Rapids dominate but draw with Dynamo

Rapids Dominate but Draw with Dynamo by Chris Brown

October 23, 2016 – On decision day, the final regular season game of the 2016 Major League Soccer Season, Colorado Rapids hosted Houston Dynamo at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The Rapids and Dynamo met just 15 days ago in Houston with Colorado coming away with all three points in a 3-2 victory. In that match Dominique Badji scored twice for the Rapids only for his two strikes to be cancelled out by a brace from Houston’s Mauro Manotas. It took a 79th minute strike from Shkelzen Gashi to topple Houston and for the Rapids to claim all three points.

Coming into decision day Colorado had already clinched second place in the Western Conference, but were still in the hunt for the Supporter’s Shield. Colorado came into the match trailing only FC Dallas on points, with Dallas on 59 points while the Rapids came into Sunday’s match on 57 points. It would take a FC Dallas loss away at LA Galaxy and a Colorado win over Houston to secure Colorado’s first and only MLS Supporter’s Shield.

Colorado also came into the match with the unique opportunity becoming only the 5th MLS team to ever complete a season unbeaten at home.

Going into the match the biggest news was that Jermaine Jones, who has been out with an injury since July 4th, would be on the bench and available to play. For Pablo Mastroeni and the Rapids the addition of Jones for the MLS Cup playoffs might be more important and significant than actually winning the Supporter’s Shield.

Colorado started the match brightly winning an early corner kick in the third minute that Jared Watts headed over the bar and passing fluidly across the pitch.

Pablo Mastroeni elected to play Kevin Doyle as the central attacking midfielder again in this match with Sebastien Le Toux and Shkelzen Gashi playing wide on either side of Doyle with Badji as the target man up front.

In the eighth minute Kevin Doyle set Dominique Badji free, spotting the forward’s run between two Houston defenders and Badji was in free against Dynamo keeper Joe Willis on the left hand side of the box. Badji took a touch and fired across goal with his left foot but hooked the shot well wide for a goal kick.

In the 20th minute Houston found the opening goal, against the run of play, through some sloppy defending from Colorado’s back four. Axel Sjoberg allowed Mauro Manotas to turn and send a cross in from near the end line and the cross made it’s way to Andrew Wenger after Tim Howard deflected the ball away from goal with a diving left palm. Wenger calmly side-footed the ball past Howard to opening the scoring.

The Rapids hopes of winning the Supporter’s Shield took a major hit as the ball struck the back of the net, now needing two goals to win and from LA Galaxy to beat FC Dallas.

Dominique Badji was set free again in the 28th minute with a lovely weighted long ball and though Badji made it through to the end of the box, his left footed shot was tame and easily saved by Joe Willis.

In the 39th minute Kevin Doyle had a chance to put the Rapids ahead. After some impressive side to side build up play Eric Miller sent the ball into the box from the right wing and Kevin Doyle rose to meet the ball. His header was on goal but Joe Willis was able to tip the ball up over the crossbar to deny Doyle and the resulting corner kick was easily cleared.

The first half ended with Houston leading the Rapids 1-0. Colorado will feel hard done as Houston’s only decent chance resulted in a goal while the Rapids were the much better side through 45 minutes of play.

The scoreboard showed that LA vs Dallas was still level after the opening half, so the Rapids Supporter’s Shield hopes remained intact, but with just 45 minutes till the season’s end, those hopes flickered, battered by the first half score in Denver.

Colorado came out with a lot more energy than they finished the second half with and kept the ball well within Houston’s half of the field. There was a questionable decision that went in Houston’s favor after Jared Watts was shoulder barged while in the in box, anywhere else on the pitch and the call would most likely have been a free kick.

In the 58th minute Dominique Badji fired on goal from distance missing the goal just wide, though Joe Willis had was well positioned and had the shot covered. The momentum was certainly with the Rapids as they probed for the equalizer.

In the 61st minute Marlon Hairston came on in place of Sebastien Le Toux.

Hairston’s pace and ability to make runs in behind defenses has been crucial for Colorado this season, and with Badji in good form, Pablo Mastroeni was looking for two options up front to trouble the Dynamo defense.

In the 67th minute Colorado tied the match through Shkelzen Gashi following some lovely play from Dominique Badji and Marlon Hairston. Badji and Hairston played a one two on the right side of the field with Badji releasing Hairston down the right wing. Hairston’s pace allowed him plenty of time and space to pick out a cross. Kevin Doyle slipped / let the cross run through to Gashi who shot low past Willis to the bottom left corner, leveling the match at a one goal for each side.

In the 68th minute Jermaine Jones came onto the pitch in place of Sam Cronin making his first appearance since being injured on July 4th against Portland Timbers.

Houston Dynamo made their first substitution in the 73rd minute bringing on Cristian Maidana for Alex.

Dynamo had a chance to take the lead back from Colorado in the 81st minute. A deflection gave Houston a fast break opportunity and Dynamo were through two on one against Jared Watts and Tim Howard. Manotas drew Watts in and tried to square the ball to an open teammate but his pass was behind Garcia and Colorado were able to get back and defend.

Minutes later Colorado sent a cross into the box from the left wing and Dominique Badji headed the ball on to Kevin Doyle. Doyle sent a looping heading toward the top left corner of the Dynamo goal but his effort had too much power behind it and the ball ended up on the top of the Houston goal.

With just three minutes left in regulation Badji had yet another chance to score, sending a nasty low driven shot across the face of the Dynamo goal only to see his shot skid just wide to the groans of packed house at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The final ten minutes were wide open and chippy but at the final whistle the match ended in a one all draw.

The Rapids players collapsed at the final whistle and held their heads in their hands.

The result meant that Colorado finished the 2016 season undefeated at home, but it also meant they came up just short in the Supporter’s Shield standings, finishing second to FC Dallas who left LA with a draw against the Galaxy.

For Houston, Interim Head Coach Wade Barrett expressed a desire to stay on as Head Coach in the future, but said the situation will be “sorted out back in Houston. Give us 24 hours.”

Pablo Mastroeni was disappointed to miss out on the Supporter’s Shield but noted that “We didn’t [not]achieve it because today” and was excite about the direction the club was heading, saying his players had “a mentality an belief that I haven’t seen at this club before.” Lofty praise from the former Rapid player who played on the 2010 side that won the MLS cup.