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Colorado Rapids vs. D.C. United (Match Night Commentary)

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In what has been a season of mostly lows for D.C. United, the visiting Colorado Rapids offer a chance at a second win in 2010.

RFK Stadium has a hex over the visiting Rapids, who haven't won in the nation's capital since 1999, and only won twice all-time. Colorado is looking to snap a two-game losing streak, both 1-0 losses against Western Conference opposition. The striker tandem of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings will look to get clicking against D.C. United's defense.

I will be providing commentary on tonight's match from RFK, feel free to follow along. Leave thoughts and comments in the section below.

Enjoy the action after the jump:

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POSTGAME- That's it from me tonight. Thanks for following along. Look for more content on SBI later this evening.

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FINAL- That's it! Rapids win 1-0, United loses for the seventh time in eight games.

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93rd minute– Is Ballouchy's goal standing up? It'd be a nice change for Colorado, who have lost their last two by a 1-0 score.

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92nd minute– Ross LaBauex comes on for Conor Casey. Not a great night for the large forward, though he battered at United's defense most of the evening.

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90th minute– Four minutes of added time.

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88th minute– Cristman with a long range effort that curls away from the goal. Cummings comes off for Quincy Amerikwa.

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87th minute– Cummings gets on the end of a loose ball, races past Carey Talley, but Hamid stymies Cummings' shot.

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86th minute– Moreno dances on the ball in the Rapids box, drawing a crowd of defenders. He lays off for Brandon Barklage, who skewers a shot well wide.

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83rd minute– Hamid saves as a loose ball comes to Colin Clark. He beats Jordan Graye, but doesn't get a strong hold on it and Hamid keeps United in it.

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80th minute– Najar enters for Kurt Morsink as D.C. press for an equalizer.

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77th minute– A Ballouchy shot on the free kick hits the upper corner, second time that Colorado hit the post this half. Can they hold on?

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74th minute– Pickens alertly comes off his line to grab a search ball knocked in Cristman's direction.

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72nd minute– Clark's substitution has injected some life into the game. The midfielder just hit the post, before dancing in the box and crossing to Mastroeni who pokes wide.

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70th minute– That goal sucked the energy out of the home fans, as it's gone quiet here in D.C.

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68th minute– Wells Thompson comes out for Colin Clark — Rapids up 1-0.

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67th minuteGOAL Colorado. Mehdi Ballouchy comes up the right hand side, freezes Pena, and fires past Hamid. A foul on Wallace leading up to the goal leaves controversy however.

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65th minute– More ticky tacky fouls from Colorado, who are getting physical with D.C.

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63rd minute– Any team have something special in them tonight? This has been a pretty low key and boring affair.

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62nd minute– Cristman earns a free kick that Castillo lofts into the Rapids box, but it's cleared.

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59th minute– Jeff Larentowicz returns the favor, shooting a free kick well over the goal after Casey earned a dangerous free kick.

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57th minute– Mastroeni gets a yellow for dissent as Castillo fires a shot miles over Pickens' goal.

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55th minute– Danny Allsopp dribbles in a circle, passes to Clyde Simms, who tries a flick in Cristian Castillo's direction. Nothing comes of the possession.

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50th minute– D.C. on top at the start of the second half, camping out in Colorado's half.

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46th minute– United get the game back underway. Brandon Barklage has come on for Boyzzz Khumalo.

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HALFTIME– Keep in mind this is how it's played out in three United home games. In the second half of those games, they've conceded twice in losses. Will it be the same old song in the second half?

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HALFTIME– 0-0 at the half. Nothing pretty here — United perhaps a slight edge in the proceedings, and both sides have created a few half-chances. Conor Casey has shown why he was left off Bob Bradley's 30-man roster with a miss in the 29th minute.

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45th minute– Halftime is close and it hasn't been the prettiest affair.  Rapids looking frustrated, United a bit better of the two.

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43rd minute– Cummings has swapped wings, attacking down the left, with Wells Thompson on the right and Mehdi Ballouchy in an attacking midfield role. Not that it's doing any good.

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42nd minute– Cristian Castillo drives a free kick into the wall after Julian Baudet was whistled for a hand ball.

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40th minute– United misses a chance to counter, squandering possession after Hamid punches away a Colorado corner.

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37th minute– Wells Thompson strikes it wide of Hamid's goal. Both sides seem a little lackluster in their attacking endeavors in the past few minutes.

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35th minute– Baudet clears a Castillo cross for a corner.

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32nd minute– A long range shot from Castillo misses wide. D.C. controlling possession the past few minutes, looking a bit more like doing something.

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30th minute– Another chance for United as Allsopp is denied by Pickens. Bad angle, Pickens saves, and the corner is cleared.

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29th minute– Pickens punches away a Castillo cross that Allsopp looked to get on the end of.

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27th minute– Casey with a bad miss — can't get his head on a great Ballouchy cross. Glances wide.

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24th minute– Still no score in a very even match. United trying to attack Wynnye on the right side.

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22nd minute– Adam Cristman with a sliding shot on net that Pickens handles easily.

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21st minute– Colorado will look to exploit the Rodney Wallace match-up with Omar Cummings. Few players can hang with Cummings' speed.

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18th minute– Neither side looking dangerous, though United with a few probing moves up front. Casey is banging bodies with both Carey Talley and Juan Manuel Pena.

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16th minute– Cristian Castillo jumps in with two feet and earns a yellow card. Dangerous tackle, could have turned out much worse.

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13th minute– Rodney Wallace tries a shot from long range, but it's well high.

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10th minute– Casey with a rather audacious header in the game's 10th minute off a long free kick. Rapids will certainly look to test Hamid early and often.

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8th minute– Almost all of D.C. United home games have followed the pattern this year — draw 0-0 at the half, concede two goals in the second half and lose 2-0. That's been the story in three of their four homes matches this season.

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6th minute– Sloppy possession play in midfield as both sides settle into the game.

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4th minute– Almost a calamitous moment for Colorado. A Boyzzz Khumalo cross is deflected by Omar Cummings just over the bar, and nothing comes from the ensuing corner for D.C.

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2nd minute– Cummings with a dangerous ball that Casey just can't get on the end of.

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1st minute– Conor Casey and Mehdi Ballouchy get the action underway.

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PRE-GAME– Look for Casey and Cummings to test the youngster Hamid — although Colorado hasn't scored in two games, losses to Los Angeles and San Jose.

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PRE-GAME– Sorry that I can't get to lineups — not enough time before kickoff. United looks almost exactly the same from last week's loss against FC Dallas (with Juan Manuel Pena) slotting in for Devon McTavish, and Colorado looks to have swapped Julian Baudet into the center of defense with Wynne playing on the outside.

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PRE-GAME– Bill Hamid starts in goal again for D.C. as the players take the field. Conor Casey will surely be fired up after being left of the U.S. preliminary roster.

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PRE-GAME– Sorry about the late start — Internet has been a bit off and on. Bear with me as I sort things out and get lineups up.

Comments

  1. Uhh…Morocco can have him, thanks. The Ballouchy-Beckerman trade was one of the more lopsided I can think of in MLS history, and most Rapids fans I’ve talked to agree.

    And Beckerman’s only one year older and not seriously in the national team picture.

    Reply
  2. I played with Mehdi Ballouchi when he was with the Boulder Rapids Reserve team. He was far superior to any player I have played with.

    I know he has played with Moraccan youth national teams in the past. Anyone heard if he is interested in playing for USMNT in the future?

    Last time I spoke with him, he was divided…

    Reply

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