Rapids Coug It In Spectacular Fashion

Couging It - Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory (or a draw in this case)

Saturday night Colorado stormed out to a first half 2-0 lead and built that to a 3 goal lead by the 55th minute.  Then the wheels came off.  For the first time in the team's history they surrendered a 3 goal lead and the Revs came all the way back to claim a point (the first 3-goal comeback in their history too).  The Rapids brought their game but left their soccer IQ in Colorado.

Despite the early score line this game was all Revolution.  They dominated play and chances. but the defense was up to the task.  Overall New England had as many shots on target as Colorado had total shots.  Despite that it was the visitors that were able to convert.  First a rebound from a Ted KDP shot (after a nice spin move by Navarro to get the ball into a dangerous position) fell to Harris on the near post and he rifled it into the top of the net.  Then it was Navarro's turn to do the work, taking a through ball from Yapi and beating 4 defenders to slot it in the far post.

At halftime the Burgundy Boys had to feel pretty good about the 2 goal led and came out to add to it.  In the 55th minute KDP too a Yapi pass and finished a long shot to make it a 3 goal lead and presumably wrap the game up.  

Then everyone seemed to turn off and coast.  The collapse started with a Sam Vines own goal.  Calvin Harris played a hot ball out of the back that Atencio wasn't able to handle.  Awaziem tried to cover the unexpected rebound but the Revs got a cross in.  Despite that Vines had good position on his man but his attempt to play it put it into the back of the net.  Meanwhile Harris stood and watched the disaster his iffy pass caused.

Even that was survivable until the last 5 minutes of the game.  Sam Bassett brought Gil down in the box giving up a PK.  It was a soft PK but you can't give the ref an opportunity to make that call.  NE finished the spot kick and had faith and momentum to drive for the equalizer.  Which they got 3 minutes into stoppage time.  Oli got beat on the left and had no support from Cannon, which allowed a dree cross into the area.  A crashing header that Murphy was unable to defend stanched the point for the Revs.

There were lots of reasons for the collapse but more than anything it seemed like the Rapids stopped thinking.  Awaziem was hurt, was off the field, came back on to stop play so he could get treatment, and then was told he had to sit out for a couple of minutes.  Harris took too long to get off the field when he was subbed out so the Rapids played a man down until the next stoppage.  Cannon picked up an unnecessary yellow card late which means he'll miss the 4th of July match due to accumulation.  A whole lot of low soccer IQ moments.  Add to that no attack after KDP's goal (there was one shot from outside the box by Navarro two minutes after we went up 3-0, the last shot by a Rapid) and New England had free run to make their comeback.

Obviously if you had said the Rapids would take their longest road trip of the year without Steffen, Mihailovic, and Bassett and get a point you'd take it, but there's no way to see this as anything other than 2 points fumbled away.  With only one "easy" game in July we may turn out to regret these lost points very quickly.

Man of the Match: Nico Hansen.  He gave up 3 but then they're an own goal, a PK, and a solid header there's not much you can do.  He probably saved another 3 at least on his own.