COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Following a dominant performance on the road in a 4-0 victory over FC Dallas two weeks ago, the tables were turned Friday night with Oscar Pareja’s side all but returning the favor at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in a 1-1 draw.
Despite coming back to earn a point late in the game on a late equalizer from Nick LaBrocca in the 79th minute, it didn’t seem like an entirely just reward for Colorado, who outshot their opponent 17-8 and controlled over 60 percent of the game’s possession, as FC Dallas played down a man for the final half hour after Blas Perez received a straight red card.
“We need to win games like this,” Rapids captain Drew Moor told reporters postgame. “From the start of the game I felt like we were the much better side, we created chances and hit the post early. At
home, you have to put a game like that away. It’s very frustrating but you’ve got to stay positive.”
After a long range shot from LaBrocca hit the post in the first 10 minutes, it was instead the visitors who would take the 1-0 lead, on Fabian Castillo’s feed in the 32nd minute to a wide open Mauro Diaz.
“I think defending is a collective group effort and on that particular play I don’t think we did a very good job of that,” Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni said of the goal. “Unfortunately this game is about moments, and if you turn off for one moment, that can cost you."
Colorado continued fighting in the second half however, boosted by some words of wisdom from Mastroeni.
“I challenged the guys at the half. I said this is about heart and stones,” Mastroeni said. “Really it was about how bad do you want this, and what you’re willing to sacrifice to get this done.”
In the end it was an unlikely player in LaBrocca who scored the equalizer, his first league goal since last July, preserving a point for Colorado.
“My challenge week in and week out is asking that in front of goal and defending your own goal, you’ve got to put your head in places where it’s going to get severed,” Mastroeni explained. “Nicky rose to the challenge on that goal and exposed himself.”
LaBrocca’s insertion into the lineup in lieu of a suspended Marcelo Sarvas was one of many lineup changes from the previous match between Colorado and FCD, which also saw the return of Rapids defender Axel Sjoberg from injury.
In his return, Sjoberg showed some of the dynamism he displayed in the first two games of 2015, this time on offense, as he looked to score the Rapids’ second goal on numerous attempts at a header late in the game.
“I’ve got to be in the right spot at the right time and it’s something we’ve got to work on,” Sjoberg said. “Hopefully it will come sooner rather than later.”
Friday’s result helped the Colorado avoid their third-consecutive home loss, but it left both fans and those within the team wanting more as the team continues to look towards its first win at home since July of last year. For his part, Mastroeni took a measured approach to his team's latest result.
“I’m really excited about our effort in the second half and I feel like we didn’t get what we deserved in that game,” he concluded.
