Whitecaps and Rapids Draw 2-2 by Chris Brown
Colorado Rapids hosted Vancouver Whitecaps at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Saturday night.
Colorado entered the match in last place in the Western Conference, two points behind Minnesota United and a full ten points out of the playoff places.
The Whitecaps came into the match clinging to the final Western Conference playoff spot on 30 points, with San Jose Earthquakes just behind them on 29 points.
Kevin Doyle wheels away after scoring Colorado’s second goal. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
This was the first round of matches that Video Assistant Referee (VAR) would be implemented.
Tim Howard returned to action for the Rapids following his participation in the MLS All-Star game at midweek, excellent timing as Colorado’s backup keeper Zac MacMath will be out for 5-6 weeks following knee surgery on Tuesday. Shkelzen Gashi also returned to the starting line-up for his first action since June 3rd.
Vancouver broke the match open after just four minutes of play when Tony Tchani latched onto a deflected ball that came skidding out of the Colorado box and curled a ball with inch perfect placement through a traffic filled box, bouncing it off the inside of Tim Howard’s right post before finding the back of the net.
The ball wasn’t driven with a great deal of pace but the placement was so perfect that Tim Howard stood frozen unable to even attempt to save Tchani’s shot.
Shkelzen Gashi played well in his first match since June 3rd. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
Colorado did well to level the match just ten minutes later. Shkelzen Gashi sent a free kick from the left wing into the Colorado box. The free kick was cleared but then sent back into the box, where it was deflected down to the feet of Axel Sjoberg. The 6’ 7” defender looked awkward as his large frame squared to shoot on goal, but his effort was well taken as he shot low through the legs of David Ousted to level the score at 1-1.
Colorado looked the better of the two sides following the goal, using the wings in the build up and sending in threatening crosses from the flanks.
Vancouver looked dangerous playing on the break and Freddy Montero and Christian Bolanjos did a great job of stretching the Rapid defense and forcing set pieces deep in the Rapid half throughout the final fifteen minutes of the first half.
The match was level at 1-1 at halftime.
Colorado had a golden chance to take the lead in the opening minutes of the second half. The Rapids won a free kick on the left wing in a similar position to the free kick that lead to Colorado’s earlier goal. Shkelzen Gashi sent in a beautiful ball to the six yard box where Kevin Doyle rose to head the ball on goal. Doyle’s headed shot went low but straight at David Ousted, who was able to bend his knee at the crucial moment to stop the ball and deny Colorado the lead.
In the 54th minute Colorado took the lead through Kevin Doyle. Colorado counter attacked with Doyle starting the move with a perfectly weighted through ball to Mohammed Saeid. Saeid took the ball on the right wing and cut inside, mimicking Arjen Robben’s famous move, and fired with his left foot. The ball ricocheted favorably for the Rapids and found Marlon Hairston in the box. Hairston did well to back heal the ball into the path of Kevin Doyle who out muscled his defender to fire home past Ousted. Doyle’s fifth goal of the season gave the Rapids their first lead of the match.
Mohammed Saied is Colorado’s most consistent player at the moment and held the Rapid attack together. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
In the 66th minute newly instated VAR made it’s first appearance at Dick’s Sporting Good’s park when a Rapids cross looked as if it could have been handled by a Whitecaps defender as he cleared the ball behind for a corner kick. The referee paused while the assistant viewed a replay to determine if it required the referee’s attention, but there was nothing in it and the match resumed quickly after.
Vancouver almost got a goal back in the 73rd minute when Freddy Montero got a touch on a long ball into the box and clanged the ball of Tim Howard’s right post before it was deflected behind for a goal kick.
Three minutes after the near miss Vancouver found an equalizer. The Whitecaps won a free kick on the right wing close to midfield and sent the ball into the box. Colorado marked very poorly and Freddy Montero was somehow left free at the far post. Montero did well to rise and meet the ball heading a powerful header past Tim Howard to knot the match up at 2-2.
Pablo Mastroeni brought Alan Gordon on as Colorado desperate for three points, sought to take back the lead.
Vancouver put Colorado under heavy pressure in the final ten minutes but it wasn’t enough to find a final goal and the match ended in a 2-2 draw.
