Rapids Can Move Into 1st Place Friday
September 7, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release
SHUTOUT STREAKS COME TO AN END: With Matt Behncke's goal for Dallas in the Rapids' 2-1 win on Saturday night, keeper Joe Cannon and the rest of the Rapids saw a pair of long shutout streaks come to an end.
Prior to Behncke's strike in the 43rd minute, Cannon had not allowed a goal in 339 minutes, good for the second longest scoreless streak in team history.
But that run paled in comparison to the Rapids' home shutout streak, which was snapped at 534 minutes. The last visiting player to score against the Rapids in Denver was Jason Kreis of the Dallas Burn, who scored in the 49th minute of the Burn's 1-1 draw with Colorado on June 19. Since then, the Rapids had racked up five straight clean sheets at the friendly confines of INVESCO Field at Mile High before surrendering the first half goal on Saturday.
FORTIFYING "THE FORTRESS": In 12 matches at INVESCO Field at Mile High this season, the Rapids have a record of 6-1-5 for 23 of their 36 points on the season. In those 11 matches, the Colorado defense has managed to surrender only five goals, or a goal every 216 minutes. If the Rapids are able to maintain this pace over the final three home games of the regular season, they will set a new MLS record for the lowest home goals per game average at 0.42. The current record of 0.63 is held by the 1999 Los Angeles Galaxy who surrendered just 10 goals in 16 home matches.
COMING FROM BEHIND: Saturday night's come-from-behind win over the Burn was the first time that the Rapids had won a match when trailing at halftime since September 6, 2003, when the Rapids earned a 2-1 win, also over Dallas, behind goals from Chris Carrieri and Chris Henderson to erase a 1-0 halftime deficit.
LEADER OF THE PACK: Friday night's match with the Wizards could see the Rapids jump into first place in the Western Conference for the first time this season. Kansas City currently sit atop the table with 38 points, but the Rapids are just two points back with 36. In addition to having first place on the line on Friday, the Rapids will be looking for a bit of payback against K.C. The last time that these two teams met, the Wizards ended the Rapids' MLS record 16 game home unbeaten streak, grabbing a 1-0 win behind Josh Wolff's stoppage time penalty kick. K.C. is the only team that the Rapids have failed to take a point from this season, falling 2-0 in the two sides' first meeting of the year at Arrowhead Stadium.
HAVE A BALL WITH THE RAPIDS: Friday night's match against the Kansas City Wizards at INVESCO Field at Mile High will be the 9th Annual "Rapids Free Soccer Ball Night". The Rapids have joined up with Conoco to hand out 6,500 soccer balls to kids 16 and under prior to the match. For more information on this and all other Colorado Rapids promotions, call the Rapids Hotline at (303) 825-GOAL.
Major League Soccer Stories from September 7, 2004
- T-Bones Take Playoff Opener, 2-0, Behind Bicknell Shutout - Sporting Kansas City
- New MLS team in Los Angeles is looking for you this Sunday - Club Deportivo Chivas USA
- Earthquakes weekly update - San Jose Earthquakes
- L.A. Galaxy weekly update - LA Galaxy
- Kansas City Wizards Weekly Update - Sporting Kansas City
- Dallas Burn Weekly Update - FC Dallas
- Rapids Can Move Into 1st Place Friday - Colorado Rapids
- Crew's Ross Paule Voted The Honda MLS Player of the Week - MLS
- Crew's Ross Paule Voted Honda MLS Player of the Week After First Career Hat Trick - Columbus Crew SC
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