The Unamazing Seven

Now 7 games in Seattle, 7 losses.  Total of 5 goals scored, 18 conceded.  That's really the story of this game.

The Rapids were under siege the first 15 minutes but somehow, amazingly, didn't give up a goal.  The rest of the half was also controlled by the Sounders, but the Rapids managed to relieve the pressure a bit better after the first third of the half.  The second half started the same way, but Seattle actually got it to pay off.  Off a corner kick Zapata and Freeman got confused on their marking and Alvo Fernandez was left unmarked for an easy header and a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after that Colorado got their first shot on target, a long-range effort form Larentowicz that was easily saved.  12 minutes after their first goal though, Seattle struck again.  Again off a corner but this time it was initially cleared before being crossed back in.  Drew Moor drifted away from Eddie Johnson which left Conor Casey to try to mark him.  Again, another easy header for a goal.

Finally the Rapids started to put something together.  Cascio and Cummings came on for the last 15 minutes and in the 79th minute Zapata hit Omar with a perfect cross that he buried to cut the lead in half.  In the 86th minute Cummings appeared to tie it up only to be ruled offside.  Immediately afterwards was the high point of the game as Steve Zakuani made his return to the field for the first time after the tackle by Mullan.  Rivero had one great look that he skied before the end of the game and the Rapids went home with their 7th loss in 7 tried in the Emerald City.

My key to the game was if we played a team game.  Not really, most of the team played pretty poorly.

Other Observations:

• I've seen less pomp and ceremony at the beginning of the World Cup Final than I saw in Seattle on Saturday.  I get the honoring of the armed forces, but the flags and red carpet?  Pretentious much?
• On the first Sounders goal Freeman clearly thought Zapata was going to hand off his mark to Freeman and take Fernandez, while Zapata clearly thought he was to stay with his mark while Freeman stayed with Fernandez.  Oops.
• Annoying that Fernandez scored, given the Olympic-level diving he's known for, which happened again this match.
• I don't know about you, but I'm thinking that an actual defender and not Casey should be marking Eddie Johnson.
• Zapata was very lucky not to give up a PK to Johnson between the two goals.  On replay it could have easily been called a PK even if I'm not 100% convinced it was the right call.  The ref was right there though.
• EJ's half stand and flop back down after the PK wasn't called should have drawn a yellow though.
• Great goal by Zapata and Cummings.  More of that please.
• Cummings non-goal due to offside was close enough that I can't complain.
• Great to see Zakuani back on the field!
• Of course the reason I can't complain is that NBC was so wrapped up in the Zakuani story that they couldn't be bothered to show a usable replay.  The only replay they showed during the game was from the other endline which is useless for determining offside.  Post-game they couldn't be bothered to show either Cummings' goal or Cummings' non-goal.  I had to rewind to the live action and pause it myself to see the offside line and even that was at an angle that makes it hard to tell.  Of course NBC had no problem showing replays from multiple angles of the Sounders goals post-game.  Sloppy NBC, sloppy.
• Generally the team, outside of Pickens and Casey, played like they didn't care for the first 75 minutes. They showed up for the last 15 minutes (when they got 2 of their 3 shots on goal) but by then it was too little too late.

Player Of The Game: Conor Casey.  He was isolated up top most of the game but never stopped working or fighting.  Its really obvious how much we missed him while he was injured.