The Colorado Rapids head to the Conference Semi-finals with a sweet 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew.
Neither team wanted to end their 2011 season Thursday night as they battled it out on a cold October field. In the end, it was the Colorado Rapids who earned the ticket to the Conference Semi-finals, and the Columbus Crew was sent home.
The MLS champions started the match by controlling much of the possession, with the Crew struggling to take advantage of any chance that they had.
Brian Mullan and Jamie Smith, the veterans on the pitch, displayed their experience and stability by creating amazing plays. This finally converted into results in the 46th minute. Mullan, an 11-year playoff veteran, sent a nice ball to Kosuke Kimura. The defender set up his roommate Omar Cummings perfectly, who powerfully scored his first playoff goal moments before the halftime whistle blew. Check out Omar Cummings Tebowing here.
“There is no doubt about it, goals change the mindset of people,” coach Gary Smith says. “We came in at halftime feeling as though we had taken the game to them, and gotten reward for it. They must have felt as though they have put a lot of hard work and effort into it, and have come away with nothing in the first half.”
As the team came back from the locker room, the temperature had dropped noticeably. In spite of the cold, neither team showed signs of retreat. After all, this was the playoffs.
“This is when the body is banged up,” Brian Mullan explains. “This is when you can tell that everybody is putting their heart into it, and that just makes the game so much more pleasurable.”
For most of the match, supporters and fans kept warm by being loud. Yet silence filled the stadium in the 72nd minute as Jamie Smith fell to the ground. The stretcher came out, and carried him off the field. Results from MRI showed Jamie Smith suffered from an torn ACL in his right knee.
It took the Colorado Rapids a few minutes to regroup after watching their Scotsman taken away. Once they found their swagger again, Sanna Nyassi and Brian Mullan continued to create plays, but unable to add to the final score. The whistle blew, and the Rapids celebrated their 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew.
Watch highlights here.
The Colorado Rapids host Sporting KC Sunday night at 5:30pm at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. This will be game one of the home-home Conference Semi-finals. Tickets are still available.
The good: On a freezing cold night, the dedicated fans made their voice heard, and became the 12th man on the field.
The great: The teamwork of Thursday night’s performance was exquisite. Playmaking, creativity, good clean passes made for a great game.
The awesome: Brian Mullan and Jamie Smith are an infusion of brilliance. The quiet confidence they provide is like medicine to this insecure squad.
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