Rapids Offense Quiet Against Sounders

For the second straight game Colorado was shutout in a loss.  This time it was only a 1-0 loss, actually one of our better games in Seattle as you'll see below, but you only need to give up 1 goal if you can't score.

Honestly Seattle should have been up at least 1 within the first 15-20 minutes.  They were hammering our back line and only a great save from Pickens and a couple of misdirected shots kept them off the scoreboard.  Slowly the Rapids started gaining some control of the match and actually generated a goal when Mullan finished off a rebound from an Omar Cummings shot, but Mullan was correctly called offside.  At half both teams could feel unlucky not to have scored but Seattle had been the better side.

Unfortunately the burgundy boys took a step back to start the second half, giving the run of play to Seattle.  It wasn't as bad as the start of the game but this time the blinding-green boys made them pay.  Off a corner kick Zack Scott crashed the near post and headed the ball all the way across inside the far post.  At that point the Sounders successfully killed off the game, stymieing the Rapids attack to the point that they didn't even get a shot on goal off.

My key to look for was Mullan and he handled the tough situation well.  The Seattle fans weren't as vocal as I expected, which probably helped.  Brian might have been our best field player on Saturday.  His only real blemish was a yellow card and that was a foul that's not even whistled on any other player in any other game. Toledo was obviously waiting for something to break out around Mullan and Alonso used that to sell a dive late in the game.  Anywhere else that's probably not even a foul, much less a card.

Other Observations:

• The Rapids are now 0-0-6 all time in competitive matches in Seattle (league & USOC play) with a -12 goal differential.  So a 1-0 loss is one of our best games we've ever played in my hometown.  Yuck.
• A general team failure on the goal.  Cascio seemed to be the one marking Scott, Larentowicz didn't attack the ball allowing Scott to flash in front of him, and Kimura abandoned the back post (possibly by design) to stay with  Montero.  Had he stayed on the post he would have blocked the goal.
• This team desperately needs Casey back. The last two games they've had a total of 5 shots on goal.  None of our current forwards can hold the ball (or pass it really) so the only way to develop a scoring chance is either on a cross into the box or a through ball behind the defense.  The defense just stays deep to stop both of these possibilities.
• It would help if Omar stopped tripping over the ball.
• I'd give Montero the benefit of the doubt on the foul that cut Pickens legs out from under him in mid-air if I hadn't seen Montero pull the same stunt on almost every keeper in the league.  Punk.
• Castrillon was somewhat invisible in this match.
• Colorado's 3-0-3 start is still tied for the 5th best start in team history, sadly.  This despite playing most of the season with out Pablo and all of it without Casey, 2 of our best 3 players.

Player Of The Game: Matt Pickens.  He had 3 huge saves and kept the team in it early.  There was nothing he could do about the goal.