COMMERCE CITY — Two teams that dueled each other for the MLS Supporters’ Shield down to the last weekend of the season a year ago met with considerably lower stakes Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, but the Rapids could take some solace in that rival FC Dallas is struggling just to make the playoffs.
Dallas, which began the evening standing eighth in the conference, could only earn a point as the teams fought to a 1-1 draw. FCD had a lot more on the line, but Colorado gave the visitors everything they could handle in a gritty battle for both teams.
FC Dallas posted the league’s best record a year ago and the Rapids finished second best. FCD’s Oscar Pareja was named MLS coach of the year and Colorado’s Pablo Mastroeni finished second in the voting. This season has been vastly different for both teams. The Rapids have long been out of playoff contention and Mastroeni was fired in mid-August. Saturday’s result moved FCD up to sixth place with two regular-season games remaining, just above the cut line.
At the outset it was the Rapids who appeared to play with more urgency. Mid-season signing Stefan Aigner of Germany scored in the 15th minute from close range – his second tally in two starts at home — and there were other early scoring chances. Axel Sjoberg hit the post off a corner kick in the sixth minute and Alan Gordon, making a rare start, forced Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez to make a save in the 33rd.
The second half featured frenetic end-to-end play. Gordon nearly gave Colorado a 2-0 lead with a header that Gonzalez denied with a sensational diving fingertip save in the 51st minute. Three minutes later, FCD defender Attiba Harris equalized with a snap header off a disputed corner kick.
“I thought we were really taking the game to them,” said Rapids interim coach Steve Cooke. “We kind of lost a little bit of momentum before halftime, but in the second half I felt like we were in control of the game. Their goalkeeper made an absolutely world-class save. It was superb on his part.”
Both teams were missing players who were away for national team World Cup qualifying matches, Tim Howard (USA) and Mekeil Williams (Trinidad & Tobago) of the Rapids, Kellyn Acosta (USA) and Maynor Figueroa (Honduras) for FCD. Team USA and Trinidad meet Tuesday in the final qualifying match.
“It would have been nice to reward the fans for their loyalty with three points,” Cooke said. “Disappointed we didn’t win the game, but credit to FC Dallas, they’re fighting for their playoff lives.”
