Rapids Tie Another League Record

That record being consecutive home games without a win (10).  A somewhat lethargic first half gave way to an energized second half, helped on by a Dallas red card, but the Rapids could only take partial advantage in getting a 1-1 draw.  That puts us at 7 points in 7 games with a tough two-coasts-in-3-days road trip coming up this week.

General impressions:

• First of all, thinking good thoughts for assistant coach Steve Cooke, who was stretchered off from the sideline in pre-game after collapsing.  Reports are he's going to be fine so that's good.
• The Rapids need a finisher.  After this game they were second in the league in shots and shots on goal (with a game in hand on the 1st and 3rd placed teams), yet in a 5 way tie for 12th in goals.  We're creating opportunities, sometimes great opportunities, yet we have nobody who can put the ball in the net.
• I'm not sure what happened on the red (the replay doesn't show much) but it made a huge difference in the game.  Colorado was essentially on a permanent power play after that, barely allowing Dallas to have any possession in the Rapids' half.
• If that hadn't been a red, the Acosta tackle a minute later right in front of 108 probably would have been red instead of yellow.
• It was good to see the team push so hard until the end of the game.  They were energized and focused, but just couldn't get more than 1 goal.
• Torres looked good in the first half but faded in the second.
• Our defense got turned all the way around by Castillo on the Dallas goal.  You would hope somebody could have stopped him but that was some really nice ball movement and footwork.
• Both a possible Save of the Week and Goal of the Week candidate against us, again.  This is getting old.
• Badji had a bad game, Sanchez as his replacement didn't do much better.
• Good to see Bork back in the lineup.  O'Neill needs to get int here somehow though.
• I liked the speed and footwork from Ramirez.  His shooting needs work but he's young.  He's so small that he's easily shoved off the ball but he's doing a good job of making defenders commit a foul to do it.
• Now we're on to the utterly ridiculous trip to NY and LA in 72 hours.  I don't know why we agreed to let NYRB move our game against them from a weekend in July to this week of all weeks.

Man of the Match: Nick LaBrocca.  Once or twice a season Nick pulls one of these games out of nowhere.  He had the goal and came closest to another goal with an early strike that the keeper just barely tipped into the post.  I'm glad he picked a game he was starting to play one of his typical top games of the season.