle with the Columbus Crew. But there will be plenty of heat on the field for the Rapids. Win, and they face the LA Galaxy in the next round of the playoffs. Lose, and the team can head to the training room and join rehabilitating forward Conor Casey.

Looking Back: For this playoff edition of The Thursday List, we take a look back at past playoff performances for the Rapids. The list starts with the team’s first playoff appearance and opponent and grows from there.

1997: at Kansas City, Win, 3-0
Kansas City, Win, 3-2
at Dallas, Win, 1-0
Dallas, Win, 2-1
at D.C. United, Loss, 2-1

1998: at Chicago, Loss, 1-1 (shootout)
Chicago, Loss, 1-0

1999: at Los Angeles, Loss, 3-0
Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2000: at Kansas City, Loss, 1-0
Kansas City, Tie, 0-0
at Kansas City, Loss, 3-2

2002: at Dallas, Loss, 4-2
Dallas, Win, 1-0
at Dallas, Tie, 2-1 (second overtime)
at Los Angeles, Loss, 4-0
Los Angeles, Loss, 1-0

2003: Kansas City, Tie, 1-1
at Kansas City, Loss, 2-0

2004: Los Angeles, Win, 1-0
at Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2005: FC Dallas, Tie, 0-0
at FC Dallas, Win, 2-2 (overtime)
Los Angeles, Loss, 2-0

2006: FC Dallas, Loss, 2-1
at FC Dallas, Win, 3-2 (overtime)
at Houston, Loss, 3-1

2010: Columbus, Win, 1-0
at Columbus, Loss, 2-1 (advanced on PK’s)
San Jose, Win, 1-0
FC Dallas, Win, 2-1 (overtime)

Opening Match: In 10 previous playoff appearances the Colorado Rapids are 3-5-2 in opening matches.

The bad news for the Rapids is that this year’s wild card match is a one-and-done affair for the losers.

The good news for the Rapids is the team’s record in home playoff matches in the opening round. Counting the two-leg affairs of the past, the team is a respectable 4-3-3 through the years.

Home Openers: The Rapids have played at home to open the playoffs five times. In those games — which includes the 2010 opener against the Crew — the team is 2-1-2.

Missing: The two players who scored against Columbus in the past season will be absent tonight. Casey is out for the season with a leg injury and Pablo Mastroeni is recovering from a concussion suffered against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 14.

Present: Kosuke Kimura, who was the last person to score for the Rapids at home in a playoff match, will be on the field tonight. The right back scored a wonder goal against San Jose in 2010 that eluded a charging Omar Cummings and goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Kimura, in fact, seems to always be on the field. Team golden boot winner Jeff Larentowicz, goalkeeper Matt Pickens and Kimura were the only Rapids to appear in all 34 games this season.

You Again: Brian Mullan, a late-season pickup from Houston in 2010, makes his 11th consecutive appearance in the MLS playoffs. Mullan, a Colorado soccer product, has appeared in the playoffs every season of his career.

On a team with Conor Casey, Omar Cummings and Caleb Folan, it should have been that one of them would win the title as the team’s top scorer.

Surprises: However, it was not to be. Casey, twice the team’s top goal scorer, managed six strikes in 11 matches before losing the rest of the year to injury. Folan chipped in six tallies, too, but endured long stretches without a strike. Cummings, the 2010 leading scorer, managed only three goals in 18 regular season matches.

With the regular season over and a playoff match coming on Thursday, The Tuesday List takes a look back at the team’s top scorers by season and adds an unlikely name to the list in the form of central midfielder Jeff Larentowicz.

1996 – Jean Harbor (11)
1997 – Paul Bravo (8)
1998 – Wolde Harris (13)
1999 – Jorge Dely Valdez (10)
2000 – Junior Agogo (10)
2001 – John Spencer (14)
2002 – Mark Chung, Chris Henderson, Chris Carrieri (11)
2003 – John Spencer (14)
2004 – Jean Philippe Peguero (7)
2005 – Jeff Cunningham (12)
2006 – Nicolas Hernandez, Kyle Beckerman (7)
2007 – Jovan Kirovski (6)
2008 – Conor Casey (11)
2009 – Conor Casey (16)
2010 – Omar Cummings (14)
2011 – Jeff Larentowicz (7)

Now What?: The Rapids have been tepid in attack most of the year. The 4-1 romp over the New York Red Bulls on July 20 stands out as the last time the team looked deadly.

Not forgotten from that game was the hat trick for Sanna Nyassi, who dabbled at the forward spot after Casey’s injury. He only had two goals for the rest of the season as he spent most of his time on the midfield wings.

Next Up: Thursday should be entertaining as the defending MLS Cup champions have to find a way to score.

Teams that can’t score can hope to make it to penalty kicks for a win, but that’s not much to look forward to for any fan.

The record book will show that Chris Wondolowski scored an unassisted goal for San Jose in the 18th minute, and Drew Moor delivered an unassisted equalizer in the 71st. What the stats line will fail to show is the frenzy and oddity on display at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The result pushed the defending MLS Cup Champions to 10-9-12, 42 points, and closer to clinching a playoff spot. It left the Earthquakes at 6-11-13, 31 points, and on the outside of the MLS playoffs.

Perhaps the result is all that mattered, because what went on for 90 minutes was so off-kilter. Forwards pouted. Yellow cards flew. Offsides mounted. Veterans returned. Combined, it added up to a tense evening where it was tough to tell much about either side.

Colorado came out with the accelerator jammed to the floor. Omar Cummings nearly delivered a strike before 25 seconds had run off the clock. Finally, when the Rapids looked their most dangerous, it was a rare gaffe from ‘keeper Matt Pickens that gifted the Earthquakes a goal. Pickens chested down a ball to a running Wondolowski, who obliged by scoring his 11th of the season.

All the control and a one-goal deficit put the Rapids on their heels for the rest of the half. The switch in sides brought new vigor to Colorado, but the team still seemed to miss at critical moments. In the first 60 minutes, the Rapids had more offsides (seven) than shots on goal (three by my count).

Still, tenacity was rewarded. Moor cleaned up the mess following a Sanna Nyassi corner kick to put the Rapids level. And it looked in the 85th and 89th minutes like Colorado might get a winner from the same set piece, but it was not to be, on a night where nothing seemed quite right.

Caleb Concerns: Forward Caleb Folan has been seeing few quality chances in recent weeks, and the frustration he has been wearing in his shoulders produced a caution in the second half. It also produced regular diatribes from Folan to his fellow attackers.

While it’s easy to side with Folan for not getting the service he wants, the Republic of Ireland striker also needs to put direct play back in the game. He was continually looking to flick by head, toe and heel during the night. Trying to out-”cute” defenders doesn’t consistently work.

His one true shot came on a header in the first minute of stoppage time that Jon Busch miraculously saved. The pain on Folan’s face said it all. Sometimes you have to take the ball yourself, turn and go for the goal of the foul. Conor Casey has demonstrated this many times. With a chance to shine in Casey’s absence, Folan hasn’t quite gotten the same result.

Comminges Communication: The quest for a left back does not appear to have ended with the acquisition of Miguel Comminges. Putting the Guadeloupe native on the left allowed Moor to have a stellar game at center back, but Comminges play did little to assuage fears.

Saturday, he looked like he was fighting to adjust to teammates and altitude. He timed his headers poorly, sent errant balls long, and left late in the match for Wells Thompson. Much of the rest of the time, Comminges looked like he was needing a translator to work with the rest of the squad.

Kandji Delivers: Macoumba Kandji came on for Cummings late in the second half. While he also suffered from some timing troubles, the tall striker had ‘Quakes defenders on their back foot. He forced Busch into a late save, set up Nyassi for what should have been a much better shot, and startled Pablo Mastroeni with a pass into the box that the captain could have turned into the winning goal. It was a revelatory match for the man who missed much of the year recovering from a torn ACL.

Dubious Title: With the tie, the 2011 Rapids broke the record for most ties in a season. The 2004 squad tied 11 times. Colorado has three games remaining. A couple more ties would ensure a playoff spot.

Veterans Back: Jamie Smith played 58 minutes in his first significant action since July. Kandji was also getting his first major minutes since November.

All Yellow: Folan, Moor, Simon Dawkins, Brad Ring and Steven Beitashour all picked up cautions during the night.

Next Up: A host of reserves will travel to El Salvador to play Isidro Metapan on Wednesday. They will return to join most of the regulars for an Oct. 1 home match with FC Dallas. The Texas side, who lost to Colorado in the MLS Cup Final, defeated the Rapids at Pizza Hut Park 3-0 in their first meeting this season.

No, Colorado managed only a scoreless tie at home against the worst team in the league at home earlier this season. The 2-1 loss in Toronto was merely the latest stanza in a the mediocre medley of 2011.

Saturday night demonstrated that Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League embarrassment against Santos Laguna was every bit the miserable 4-1 dismantling it felt like. Sunday, the Rapids woke up knowing that the team’s CCL run and its playoff hopes are simply coming down to the next two games, and the team is being found wanting.

Colorado (10-9-11, 41 points) clings to the eighth of 10 MLS playoff spots. With four games remaining, the team needs only another win to feel secure, and probably will have a spot with a couple of ties. In the CCL, the Rapids are 1-1-1, and need a win at home this week plus a point on the road to book a spot in the next round.

In neither competition, however, can fans feel much comfort. This is not the 2010 side that defended Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with aplomb and delivered 3-0 beat downs to opponents with regularity after Labor Day.

Nope, this team preserved its core from the MLS Championship run, but never found that infusion of new blood. Most of the coaching energy this season seems to have been spent on a fruitless quest for a new leftback. Of the roster moves made after the end of the season, only Sanna Nyassi — who scored on Saturday night — has paid handsome dividends. Tyrone Marshall is a serviceable centerback. Caleb Folan is a useful backup.

Conor Casey’s absence due to injury has robbed the team of its favored attack mode, but bears little of the blame. Instead, this looks like a tired squad. There is no imagination, no flair, and no results worth mentioning.

Increasingly, it looks like the 4-1 destruction of the New York Red Bulls was the best moment of the season.

Unfortunately, fans may be waiting until March to have another reason to cheer.

What should have felled a team that was struggling to score instead led to a four goal outburst from Nyassi and 10 points from four games.

In the Earthquakes, the Rapids face a team at Buck Shaw Stadium that is struggling to find the back of the net, just lost its most promising scoring threat, and has another scorer still looking for his finishing touch. The toothless attack explains how the ‘Quakes are mired in a 10-game winless streak.

Colorado, however, has searched for the winning edge against San Jose since the Earthquakes rejoined the league in 2008. The Rapids were winless against San Jose the first five times the two teams met before claiming a victory at home last fall.

Long Shot: Kosuke Kimura provided the winning difference when these two teams met during the Eastern Conference finals last November. His long range pass to Omar Cummings sailed past the forward’s foot and ‘keeper Jon Busch in the 1-0 game.

Gordon Gone: No sooner had Alan Gordon joined the ‘Quakes and scored to preserve a tie last weekend then he was gone. The striker underwent surgery this week for injuries in both hips.

Mac Back: Macoumba Kandji played 78 minutes in a reserve league 1-0 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Monday and appears ready to go again. The big striker has been out since tearing his ACL on the pass that led to an own goal in extra time and the Rapids 2-1 win over FC Dallas at the MLS Cup Championship in November.

Traveling Men: Cummings rejoined the Rapids on Friday after appearing in an international friendly for Jamaica. Nyassi was due to meet the team today after playing for Gambia against Congo. Coach Gary Smith said if and how much each will play today will be a game time decision.

Looking at the 2011 roster, we go back in time to who was here in each of the previous seasons. We looked at who was on the roster at the end of the season and remains today.

2007 Roster: Conor Casey*, Omar Cummings, Pablo Mastroeni, Kosuke Kimura

2008 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura

2009 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura, Drew Moor*, Jamie Smith, Scott Palguta, Matt Pickens, Steward Ceus

2010 Roster: Casey, Cummings, Mastroeni, Kimura, Moor, Smith, Palguta, Pickens, Ceus, Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan*, Wells Thompson, Macomba Kandji*, Quincy Amarikwa*, Anthony Wallace*, Andre Akpan, Danny Earls, Ian Joyce, Ross LaBauex, Marvell Wynne, Davy Armstrong

*Joined the team during the season.

So, what does this list tell us? Soccer is a volatile sport, especially when you aren’t winning. Only three current players –Cummings, Mastroeni and Kimura — were on the roster when DSG Park opened 4 1/2 years ago. Only Mastroeni was a regular on the field, with Cummings making 11 appearances as a substitute and Kimura starting four games for an erratic defense that season. Add Casey from Toronto FC during 2007, and those four are the quartet of Rapids that started the DSG era.

It also tells us that while the team was missing the playoffs in ’07, ’08 and ’09, it was only in that 2009 season that the side started to come together. Looking at the players who came and went, ’08 was as dismal as it seemed. Fernando Clavijo departed as coach two-thirds of the way through the season and Gary Smith took over. Only the Casey-Cummings-Mastroeni-Kimura quartet continued from the depths of ’08 to the heights of the 2010 MLS Cup and beyond.

In ’09, the team added two starters — Pickens and Moor — and a third, Smith, who would start if not for nagging injuries. In ’10, the team added starters in Larentowicz, Mullan and Wynne, with Thompson, Earls and Wallace all seeing significant minutes.

Just in the way that a season is fleeting, so is time on the field for Rapids players. Now, Kimura is a constant at right back, Cummings is flourishing after early season injuries, Casey is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Mastroeni continues to turn back time as he approaches his 35th birthday on Aug. 29.

So, The Tuesday List wants you to remember these names because you never know how many more times you’ll see them on the field.

While that win put the Rapids (8-6-10, 34 points) on the road to the MLS Cup title in 2010, the stakes are not much lower this Friday when the two teams meet at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Pablo Mastroeni (2nd to left) and teammates Wells Thompson (left), Marvell Wynne (#22) and Anthony Wallace (right), congratulate Mastroeni after he scores the only goal of the first playoff game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Oct. 28, 2010. Colorado defeated Columbus 1-0. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

The 7:30 p.m. match features a Rapids team that seems to be finding its form after losing star forward Conor Casey for the season, and a Crew squad that has managed to claw its way to the top of the Eastern Conference.

Columbus (9-6-7, 34 points) is riding two straight wins after defeating Portland Timbers at home 1-0 and shutting out Real Salt Lake 2-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Watching Columbus: Robbie Rogers was the man of the match against Salt Lake, handing out both assists on goals scored in the first 10 minutes.

Beyond the attack, the Crew defense is allowing less than a goal a game. The Crew has gone 3-1-1 in the past five games.

Watching Colorado: Sanna Nyassi has been the difference maker for Colorado. Since moving from midfield to forward, the Gambian has scored four goals in three games. He also drew a penalty that led to a fifth tally in that span.

Nyassi and Omar Cummings, who has assists on all four Nyassi tallies, have formed a striking tandem that is fast and lethal. Most of the damage those two have done has come by running straight into the center of the defense.

Erratic: Speaking of defense, the Rapids did just enough in getting by the Philadelphia Union 2-1 on July 29, but the backline has been erratic. The team needed a critical save from Matt Pickens to avoid a draw, despite being a man up for the final 25 minutes.

Colorado also surrendered two goals in drawing 2-2 with a 10-man Revolution side six days earlier. The Rapids, however, are also 3-1-1 in the team’s past five games

Sore Point: Colorado has given up four goals twice this season. Once was the 4-3 loss at Seattle, and the other was a 4-1 drowning at Columbus in June.

Kandji Sighting: Macoumba Kandji played in an intrasquad scrimmage this week and coach Gary Smith said Kandji may be on the game day roster for Friday. Kandji has been out since injuring his leg on the play that produced the winning goal in November’s MLS final.

Plus: This Friday’s match is also a Heineken Lads Night Out, where fans can get two tickets, two beers, two hot dogs and two T-shirts for $44. Tickets are available by calling 303-825-GOAL.

New York Red Bulls Tim ream just can't stop Colorado Rapids Sanna Nyassi as he shoots pass New York Red Bulls goalie Frank Rost, not once but three times during the game Wednesday night, July 20, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids crushed the Red Bulls 4-1. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Wednesday night’s offensive explosion could not have come at a better time for the Colorado Rapids. The team needed a home win and it needed to improve its playoff position. Now it’s more of the same for Saturday.

Fresh off a 4-1 win over the then Eastern Conference-leading New York Red Bulls, the Rapids players now have to turn their attention to another visitor from the East, the New England Revolution. New England makes its only visit of the seaon to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Lone Win: The Revs have been abysmal on the road (1-6-3), but the team is coming off its first road win of the season, a 1-0 Wednesday victory at D.C. United. While the Rapids can relish Wednesday’s hat trick from Sanna Nyassi, the outpouring only improved the home record to a tepid 4-2-5.

So, for the sake of playoff positioning and keeping the home fans burning, the Rapids need three points from the Revs on Saturday. Standing it the team’s way will be Revolution stalwarts Matt Reis and Shalrie Joseph.

Reis is back on form and delivered crisp goalkeeping in holding D.C. at bay. He’s keeping a mediocre backline from giving away games. Joseph continues to be a leader and a pest. He’s the sort of player who gets under an opponent’s skin, and then has enough skill to do something about it. From his midfield spot, he props up the defense and propels the offense. He makes New England go.

Another Nyassi: New England also injected some speed in the second half against D.C. by bringing on Sainey Nyassi, the twin brother of Colorado’s Sanna.

Surgery Success: Although he is gone for the season, the Rapids did have some good news on Conor Casey. Before Wednesday’s game he underwent successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon. Casey suffered the injury in the 38th minute of a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Sounders. Coach Gary Smith pointed to the temporary field in Seattle as being culpable in Casey’s injury.

Worthy Venture?: The temporary field was brought on to allow Seattle to host plastic grass-hating Manchester United in a friendly on Wednesday. ManU won that match 7-0.

With Omar Cummings picked at the lone representative for this year’s showdown against Manchester United at the New York Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., live of ESPN2, Galavision and TSN), The Thursday List takes a look at the experience of Rapids players at past All-Star games.

(* did not play in the game; # additional selection per CBA; did not participate)

2010: MLS All-Stars 2, Manchester United 5 (Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas)
M – Jeff Larentowicz (46)
F – Conor Casey#

2009: MLS 1, Everton FC 1; Everton W 4-3 on penalties (Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, Utah)
F – Conor Casey (90, converted penalty kick)

2008: MLS 3, West Ham United FC 2 (BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
F – Christian Gomez (58, one goal)
M – Pablo Mastroeni (90)

2007: MLS 2, Celtic FC 0 (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO)
M – Pablo Mastroeni (30)

2006: MLS 1, Chelsea FC 0 (Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL)
GK – Joe Cannon (45)
M – Pablo Mastroeni*

2005: MLS 4, Fulham FC 1 (Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH)
GK – Joe Cannon#
F – Jeff Cunningham (22, two goals)
M – Pablo Mastroeni#
D – Mike Petke#

2004: East 3, West 2 (RFK Stadium, Washington DC)
M – Pablo Mastroeni*

2003: MLS 3, CD Guadalajara 1 (Home Depot Center, Carson, CA)
M – Mark Chung#
M – Pablo Mastroeni#
F – John Spencer#

2002: MLS 3, U.S. National Team 2 (RFK Stadium, Washington DC)
M – Mark Chung (70, MLS)
M – Chris Henderson (45, USA)
M – Pablo Mastroeni (90, USA)
M – Carlos ‘El Pibe’ Valderrama (70, MLS)

2001: East 6, West 6 (Spartan Stadium, San Jose, CA)
D – Marcelo Balboa (45)
F – John Spencer (45)

2000: East 9, West 4 (Crew Stadium, Columbus, OH)
D – Marcelo Balboa (90)
M – Anders Limpar*

1999: West 6, East 4 (Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California)
D – Marcelo Balboa (66)
F – Paul Bravo (45)
M – Ross Paule (45)
Glenn ‘Mooch’ Myernick (coach)

1998: MLS USA 6, MLS World 1 (Citrus Bowl, Orlando, Fla.)
D – Marcelo Balboa (45, USA)
F – Paul Bravo (45, USA)
M – Ross Paule (45, USA)
M – Adrian Paz (60, World)

1997: East 5, West 4 (Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ)
D – Marcelo Balboa (45)
M – Chris Henderson (90)

1996: East 3, West 2 (Giants Stadium, E Rutherford, NJ)
D – Marcelo Balboa*

So, that’s four goals from Rapids representatives over 15 matches. This is not surprising when you consider how many of the Rapids that made the match where defenders or defensive-minded midfielders.

Midfielder Pablo Mastroeni has played in seven All-Star matches, defender Marcelo Balboa made six, and Rapids forwards have only made six appearances on the field in 15 years.

Perhaps Cummings, in his first appearance, can add another Rapid to the list of offensive threats in the Wednesday showdown with ManU. After his three assists in Colorado’s 4-1 home win over All-Star Game coach Hans Backe’s Red Bulls, anything seems possible.