Article Contributed on: 8/27/2007 9:21:04 AM
Commerce City, Colo. (Sunday, August 26, 2007)- The Colorado Rapids continued their home dominance of the Los Angeles Galaxy with a 3-0 win on Sunday night. The Rapids remain unbeaten at home against the Galaxy in league play since July 13, 2002.
A capacity crowd at Dick's Sporting Goods Park saw three Rapids score their first goals of the season. Also, the first two goals were scored by Colorado high school graduates. Throughout the game, the Rapids possessed the ball well, as evidenced by Terry Cooke taking 13 corner kicks - one away from tying the MLS single game record. Bouna Coundoul and the defense extended their shutout streak to a season-long 329 minutes.
In the fifth minute, Cooke put in a dangerous cross from the end line. Conor Casey and Joe Cannon both went up for the ball in the goal box but it was Cannon who steered the ball out of the area.
Denver South grad, Casey put the Rapids ahead in the 26th minute with his first goal of the season. Casey took a pass from Jovan Kirovski into the penalty area where he deftly knocked it around Cannon and ripped a left-footed shot between two Galaxy defenders and into the net.
In a day of first goals, Fort Collins High School grad Colin Clark doubled Colorado's lead in the 34th minute. The only Englishman on the field, Cooke, played a ball into the box that was conveniently stopped by Kyle Veris, but not cleared. Realizing his opportunity, Clark controlled the ball and fired a right-footed shot past two defenders and Cannon, into the back of the net.
The Rapids found the goal once more in the 43rd minute. A Cooke corner went flying into the box, just missing the head of Facundo Erpen. The ball fell through the Galaxy defense and to the feet of Mike Petke on the far post. The central defender wasted no time in putting a left-footed blast into the bottom right corner of the net.
Condoul was put to work in the 78th minute when Alan Gordon ran onto a through ball that put him one-on-one with the 'keeper. The forward proved to be no trouble for the Rapids' Senegalese goalie, who charged at Gordon confidently and blocked the shot with his body.
Coundoul's strong effort to preserve his clean sheet was the only clear-cut opportunity of the second half for either team until the 89th minute. Cooke played a through ball to Herculez Gomez, who beat the defense, but not Cannon, as the former Rapids goalkeeper made a spectacular fingertip save.
Your Colorado Rapids return to action Sunday, September 2, when they travel to Ohio to meet the Columbus Crew. You can watch this key game, as the Rapids and the Crew are currently locked in a dogfight for the last playoff spot, on Altitude at 1 p.m. MT.