New York Red Bulls Tim Ream just can't stop Colorado Rapids Sanna Nyassi during the game Wednesday night, July 20, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Nyassi goes on to score three more goals, helping the Rapids crush the Red Bulls 4-1. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Sanna Nyassi answered the question of who would score in Conor Casey’s absence and delivered one of the best performances ever by a Colorado Rapids player on Wednesday night.

The midfielder-cum-forward scored three goals and got credit for an assist on the fourth as the Rapids eviscerated the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Nyassi earned extra credit for not making fans wait long to see how the team would respond to the loss of leading scorer Casey to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Eighty seconds into the match, Nyassi arrived at the end of a give-and-go with Omar Cummings and knocked the ball into the back of the net.

Colorado, playing with a verve and intensity that had been missing at home since season-opening wins over Portland and D.C., doubled the lead in the 26th minute when a long-range Nyassi shot came off the near post and into the path of Wells Thompson. The midfielder knocked the ball down and slotted it into the back of the net.

The magic continued four minutes later when Nyassi again ran onto a Cummings pass and dumped it into the back of the goal.

Wells Thompson (right) celebrates his goal of the evening with Omar Cummings during the match against the New York Red Bulls, Wednesday night, July 20, at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Rapids take the match 4-1. (Photograph by Jessica Taves/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

A 3-0 lead at the half-hour mark looked to be more than enough, as the Red Bulls attack was ineffective, and seemed bent on hoping for a fortuitous whistle. Designated player Thierry Henry seemed to be the biggest beneficiary of such tweets. While his game statistics show him suffering five fouls, at least two of them were merely times when he was dispossessed by defenders and earned a sympathetic ear from the referee.

The Rapids finally took the foot off the gas pedal when Nyassi completed his hat trick. In the 61st minute, Nyassi collected another Cummings pass and raced down the center of the field. He beat both centerbacks and punched in the final Rapids goal of the night.

New York earned a measure of respect in the 67th minute as Juan Agudelo used his pace to create some space on the far side before cutting the ball back toward the 18. Strike partner Henry, who spent much of the second half playing in the left midfield, arrived to pass the ball into the goal and earn his league-leading 10th tally of the season.

Victory, however, was secured for the Rapids, and the team spent the remainder of the game killing off opportunities for Red Bull attacks, but rarely showing much desire to go forward.

Finally, as Nyassi departed for Andre Akpan in the 85th minute, the robust crowd of 15,227 provided the exclamation on the new striker’s three-goal outburst and sent him to the bench with a standing ovation.

Streaking: Thompson may need to watch out. He has scored in consecutive games for the first time this season, and he earned a yellow card for his goal celebration. If he is going to keep scoring, he needs to not get himself carded.

Big Yellow: Dane Richards, Jan Gunnar Solli and former Rapid Mehdi Ballouchy all picked up cautions for the Red Bulls.

Ballouchy’s was particularly galling as it came on a dive in the penalty area moments after Thompson’s goal. The Morrocan midfielder went airborne when he lost possession on the edge of the penalty area. It was like watching a 4-year-old lie as he tried to sell the foul in search of a penalty kick.

Well Done: Rarely do officials deserve praise. However, with the exception of protecting Henry from his age and faltering skills the crew of Silviu Petrescu in the center and assistants Daniel Belleau and Eric Proctor did an outstanding job.

This Month: The Rapids (7-6-9, 30 points) melted in July 2010, going winless for the month. So far, the team is 2-1-2 in July with two games remaining.

Road Worriers: New York fell to 6-5-11, 29 points, with the loss. The team now has one win in 12 road games this year.

Long Time Coming: Nyassi was the first Rapid to score a hat trick since Casey on Aug. 8, 2009. Intriguingly, Cummings had assists on all three of Nyassi’s goals and all three of Casey’s goals two years ago.

This was the greatest offensive output from the Rapids since defeating D.C. United by the same score at home on April 3.

Record Setting: No Rapid has ever scored more than three goals in a game. Nyassi is the latest of seven Rapids to earn a hat trick.

Next Up: Colorado gets another home date before the All-Star Game on July 27. The Rapids host the New England Revolution at 7 p.m. Saturday at DSG Park.

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

They did neither.

The Rapids, who looked like world beaters in dismantling the previous four visitors to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, got outplayed and beaten 1-0 by D.C. United on Saturday night.

After dismantling the Philadelphia Union 4-1 on Wednesday, the team had a night where it couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Here’s how bad it was. The highlight of the game came in the 24th minute when ‘keeper Matt Pickens lunged back and to his right, reached out with his left hand, and tipped an attempted chip over the crossbar.

Besides the acrobatics, Pickens also came out in the 45th minute to deny Justin Alsopp in a one-on-one off a bad back pass. The Rapids luck ran out moments later when Alsopp latched onto a loose ball and slotted it home to provide the game winner moments before halftime.

The second half was little more than frustration, as three subs failed to provide a spark, and the Rapids dropped to 11-8-8.

Coming Soon: The final three games of the season are a series of rising challenges. The Rapids travel to Dallas to face the No. 3 team in conference next week. A week later, it’s on to L.A. to face the league-leading Galaxy. Then, it’s a return home for a rivalry game against Real Salt Lake, the second-best team in the West.

Critical Need: The Rapids need three points. They might back into the playoffs as is, if the Kansas City Wizards fail to make up ground. However, one win in the next two weeks would make the season finale much more palatable.

Not Sold: Playing the worst team in the league gave head coach Gary Smith a chance to tinker with the lineup. In fact, it gave him a chance to play three forwards, with Macoumba Kandji, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings up top.

Instead, he went with Kandji and Casey at forward. The experiment failed. They failed to connect.

On Wednesday, Kandji and Cummings seemed to be in a competition for who could play the best with pace, and the team benefited. None of that happened on Saturday. Casey was a nonfactor, and Kandji was incapable of creating.

Kandji was brought in as insurance against the possible loss of Cummings. On Saturday, he proved that he was no Omar Cummings. He lacks the Jamaican’s work rate, shot and strength.

After the game, sitting in the Cantina, a fan bemoaned the loss of Mehdi Ballouchy for Kandji. It was that sort of night.

More, More, Moor: Defender Drew Moor was the Rapids biggest scoring threat. His shot off a corner kick in the first half was cleared off the line. Late in the second half, Moor just missed the far post on a shot off a Jamie Smith corner.

Yin and Yang: The Rapids have now lost two home games in 14 contests in Commerce City. The first was 1-0 to the LA Galaxy back in May. Saturday night gave the Rapids a set, a loss to the best team in  the league coupled with one to the worst team in the league.

Final Word: After more than 20 years of writing for a general news audience, my language has been neutered. Following the loss to an abysmal D.C. United team on a night when the Rapids could have cemented their playoff position, there is only one word. It’s a guttural, Anglo-Saxon term that begins with F and ends with K. And it’s not “firetruck.”

For the Thursday list, we look at the paths the two players have taken and the way their teams have performed since that switch more than three years ago.

Ballouchy and Beckerman since the 2007 trade:

Player                                      Year      Games    Starts       Goals        Assists  

Ballouchy                                2007          9              8              1                 2           

                                                  2008         19             12            1                 4           

                                                  2009          28            23            2                 7          

                                                  2010           21            19            3                 5           

Player                                      Year      Games    Starts       Goals        Assists         

Beckerman                             2007            15            14           2                 1            

                                                  2008           30            30          3                  2          

                                                  2009            25            25         3                  2            

                                                   2010          16              16          2                  3           

Since the trade, Beckerman’s Real Salt Lake side has made the playoffs twice, won the MLS Cup and looks likely to be in the playoffs again. Ballouchy’s Rapids have missed the playoffs three years in a row, and the team is scrambling to hold on to a spot this season.

Of course, one player does not make all the difference in either case. Ballouchy saw his playing time increase, especially after Gary Smith replaced Fernando Clavijo as coach, until he became a regular facet of the Rapids. Beckerman was critical to Salt Lake from his first game, maturing into the captain of a defending MLS champion side.

Ultimately, the trade brought Salt Lake a full-time starter and a critical cog. While it took longer in Colorado, the same thing happened with Ballouchy and the Rapids.

Still, it’s hard not to feel that the 2007 move was a failure. It took until the addition of Jeff Larentowicz this year to find the right combination with Pablo Mastroeni in the center of the Rapids midfield. Ballouchy lost the timidity that characterized his first two seasons in Colorado, but never made anyone forget the fiery Beckerman.

The starters are scheduled to take the day off from practice on Wednesday, which gives the team a couple of days to figure out where Kandji fits and who will be called on to create from the midfield in front of Saturday’s 7 p.m. home clash with the New England Revolution.

The trade with the New York Red Bulls is being characterized by Rapids management as an insurance policy in case forward Omar Cummings leaves. Kandji has been compared favorably with the speedy Jamaican who is tied for the team lead with nine goals this season.

If Cummings is staying, and with Ballouchy leaving, the shakeup on the field will be immediate.

Whither Goest Lopez: Ballouchy has started 19 games and played in two others for the Rapids. He has produced three goals and five assists, and has often been called on to create in the run of play. With his departure, the question becomes one of who will get the ball to the forwards.

Claudio Lopez, he of the laser-passing left foot and impeccable ball skills, seems like the most obvious choice. The Argentinian veteran has been a relatively low-cost substitute and has played sparingly. He’s not a 90-minute solution, but he could easily provide a spark, if he is protected on defense. Getting him 30 minutes a game is probably not enough. At least 60 minutes would probably work better for the flow of the game and attacke. And it’s possible to play him for an hour and then bring on Wells Thompson for energy late.

Future Formation: Coach Gary Smith said he might move to a 4-3-3 if Cummings stays, with Kandji and Conor Casey joining the Jamaican up top.

The coach tried to make this happen in the 4-5-1 experiment this summer. He wanted it to look more like three forwards in the attack. Instead, it looked like Casey was consistently fighting in the air for balls that he could either knock back to Ballouchy or Cummings. The offense stagnated.

Anthony Wallace’s sudden emergence at left back and Kosuke Kimura at right back make the 4-3-3 a possibility. With Jeff Larentowicz and Pablo Mastroeni doing the dirty work in the midfield, the creative playmaker role becomes critical. Again, Lopez looks like a logical choice.

Future Forward: If Kandji is insurance for Cummings, then what is Quincy Amarikwa doing? Kandji is fast, young and tough to defend. The same is true of Amarikwa. While neither have the finishing touch of Cummings, the addition muddles Amarikwa’s future with the team. He appeared the heir apparent to Cummings at the start of the season.

Bringing in Kandji after drafting Andre Akpan, another forward, makes Amarikwa expendable.

Winners: Ballouchy and Kandji each benefited from the trade. Ballouchy is now going to have world class forwards in Thierry Henry and Juan Pablo Angel to work with on a New York team that has gotten immensely better through spending this summer. Ballouchy will be playing alongside another worldbeater in Rafa Marquez.

If Ballouchy can’t make it in New York now, he never will.

Plus, he leaves a place where he will always be known as the guy in the trade for fan favorite Kyle Beckerman. That move is still questioned at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, almost every game day.

Finally, Kandji could be playing significant minutes to finish the season. If Cummings goes, the Senegalese forward will be pushed to produce immediately. If Cummings stays, there is still a good chance to get minutes on a team with two raw forwards (Amarikwa and Akpan) and an aged one (Lopez is listed at forward, even if most of his minutes are in the midfield).

The club announced that it had traded the midfielder to the New York Red Bulls for forward Macoumba Kandji.

Acquired by the Rapids in a trade with Real Salt Lake on July 16, 2007, Ballouchy leaves Colorado having played in 77 games for the club and scoring seven goals adding 18 assists.

Colorado originally swapped popular midfielder Kyle Beckerman for Ballouchy. Trading the defensive midfielder for the supposedly more offensive-minded Ballouchy was hailed by the club as an investment in the future of the team’s attack.

Ballouchy, who appeared in nine games in 2007, only recorded one goal and two assists. Then the club made the ill-fated decision to bring in Christian Gomez to run the attack, keeping Ballouchy on the sidelines to start the 2008 season. Gomez proved to be a bust, filling a Designated Player space and producing three goals and six assists over 20 games. By the end of the season, Ballouchy — who would finish with one goal and four assists — was the regular starting central midfielder.

Heading into the 2009 season, coach Gary Smith said it would be Ballouchy time to shine. Ballouchy played in 28 of 30 games, starting 23. He finished the season with two goals and seven assists as the Rapids missed the playoffs for the third year running.

This season, Ballouchy appeared in 21 games with 19 starts and recorded a career-high three goals and a team-high tying five assists. Much of his work has come on one of the wings as the team experimented with a 4-5-1 alignment.

In Kandji, the team picks up another attacker at the expense of losing a set-up man. Smith told MLSsoccer.com that he had been trying to make this swap for the past month.

“It’s always been uppermost in my mind to try and add him if at all possible,” Smith said. “He’s very athletic, very pacy and has the individual ability to create a lot of opportunities.”

A three-year veteran, Kandji joins the Rapids having played his entire Major League Soccer career in New York after being signed by the Red Bulls on September 15, 2008 from the Atlanta Silverbacks of USL-1. Kandji has appeared in 41 games with 30 starts with New York and scored six goals and registered seven assists in 2,814 minutes of action.

A tall, quick and athletic forward, Kandji has the ability and willingness to take on any defender. The Senegalese standout has appeared in 13 games, eight as a starter, and tallied one goal in 2010.

Smith indicated that Kandji was being acquired as a strategic move in case Omar Cummings departs. The forward, who is tied for the team lead with nine goals, has been drawing interest from foreign clubs. Kandji shares Cummings trait for quick attacks, but the acquisition also raises questions about another speedy reserve forward on the Rapids roster, Quincy Amarikwa.

Smith told MLSsoccer.com that if Cummings stays, he envisions the possibility of him, Kandji and Conor Casey playing as an attacking threesome, particularly at home. If Smith employs just two forwards, there could be some rotation of the three players.

The move may also open a door for Claudio Lopez. The Argentinian veteran has seen scant minutes on the field, but is an exceptional controller of the ball and delivers some of the best passing on the side. Without an obvious midfield creator in the middle, Lopez may get his chance in the season’s final weeks.

Omar Cummings fires on the Chivas USA goal Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Cummings led the team with two goals in a 3-0 win. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

Omar Cummings got knocked to the turf repeatedly in the first half without a whistle blowing. In the second half, the whistle was blowing to signal another goal.

Cummings scored twice and had a foot in the other tally as the Colorado Rapids blew out visiting Chivas USA 3-0 Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.

All the scoring came in the second half, and the first goal came with a Cummings connection. The forward fired a shot in the 52nd minute from an acute angle to ‘keeper Zach Thornton’s left. The rebounding ball popped in front of the goal and Conor Casey latched on to it for his ninth of the year.

The second score was all Cummings as he took a loose ball, raced in from the right, faked left to lose a defender and fired to the far corner past Thornton in the 68th minute.

Cummings finally ended the scoring in the 81st minute in his own lightning fashion as the Jamaican forward outraced two defenders to catch a pass from Mehdi Ballouchy and again beat Thornton in the goal.

With the win, the Rapids improved to 9-6-7 (34 points) and moved past the Seattle Sounders into the sixth playoff spot. Chivas dropped to 6-12-4 (22 points) and remained in last place in the Western Conference.

Nothing but net as Omar Cummings scores one of his two second half goals in Saturday night's 3-0 win over Chivas USA. (Photo by Jonathan Ingraham/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

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.