There’s no denying that the Rapids had the better of the play in the first leg of their two-legged series with the Crew, but that 1-0 win has to be disappointing.
Major League Soccer Playoffs, Rapids vs. Crew, Leg 1: Colorado Settles For 1-0 Victory
The Rapids seemed poised for a blowout victory, dominating large stretches of the match, but could never find the second goal.
Pablo Mastroeni gave the Rapids the early lead with a strike off a Omar Cummings pass in the 25th minute. There were several other close calls, but ultimately the Crew were able to find some rhythm to their attack late in the second half and actually forced Rapids keeper Matt Pickens into several saves. The Crew also hit the post in stoppage time.
The series now moves to Columbus, where the Crew were 10-3-2 and outscored their opponents by 10 goals. The Rapids, meanwhile, were just 4-6-5 on the road and had a -3 goal difference. The Crew also beat the Rapids 3-1 at Columbus on Aug. 21.
It will be interesting to see what kind of lineup adjustments both teams make as Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Steven Lenhart were both removed, essentially because of ineffectiveness. Andres Mendoza replaced Lenhart and seemed to be more effective at the target forward.
The next game will be played Nov. 6.
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