Rapids Earn Three Points

Colorado came from behind for the 2-1 win Saturday night, something we hadn't seen yet this season (and not much last season due to the number of 1-0 wins we had).  The team was the better squad  on the night both watching them and largely on the stat line as well.

• 7 shots on goal, which might be a high for this season.
• Interestingly Gashi had 2 and Badji had 3, and neither of them scored.  Doyle and Gordon just had the 1 each, and they both went in.
• Azira caught a bad break on the Crew goal with the redirect.  Not really his fault but he took it hard.
• He made up for it in the 72nd minute where he was in the perfect position to clear a Columbus free kick off the line.  We go down 2-0 there and its probably over.
• The first half was more entertaining than last week, with action at both ends, but not much coming from it.
• Kortne Ford looks like a CB of the future.  He's raw now and relying on physical strength to cover for his mistakes but he's got sparks of something more.
• Powers and Hairston were not on the same page early with multiple passes between them going off course.  Powers once again seemed to be behind the play.  You have to assume he'll head to the bench when Boateng is healthy.
• Great fight from the team after going down 1.
• Both goals were well worked team goals.  You couldn't have drawn the first goal up on the white board better than they executed it, with a great leading pas from Gashi giving Saied a run into space, perfectly weighted pass to Haiston, and a cross exactly where it needed to be to beat the Crew defense.
• If Doyle hadn't been there to finish it Gatt would have gotten it.
• How many times have we seen Gordon crush a team with a goal like that.  How many times has he crushed us like that?  It feels much better to be on this side of that goal.
• What does Dillon Serna need to do to get off the bench?
• We still gave the Crew the heavy edge in possession.  I'm not sure a more rested team breaks down late like they did.
• We're into the international break now.  Doyle is in Ireland for their qualifier on Sunday while Howard and Williams will travel with their national teams after Thursday's game but everyone else should get a good rest.
• Next up, Anthony Wallace and Oklahoma City in the Open Cup on June 13th.

Man of the Match: Zac MacMath.  A bit of an odd choice I admit but he came up big late to prevent another Crew goal and he'ss the one that positioned Azira on that free kick.  Nothing he could do about the Crew goal so a pretty good game coming off the bench with Howard gone.