The Colorado Rapids midfielder picked up a yellow card in the 20th minute and then he delivered a scorching goal in the 59th as he made his first professional visit to his hometown. Larentowicz grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and said before the match that his family had purchased plenty of tickets for the day.

Larentowicz’s goal, his second of the season, was not enough as Sebastien Le Toux carefully picked out Danny Mwanga in the 73rd minute, and Mwanga slotted the ball under ‘keeper Matt Pickens. Those were all the scores as the two teams settled for a share of the points in a 1-1 draw.

With the tie, the Rapids stand at 7-5-7 (28 points), which was enough to move them temporarily to fourth in the Western Conference and to ensure the squad wouldn’t be worst than fifth at the end of the day. The expansion Union improved to 4-10-5 (17 points). Philadelphia’s record is a bit deceptive because of the team’s road woes. The Union is now 3-2-4 at home and 1-8-1 on the road.

The result was a fitting one for a Rapids team that struggled in attack but defended well all day. For the Union, Le Toux’s ninth assist — to go along with nine goals — and Mwanga’s seventh goal of the season weren’t quite enough to get full points.

Yellow Alert: By the end of the match, four Rapids had picked up yellow cards. Besides Larentowicz, Omar Cummings (66th minute), Pickens (71st) and Jamie Smith (85th) each went into the referee’s book.

Casey Returns: Forward Conor Casey came on for midfielder Wells Thompson in the 61st minute. It was Casey’s first appearance since suffering a head injury in the dying moments of a July 25 loss to Seattle Sounders. Casey got a few touches, and despite not getting a shot, looked little effected by missing two games.

Deployment: The Rapids came out in a 4-4-2 with Cummings and Quincy Amarikwa at forward. The combination, which looked good at home a week earlier against San Jose, was ineffective in the first half. The Rapids managed four shots to the Union’s seven and earned no corner kicks in the first 45. Mehdi Ballouchy came on for Amarikwa at the half as the team switched to a 4-5-1.

Missing Clark: It was the first Rapids game without Colin Clark, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the win over San Jose. The speed of Clark, who went out with the same injury in ‘09, was missed on Saturday. Clark is scheduled for surgery next week and will miss the remainder of the season.

Being Tactical: Getting playing time for Casey made sense in the long run, but it was questionable on the afternoon. Pulling Thompson while nursing a 1-0 lead didn’t make much defensive sense. The move forced Cummings back into the midfield and back into defensive duties that he has not performed well. If the 4-5-1 was necessary, Claudio Lopez would have made more sense for his ability to hold the ball and distribute.

Still, it probably makes more sense to the team’s playoff hopes to get Casey back to game speed as soon as possible. Ah, to have a reserve league match… oh well.

Next: The Rapids remain on the road, facing the Columbus Crew next Saturday evening. Colorado beat the Crew 1-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on an  85th minute goal off the head of defender Drew Moor. The Rapids have only won once since that June 5 game.

Colorado’s next home game is Aug. 28 against the Houston Dynamo. The Rapids won’t see the Union again until Philadelphia makes its first trip to DSG Park on Sept. 29.

Rapids 11: Pickens, Marvell Wynne, Julien Baudet, Drew Moor, Kosuke Kimura, Thompson (Casey 61), Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Smith, Cummings, Amarikwa (Ballouchy 46). 

Union 11: Chris Seitz, Michael Orozco Fiscal, Danny Califf, Juan Diego Gonzalez, Jordan Harvey, Le Toux, Fred (Jack McInerney 86), Eduardo Coudet (Roger Torres 63), Stefani Miglioranzi, Alejandro Moreno (Justin Mapp 60), Mwanga.

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.

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.

Mehdi Ballouchy jumps the fences to celebrate with the fans when he scores his third goal of the season, tying the game against FC Dallas, Saturday, July 31, 2010 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the image above took less than 35 words to describe; an apt statement on the amount of joy found in Commerce City on Saturday afternoon.

Mehdi Ballouchy’s exuberant celebration was the high point in an otherwise dismal slog against FC Dallas. Ballouchy’s penalty kick negated a 22nd minute own goal by Julien Baudet, but was the final score of the afternoon as the two teams noted 1-1.

With the tie, the Rapids completed an abysmal month, going 0-2-3 during July. The swoon leaves the team at 6-5-6 (24 points) and clinging to the sixth playoff spot in the league. Dallas inched to 6-2-9 (27 points), good for third in the Western Conference.

Except for Ballouchy’s score, it was a difficult day for fans and players. Everyone was sweating, and no one seemed seemed to be having much fun.

Baudet had the worst of it. Not only did he put the ball into his own net, the central defender was frequently getting turned by forwards and struggling to keep pace. Baudet and captain Pablo Mastroeni appeared to be fashioning a new language, complete with hand signals, to describe their dismay with one another.

Baudet got a final shot at redemption in the closing moments of the game as he moved forward for a corner kick. The ball was delivered squarely to his head and he missed over the bar. He lay on the turf for a few moments after the miss, head down, in the fitting statement for his day and much of the match for the team around him.

With Conor Casey missing after a head injuring in last Sunday’s 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders, Colorado stuck with the 4-5-1 and moved Omar Cummings to the sole striker role. For most of the day, it proved ineffective. The team would get chances, but Cummings rarely had the room he seeks.

Despite not getting the needed goal, the Rapids found new life late in the game. The insertion of Quincy Amarikwa for Ballouchy in the 73rd and Claudio Lopez for Colin Clarke in the 84th led to a switch in tactics. Playing in a 4-4-2, the team was nearly rescued as Lopez delivered deft passes and Amarikwa played with the speed and abandon of a forward looking for a chance. Neither was able to provide the winner, but both improved the team.

Next: The Rapids return to evening games with a 7 p.m., Aug. 7 clash at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Come blow your vuvuzela! It's time to get on the horn as the Rapids stumble into midseason following a promising start. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

I feel like the old announcer in “Bull Durham” when he proclaims that it is time to call it like it is.

While he rails on it being the worst Bulls team in a half-century, my concern is on a Colorado Rapids squad that is stumbling toward the All Star game after starting the season with such promise.

Something is wrong in Commerce City. The Rapids are mired in a five-game winless streak and foundering under Gary Smith’s tactical experiment.

Looking at recent results is not encouraging.

The Start: After 10 games, the Rapids were 6-3-1. They had just beaten the Columbus Crew 1-0, and the team had allowed just six goals. They weren’t scoring much, but 10 goals had been enough. They were looking up at the Los Angeles Galaxy, but in control of their destiny. It was June 5, and the team hasn’t won since then.

In the subsequent five games, the Rapids are 0-1-4. They have scored six and given up seven. They have slumped to fourth in the Western Conference. They have seen the best start in club history turn into a middling, muddling mess.

And they have looked bad doing it.

Now it’s time to see what the Rapids can piece together to make a run for the promised land of the playoffs in the season’s second half.

Junk the 4-5-1: Notice that Jeff Larentowicz has gone from crucial to ineffective. Watch Omar Cummings chafe as a sorta-midfielder. See the pressure put on Conor Casey to set up and finish attacks. Worry that a team supposedly trying to clog the midfield and then convert to a 4-3-3 on attack is having little success doing either.

I admired Smith for making this tactical change to take advantage of the team’s strength in midfield. However, it’s time to acknowledge that the experiment is not working. The team has become less creative in the attack, relying on airballs at midfield to Casey’s head to start scoring chances.

This team has to get the ball wide to score. Jamie Smith proves that every time he is on the field. Fettering Cummings with the defensive responsibilities of a midfielder is taking away his killer prowess at forward.

This seemed to be confirmed Saturday night when Claudio Lopez and Smith came on. The team reverted to a 4-4-2 in the second half, found the equalizer and nearly had the winner. The team knows the 4-4-2 and needs it.

Lumbering Backs: Big central defenders can be useful for breaking up anything in the air. They can be a liability when facing darting runners. Colorado seems to have an overreliance on big, slow men in the back, and the rest of the league is exposing that fact.

Scott Palguta faces nothing but frustration as an outside back. Experimenting with him there is a mistake. Danny Earls, Kosuke Kimura and Marvell Wynne have the speed and positioning to fill either wing spot. Palguta and Julien Buadet are interchangeable in the middle and should be left there.

Drew Moor has been the one revelation in the back. He has handled the center with aplomb, and made the trade for him with FC Dallas make sense.

Lopez-Ballouchy Conundrum: Mehdi Ballouchy and Caludio Lopez haven’t fit on the pitch at the same time. While the team could benefit from either one, I think it is time to sit Ballouchy and let Lopez pull the strings.

The Argentinian may not be able to go for 90 minutes over the second half of the season, but I would rather have him for 60-70 a night than on the bench for weeks. His touch and passing broke open KC. Sure, he knows his former teammates well, but he knows the game better. It’s time to get the most out of this veteran’s savvy.

Ballouchy has played well, but look at his passing choices against Houston, New York and KC. He has reverted to the back passes and square balls of old. He’s not looking to make the probing pass, in part because he has usually had only one option in front — Casey — and that option had two men marking him. Ballouchy’s old passivity is getting the worst of him and the 4-5-1 doesn’t help.

Forward Conor Casey rounds goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen before clanking a shot off the near post. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Forward Help?: Who comes on when Casey has a bad night? Who comes on if he gets a knock? There is no obvious answer.

The guy has been remarkably healthy and has scored seven of the team’s 16 goals. He’s crucial. He’s also not getting pushed by anyone on the bench.

The lack of SuperLiga, U.S. Open Cup or any other competition means the Rapids can’t complain about wearing out over the season. It also means that there is little room for experimenting. However, why not get Quincy Amarikwa some playing time? I can’t fathom an opposing coach who would look forward to seeing Amarikwa and Cummings on the same front line.

Beat Bad Teams: Kansas City has 16 points on the season and four of them have come against the Rapids. They are a mediocre squad that has gotten the best of Colorado. This can’t continue.

Colorado faces a bad D.C. United team at home and gets two games against the expansion Philadelphia Union in the second half of the season. There’s nine points. Next up is a fading Seattle Sounders squad and a Sept. 4 home date against an adrift Chivas USA. There’s six more points.

Bag all 15, and you’re going to the playoffs. Whatever you don’t get will have to come in matches against Los Angeles, Dallas and archrivals Real Salt Lake. Make the job easier and beat bad teams.

Mid-Term Grade: After Saturday night, this looks like a C+ team. The strength of the first 10 games, and the promise of getting to play the Union twice, gives me hope. For that, I’m putting a B- on the page and a “needs improvement” for this report card.

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)

In their last Major League Soccer meeting on July 25, 2009, the Rapids tore through New York 4-0. Since then the teams have met for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, where the Red Bulls thumped Colorado 3-0 with John Wolyniec scoring twice. That May 26 defeat in at the new Red Bull Arena knocked Colorado out of the U.S. Open Cup.

Last Man: Of the four who scored against New York in 2009, only Mehdi Ballouchy is still on the roster. The other scorers that day were Nick LaBrocca, Jacob Peterson and Pat Noonan.

Angel Fire: Juan Pablo Angel has taken 19 shots on goal, more than anybody else in MLS this season, scoring eight times. He will come up against a Colorado defense that has conceded only 11 goals in 12 games, four of those in the past two matches.

Records: Colorado is 15-13-3 all-time against New York. On the season, Colorado is 6-3-3 overall (21 points), good for third place in the Western Conference. New York comes to town at 8-5-0 (24 points) and in second place behind the Columbus Crew in the East.

Streaks: Colorado return home after back-to-back 2-2 road ties, and on a five-game undefeated run. On June 9, Conor Casey scored a stoppage time goal to bring back a point from Chicago. Last weekend, the club left Houston with another 2-2 tie.

New York comes in on a three-game winning streak in MLS play, defeating Kansas City 3-0 at home the last time out.

DSG Park: The Rapids are 3-1-1 at home in 2010, while New York is 3-3 on the road to start the year.

Goals from Conor Casey and an own goal provided the scoring for the Rapids on the road. Danny Cruz and Joseph Ngwenya provided the scoring for Houston.

With the tie, Colorado moves to 6-3-3 (21 points). Houston rests at 5-7-2 (17 points).

It was a shaky outing for both squads as Major League Soccer came back from a two-week World Cup break. Each team missed on passes, touches were heavy and tactical movement was ragged.

Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute when Omar Cummings collided with Lovel Palmer on a Jamie Smith corner kick and the ball rocketed in near the back post.

Sixty seconds later, midfielder Danny Cruz fired a blast that pinged off both posts and out. In the 79th, Joseph Ngwenya equalized with a rocket.

Perhaps it was appropriate that it was Ngwenya. In the 59th minute, Matt Pickens bailed out the Rapids, somehow punching a mitt on a snap shot from a free-flying Ngwenya. It salvaged the tie and saved the Rapids during a period when the team seemed loss.

Houston drew first blood in the 17th minute. Cruz latched on to Corey Ashe pass and snuck the shot past Matt Pickens to the far post. The shot came from long range off of a corner kick, and Pickens appeared to be screened.

Just before the half, the Rapids started to pull it together. Mehdi Ballouchy picked off an errant pass, raced into the box and slid it to Conor Casey. Casey let the ball run, pulled it outside with Pat Onstad chasing, and then laced the ball into the back of the net.

Carded: Jeff Larentowicz picked up a yellow card in the 69th minute after colliding with Cruz. Larentowicz’s knee caught Cruz in the diaphram as the two collided outside the box.

The foul was emblematic of the night Larentowicz had. He was just a little off on this timing. It was his worst game of the season and it was probably for the best when Wells Thompson came on in the 83rd minute.

Rapids 11: The Rapids came out in a 4-5-1. Pickens, Drew Moor, Danny Earls, Marvell Wynne, Scott Palguta, Ballouchy, Larentowicz (Thompson, 83), Jamie Smith (Colin Clark, 76), Pablo Mastroeni, Cummings (Ross LaBauex, 91) and Casey.

Houston’s 11: Onstad, Mike Chabala (Dominic Oduro, 75), Bobby Boswell, Eddie Robinson (Ryan Cochrane, 46), Andrew Hainault, Corey Ashe (Brian Mullan, 62), Brad Davis, Lovel Palmer, Cruz, Brian Ching and Ngwenya.

Travels: This was the first meeting between the two teams this season. Houston will travel to Colorado for an Aug. 28 match. August is an excellent time to not be in Houston.

July’s Crucible: Under the anvil of the sun, July will be the month that forges Colorado’s future. The team plays five games during the month. Pick up three wins, and Colorado is doing great. Anything less may mean it is time to start worrying in a Western Conference that looks loaded.

Next Up: The Rapids return to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for the July 4 extravaganza. Colorado plays the New York Red Bulls and then follows the game with a fireworks. Commerce City never looks better than in the glow of fireworks.