COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Omar Cummings and Conor Casey scored first-half goals and former New England Revolution midfielder Wells Thompson added a late insurance tally as the Colorado Rapids rolled to a 3-0 win over the Revs on Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Jamie Smith had a pair of assists for the Rapids (10-7-7, 37 pts.), who have now won three consecutive home games by a score of 3-0. Meanwhile, the shutout loss was the second straight for the Revolution (7-14-3, 24 pts.), which now travels directly to Texas for a midweek meeting with FC Dallas.
Cummings opened the scoring in the fifth minute with his team-leading 10th goal of the season, but Casey matched him 30 minutes later as he joined his teammate by reaching double digits in goals scored. Thompson – who spent three years with the Revs from 2007-09 – rounded out the scoring in the 83rd minute with an assist from recently-acquired forward Macoumba Kandji.
The loss extended the Revolution’s winless streak in Colorado to nine games (0-6-3) dating back to 2002.
There were three changes to the Revolution side which suffered a 2-0 loss to Chivas USA last weekend at The Home Depot Center. Marko Perovic, Sainey Nyassi and Seth Sinovic all returned to the starting lineup in place of Zack Schilawski, Kheli Dube and Darrius Barnes, respectively.
Colorado began the game entirely on the front foot and it took just five minutes for the hosts to take a deserved 1-0 lead, putting the Revolution a goal behind inside 10 minutes for the second straight week.
Smith, Casey and Brian Mullan all had early chances for the Rapids, but predictably it was the red-hot Cummings who scored his fifth goal in the last four games from an acute angle. Smith was the provider, intercepting a pass from Emmanuel Osei before slipping a clever pass to Cummings in the box. The Jamaican forward made no mistake, calmly slotting a low shot inside the far post.
The Rapids so nearly doubled their lead in the 23rd minute when the dynamic tandem of Casey and Cummings linked up for a one-two outside the box, but Casey’s resulting 20-yard blast kicked off the left post and bounced clear.
Casey and Cummings combined again 12 minutes later, however, and this time to deadly effect as the Rapids did claim a 2-0 lead before the halftime break. Smith was again the orchestrator from the left wing, slotting a low pass inside to Cummings, who used his first touch to play Casey into the left side of the box. The hulking forward made no mistake with his effort, blasting a low shot inside the near post.
The Revs began the second half unchanged but immediately improved in possession following the halftime break, and Perovic registered New England’s first shot on goal in the 56th minute with a long-range drive which forced a diving save out of Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Nyassi then threatened in the 64th minute, blasting a tight-angle drive which Pickens could only punch away.
Just one minute later Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis made a miraculous save to deny Casey, whose redirection from Cummings’ low driven cross appeared goal-bound. However, Reis reacted quickly and dove full-stretch to his right to push the effort away.
Reis was called into action once again in the 73rd minute as he denied Kandji, who was aiming for a debut goal after entering as a second-half substitute.
Wide open play continued and five minutes later it was the Revs who went close again, this time second-half substitute Kenny Mansally flashing a left-wing shot across the face of goal. In the 79th minute it was Colorado’s turn, as Quincy Amarikwa headed wide from six yards out.
The Rapids finally found the dagger in the 83rd minute when Thompson scored his first league goal for his new club against his former team. Thompson dribbled into the left side of the box and cut inside before guiding a low, right-footed shot inside the near post to provide the final score line of 3-0.
The Revs will conclude their two-game road trip on Wednesday, Sept. 22, when they visit FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
New England Revolution at Colorado Rapids
September 18, 2010 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, Colo.)
Scoring Summary:
COL – Omar Cummings (Jamie Smith) 5
COL – Conor Casey (Omar Cummings, Jamie Smith) 35
COL – Wells Thompson (Macoumba Kandji) 83
New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Seth Sinovic (Kheli Dube 77), Cory Gibbs, Emmanuel Osei, Kevin Alston, Chris Tierney (Kenny Mansally 59), Pat Phelan (Jason Griffiths 59), Shalrie Joseph ©, Sainey Nyassi, Marko Perovic, Ilija Stolica
Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Zack Schilawski, Khano Smith, Darrius Barnes
STATS: Shots: 9; Shots on Goal: 3; Saves: 5; Corner Kicks: 1; Offside: 1; Fouls Committed: 9
Colorado Rapids: Matt Pickens, Anthony Wallace, Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, Kosuke Kimura, Jaime Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni ©, Brian Mullan (Macoumba Kandji 61), Conor Casey (Quincy Amarikwa 75), Omar Cummings (Wells Thompson 71)
Substitutes Not Used: Ian Joyce, Danny Earls, Claudio Lopez, Scott Palguta
STATS: Shots: 17; Shots on Goal: 8; Saves: 3; Corner Kicks: 8; Offside: 2; Fouls Committed: 8
Misconduct Summary:
NE – Seth Sinovic (caution) 67
COL – Wells Thompson (caution) 84
Referee: Mark Geiger?Referee’s Assistants: Steven Taylor, Jeff Muschik?Fourth Official: Mark Kadlecik?Weather: Sunny, 68 degrees
Attendance: 16,314
NOTES:
• The loss extended the Revs’ winless streak in Colorado to nine matches, dating back to the 2002 season … the Revs are now 3-12-3 all-time in the Denver area against the Rapids.
• The loss also pushed the Revs’ road winless streak to 10 matches during the 2010 season … the team has not won an away match since a 2-0 victory at D.C. on April 3.
• The match marked the first game in Colorado for defender Cory Gibbs since the off-season trade that brought him to New England from the Rapids … also with the team was goalkeeper Preston Burpo, unable to play while continuing to rehab from surgery to fix broken bones in his leg, who joined the team on the bench for the match.
• Sainey Nyassi returned to the starting lineup after a two-game hiatus … the Gambia international missed the Sept. 4 match against Seattle while with Gambia for its Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Namibia (a game in which he started and also scored one goal), and then was a substitute for the team’s last game – at Chivas USA on Sept. 10 – and played the entire second half … his 22 starts is the team’s high in 2010.
• Seth Sinovic returned to the starting lineup after a one-game stint as a reserve … Sinovic last started on Sept. 4 against Seattle when Cory Gibbs – who had been playing left back – was forced to serve a one-game red-card suspension.
• Darrius Barnes moved to the bench for the first time since returning on July 10 against LA from a foot injury, a span of nine straight MLS games in which he was in the starting lineup.
• With Omar Cummings’ fifth-minute goal, the Revs have now conceded the first goal in 14 games this season.
• Cummings’ goal also tied for the fastest first goal by a Revs opponent this season, matching Seattle’s Leo Gonzalez’s fifth-minute strike on June 5 in Seattle … additionally, it was the second straight match in which the Revs surrendered a first goal before the 10-minute mark as the team allowed Chivas USA’s Justin Braun to strike in the sixth minute last week.
• When he checked in as a second-half substitute, Jason Griffiths made his first appearance since August 18 at Chicago … he has missed the last four matches with a left hamstring strain.
• With Kheli Dube’s insertion into the game in the 77th minute for Seth Sinovic, the Revs move to a 3-5-2 alignment … Kevin Alston moved to left back, while Emmanuel Osei played right back outside of Cory Gibbs … Marko Perovic slid back into a more central midfield role, ahead of Jason Griffiths and Shalrie Joseph, while Dube and Ilija Stolica were up top.
• Tonight’s game marked the eighth time the Revs allowed two or more goals on the road this season … it was also the fourth straight away game in which it has occurred.
• Tonight marked the ninth time this season the Revs were shut out and the seventh time it occurred on the road.
• The Revs are now 3-8-2 overall against Western Conference teams this season, including a winless 0-6-0 mark on the road … all three of the team’s wins against teams from the West have come at Gillette Stadium.
• Following the game, the Revs are traveling directly to Dallas for Wednesday night’s match against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas … the seven-day road trip is the team’s longest of the season.
