Rapids lose on penalties to KC
June 4, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release
Overland Park, Kan. (Wednesday, June 04, 2008) - The Colorado Rapids played the Kansas City Wizards to a 2-2 tie through 120 minutes of soccer, but lost 5-4 on penalty kicks in a U.S. Open Cup "play-in" game at Shawnee Mission North High School tonight.
Kurt Morsink stepped up to score the deciding penalty kick after Facundo Erpen had hit the crossbar with Colorado's fourth shot. Rafael Gomes, Mehdi Ballouchy and Brian Grazier all scored for the Rapids in the shootout.
Ciaran O'Brien got his first start and Grazier saw his first non-reserve action of 2008 in the match.
Ryan Pore gave Kansas City the lead in the 20th minute. Pore broke in on Preston Burpo's goal alone and curled a shot around Burpo into the far post.
Herculez Gomez equalized in the 36th minute. O'Brien played a through ball that turned around Tyson Wahl. Gomez got a shot off that trickled inside the far post just before goalkeeper Eric Kronberg clattered into him.
In the 40th minute, Burpo had to charge out of his goal to get a touch on another through ball to Pore and stop the attack.
Colorado outshot Kansas City 5-4 in the first half, but both teams scored on their only shot on goal.
Jacob Peterson, who scored the winning goal in Colorado's Open Cup "play-in" game against Real Salt Lake last year, headed a Mehdi Ballouchy cross in the net to give the Rapids a 2-1 lead in the 58th minute.
Cummings had an opportunity to double the Rapids lead as he outraced Conrad to a ball in the 78th minute, but his shot went just wide.
Kansas City tied the game in the 86th minute. Claudio Lopez ran down the right side of Colorado's defense on a counterattack and crossed a ball that found its way to Ivan Trujillo who slotted it into the goal.
The game went into the first of two 15-minute overtime periods with Colorado a man up after Davy Arnaud was given his second yellow card in second half stoppage time.
Grazier had the first scoring chance in overtime when his 103rd minute shot went just past Kronberg's far post.
Rafael Gomes saw his 118th minute header of a Colin Clark free kick bounce just wide of the net.
With no goals in the 30 minutes of overtime, the game went to penalty kicks to be decided.
The Rapids will now focus on league play as they travel to Los Angeles this weekend to take on the Galaxy. The 8:30 p.m. MT kickoff at the Home Depot Center can be seen on Altitude Sports and Entertainment.
Major League Soccer Stories from June 4, 2008
- Rapids Fall on Penalties After 2-2 Tie with Kansas City - Colorado Rapids
- Rapids lose on penalties to KC - Colorado Rapids
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