BPBlueSox
07-05-2003, 12:18 PM
Rapids Win July 4th Thriller
<img src="http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/images/fp/col0704spencer_fp.jpg">
DENVER, CO – Midfielder Mark Chung netted two goals, including the game-winner in second half added time, as the Colorado Rapids won their third game of the season, a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Wizards in front of 60,142 fans at Invesco Field at Mile High. It marked the Rapids' seventh July 4 victory in eight Independence Day matches in team history (7-1-0) and it was only the Wizards' third loss of the season (5-3-6, 21pts). Colorado (3-8-3, 12pts), which has earned all its points at home (3-2-3), emerged from the bottom of the Western Conference, overtaking the Dallas Burn (nine points).
Chung's goal in the 92nd minute came just one minute after the Wizards had tied the match at 2-2 in the 91st minute on a dramatic goal by Stephen Armstrong, his first of the campaign. Kansas City had failed to muster a concrete scoring opportunity in the entire second half but equalized when Armstrong concluded his run down the left side of the Rapids box with a cross from the end line which was misplayed by goalkeeper Scott Garlick at the near left post. Wizards veteran Preki registered his 100th career assist on the play, becoming only the second player in MLS history to pass the century mark. Former Rapids playmaker Carlos Valderrama notched 118 helpers in his career.
Moments after Armstrong's strike, Rapids forward Chris Carrieri fed Chung near the left corner of the Wizards box and the ex-Wizards player curled a low left-footed shot which beat Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola inside the far right post. It was Chung's second tally of the match and his fifth of the season, as the Rapids earned their first win since June 14.
"Honestly, that felt great," Chung said. "We played good attacking soccer in the second half. We pushed forward and the guys played well. I'm just happy we were able to come away with the win … It was exciting soccer and I'm glad all these fans were able to see it."
Kansas City started the game well and owned more of the possession in the first half with patient buildups in attack. But the Rapids, who sought quick counters, had the first real opportunity of the match in the 15th minute when Wizards defender Alex Zotinca cleared a shot off the goal line by Rapids forward John Spencer.
Eight minutes later the Wizards opened the scoring in the 23rd minute on a goal scored by Preki, MLS' all-time leading scorer. The play was started by a dribbling run by Wizards forward Igor Simutenkov near the top left corner of the Rapids penalty area. The Russian striker evaded a challenge by Colorado defender Zach Kingsley and sent a through ball inside the left side of the box to teammate Eric Quill, who barely beat the Rapids' offside trap. Quill poked the ball past a charging Garlick and it rolled toward the far right post where Preki was left alone to tap it home. The opening tally by Preki, his eighth goal of the season and eighth all-time against Colorado, made it eight consecutive July 4 matches in which the Rapids fell behind.
Just moments after Rapids forward Chris Carrieri nearly took advantage of a misplay by Zotinca and saw his close-range header saved by goalkeeper Tony Meola, the Rapids equalized just before the break. On a corner kick from the left side delivered into the box, Zotinca was judged to have deflected the ball with his hand and the Rapids were awarded a penalty kick. Spencer stepped up to convert this third penalty kick of the season and his sixth goal of the campaign. It marked the fifth consecutive game in which Spencer scored a goal, tying the club record set by forward Jean Harbor in the 1996 Inaugural Season (May 25 – June 15).
The Rapids played with the most urgency in attack during the second half as the Wizards failed to threaten Garlick's goal. Colorado started the half strong with two favorable scoring opportunities in the span of three minutes. Unmarked midfielder Seth Trembly missed the target on a wide open shot from the center of the Wizards box as he sent the ball over the crossbar in the 53rd minute. In the 56th minute Meola made a key one-handed deflection on a shot by Spencer who sent the ball on goal from a difficult angle at the right end line.
The home team was rewarded for its offensive pressure in the second half with a goal which made the score 2-1 in the 77th minute. Midfielder Mark Chung received the ball near the top of the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed drive between two defenders and past a sprawling Meola.
The Rapids had two clear chances to add to their lead. Spencer had the most spectacular effort of the night in the 83rd minute but was foiled again by Meola. The Scotsman met a Chris Henderson cross from the left side with perfect coordination and fired a right-footed volley from the right corner of the six-yard box. Meola, however, was ready at the right post to make the close-range block. Then in the 90th minute Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad was forced to clear a Chung shot off the goal line. The clearance allowed the Wizards to equalize at 2-2 on Armstrong's goal, setting the stage for Chung's dramatic game-winner which also came in added time.
The Wizards played the match without suspended defender Nick Garcia, who will join the U.S. National Team which will face Paraguay in an international exhibition on Sunday, July 6 at Columbus Crew Stadium (ESPN2, 2:55PM ET). Scheduled to join Garcia on the team are Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and Wizards forward Josh Wolff, who was forced to leave Friday's match with an injured right knee in the 31st minute. Wolff and Mastroeni are also on the final roster set by U.S. Head Coach Bruce Arena for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. Garcia and Wizards midfielder Chris Klein are designated as alternates for the regional event.
The Rapids will face two matches in the span of three days next week as they travel to battle the Western Conference's two California teams – the Los Angeles Galaxy (July 9 – 10:30PM ET; HDNet, Regal Cinemas, Yahoo! Platinum) and the San Jose Earthquakes (July 12 – 10:00PM ET, Yahoo! Platinum). The Wizards return home to host the Dallas Burn on Saturday, July 12 (8:00PM ET – HDNet, Yahoo! Platinum).
MLS Man of the Match: Mark Chung (Colorado Rapids)
Kansas City Wizards (5-5-6) vs. Colorado Rapids (5-8-3)
July 04, 2003 -- Invesco Field at Mile High
Goals by Period 1 2 Tot
Kansas City Wizards 1 1 2
Colorado Rapids 1 2 3
Scoring Summary:
KC -- Preki 8 (Eric Quill 3, Igor Simutenkov 3) 23
COL -- John Spencer 6 (penalty kick) 44
COL -- Mark Chung 4 (Wes Hart 1) 77
KC -- Stephen Armstrong 1 (Preki 7) 90
COL -- Mark Chung 5 (Chris Carrieri 2) 90
Kansas City Wizards -- Tony Meola, Alex Zotinca, Jimmy Conrad, Stephen Armstrong, Chris Klein, Diego Gutierrez (Dario Fabbro 87), Eric Quill, Kerry Zavagnin, Preki, Igor Simutenkov, Josh Wolff (Chris Brown 31).
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Brunt, Jack Jewsbury, Bo Oshoniyi.
TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Stephen Armstrong 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Stephen Armstrong 2); FOULS: 18 (Diego Gutierrez 4); OFFSIDES: 3 (3 tied with 1); CORNER KICKS: 4 (Preki 4); SAVES: 6 (Tony Meola 4)
Colorado Rapids -- Scott Garlick, Wes Hart, Nat Borchers, Robin Fraser, Ritchie Kotschau, Zach Kingsley (Chris Henderson 46), Pablo Mastroeni, Seth Trembly (Kyle Beckerman 80), Mark Chung, Chris Carrieri, John Spencer.
Substitutes Not Used: Alex Blake, Matt Crawford, Michael Piserchio, Alberto Rizo, Casey Schmidt, Billy Sleeth, Scott Vallow.
TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Mark Chung 6, John Spencer 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (John Spencer 4); FOULS: 14 (Seth Trembly 5); OFFSIDES: 3 (John Spencer 2); CORNER KICKS: 9 (Mark Chung 7); SAVES: 2 (Scott Garlick 2)
Misconduct Summary:
KC -- Diego Gutierrez (caution; Tackle from Behind) 19
COL -- Ritchie Kotschau (caution; Reckless Foul) 36
COL -- Seth Trembly (caution; Persistent Infringement) 54
KC -- Kerry Zavagnin (caution; Reckless Foul) 67
Referee: Terry Vaughn
Referee's Assistants: -Chip Reed; Jose Corro
4th Official: David Simon
Attendance: 60,142
Time of Game: 1:51
Weather: Clear-and-84-degrees
<img src="http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/images/fp/col0704spencer_fp.jpg">
DENVER, CO – Midfielder Mark Chung netted two goals, including the game-winner in second half added time, as the Colorado Rapids won their third game of the season, a 3-2 victory over the Kansas City Wizards in front of 60,142 fans at Invesco Field at Mile High. It marked the Rapids' seventh July 4 victory in eight Independence Day matches in team history (7-1-0) and it was only the Wizards' third loss of the season (5-3-6, 21pts). Colorado (3-8-3, 12pts), which has earned all its points at home (3-2-3), emerged from the bottom of the Western Conference, overtaking the Dallas Burn (nine points).
Chung's goal in the 92nd minute came just one minute after the Wizards had tied the match at 2-2 in the 91st minute on a dramatic goal by Stephen Armstrong, his first of the campaign. Kansas City had failed to muster a concrete scoring opportunity in the entire second half but equalized when Armstrong concluded his run down the left side of the Rapids box with a cross from the end line which was misplayed by goalkeeper Scott Garlick at the near left post. Wizards veteran Preki registered his 100th career assist on the play, becoming only the second player in MLS history to pass the century mark. Former Rapids playmaker Carlos Valderrama notched 118 helpers in his career.
Moments after Armstrong's strike, Rapids forward Chris Carrieri fed Chung near the left corner of the Wizards box and the ex-Wizards player curled a low left-footed shot which beat Wizards goalkeeper Tony Meola inside the far right post. It was Chung's second tally of the match and his fifth of the season, as the Rapids earned their first win since June 14.
"Honestly, that felt great," Chung said. "We played good attacking soccer in the second half. We pushed forward and the guys played well. I'm just happy we were able to come away with the win … It was exciting soccer and I'm glad all these fans were able to see it."
Kansas City started the game well and owned more of the possession in the first half with patient buildups in attack. But the Rapids, who sought quick counters, had the first real opportunity of the match in the 15th minute when Wizards defender Alex Zotinca cleared a shot off the goal line by Rapids forward John Spencer.
Eight minutes later the Wizards opened the scoring in the 23rd minute on a goal scored by Preki, MLS' all-time leading scorer. The play was started by a dribbling run by Wizards forward Igor Simutenkov near the top left corner of the Rapids penalty area. The Russian striker evaded a challenge by Colorado defender Zach Kingsley and sent a through ball inside the left side of the box to teammate Eric Quill, who barely beat the Rapids' offside trap. Quill poked the ball past a charging Garlick and it rolled toward the far right post where Preki was left alone to tap it home. The opening tally by Preki, his eighth goal of the season and eighth all-time against Colorado, made it eight consecutive July 4 matches in which the Rapids fell behind.
Just moments after Rapids forward Chris Carrieri nearly took advantage of a misplay by Zotinca and saw his close-range header saved by goalkeeper Tony Meola, the Rapids equalized just before the break. On a corner kick from the left side delivered into the box, Zotinca was judged to have deflected the ball with his hand and the Rapids were awarded a penalty kick. Spencer stepped up to convert this third penalty kick of the season and his sixth goal of the campaign. It marked the fifth consecutive game in which Spencer scored a goal, tying the club record set by forward Jean Harbor in the 1996 Inaugural Season (May 25 – June 15).
The Rapids played with the most urgency in attack during the second half as the Wizards failed to threaten Garlick's goal. Colorado started the half strong with two favorable scoring opportunities in the span of three minutes. Unmarked midfielder Seth Trembly missed the target on a wide open shot from the center of the Wizards box as he sent the ball over the crossbar in the 53rd minute. In the 56th minute Meola made a key one-handed deflection on a shot by Spencer who sent the ball on goal from a difficult angle at the right end line.
The home team was rewarded for its offensive pressure in the second half with a goal which made the score 2-1 in the 77th minute. Midfielder Mark Chung received the ball near the top of the box and unleashed a powerful left-footed drive between two defenders and past a sprawling Meola.
The Rapids had two clear chances to add to their lead. Spencer had the most spectacular effort of the night in the 83rd minute but was foiled again by Meola. The Scotsman met a Chris Henderson cross from the left side with perfect coordination and fired a right-footed volley from the right corner of the six-yard box. Meola, however, was ready at the right post to make the close-range block. Then in the 90th minute Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad was forced to clear a Chung shot off the goal line. The clearance allowed the Wizards to equalize at 2-2 on Armstrong's goal, setting the stage for Chung's dramatic game-winner which also came in added time.
The Wizards played the match without suspended defender Nick Garcia, who will join the U.S. National Team which will face Paraguay in an international exhibition on Sunday, July 6 at Columbus Crew Stadium (ESPN2, 2:55PM ET). Scheduled to join Garcia on the team are Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and Wizards forward Josh Wolff, who was forced to leave Friday's match with an injured right knee in the 31st minute. Wolff and Mastroeni are also on the final roster set by U.S. Head Coach Bruce Arena for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. Garcia and Wizards midfielder Chris Klein are designated as alternates for the regional event.
The Rapids will face two matches in the span of three days next week as they travel to battle the Western Conference's two California teams – the Los Angeles Galaxy (July 9 – 10:30PM ET; HDNet, Regal Cinemas, Yahoo! Platinum) and the San Jose Earthquakes (July 12 – 10:00PM ET, Yahoo! Platinum). The Wizards return home to host the Dallas Burn on Saturday, July 12 (8:00PM ET – HDNet, Yahoo! Platinum).
MLS Man of the Match: Mark Chung (Colorado Rapids)
Kansas City Wizards (5-5-6) vs. Colorado Rapids (5-8-3)
July 04, 2003 -- Invesco Field at Mile High
Goals by Period 1 2 Tot
Kansas City Wizards 1 1 2
Colorado Rapids 1 2 3
Scoring Summary:
KC -- Preki 8 (Eric Quill 3, Igor Simutenkov 3) 23
COL -- John Spencer 6 (penalty kick) 44
COL -- Mark Chung 4 (Wes Hart 1) 77
KC -- Stephen Armstrong 1 (Preki 7) 90
COL -- Mark Chung 5 (Chris Carrieri 2) 90
Kansas City Wizards -- Tony Meola, Alex Zotinca, Jimmy Conrad, Stephen Armstrong, Chris Klein, Diego Gutierrez (Dario Fabbro 87), Eric Quill, Kerry Zavagnin, Preki, Igor Simutenkov, Josh Wolff (Chris Brown 31).
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Brunt, Jack Jewsbury, Bo Oshoniyi.
TOTAL SHOTS: 5 (Stephen Armstrong 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Stephen Armstrong 2); FOULS: 18 (Diego Gutierrez 4); OFFSIDES: 3 (3 tied with 1); CORNER KICKS: 4 (Preki 4); SAVES: 6 (Tony Meola 4)
Colorado Rapids -- Scott Garlick, Wes Hart, Nat Borchers, Robin Fraser, Ritchie Kotschau, Zach Kingsley (Chris Henderson 46), Pablo Mastroeni, Seth Trembly (Kyle Beckerman 80), Mark Chung, Chris Carrieri, John Spencer.
Substitutes Not Used: Alex Blake, Matt Crawford, Michael Piserchio, Alberto Rizo, Casey Schmidt, Billy Sleeth, Scott Vallow.
TOTAL SHOTS: 22 (Mark Chung 6, John Spencer 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (John Spencer 4); FOULS: 14 (Seth Trembly 5); OFFSIDES: 3 (John Spencer 2); CORNER KICKS: 9 (Mark Chung 7); SAVES: 2 (Scott Garlick 2)
Misconduct Summary:
KC -- Diego Gutierrez (caution; Tackle from Behind) 19
COL -- Ritchie Kotschau (caution; Reckless Foul) 36
COL -- Seth Trembly (caution; Persistent Infringement) 54
KC -- Kerry Zavagnin (caution; Reckless Foul) 67
Referee: Terry Vaughn
Referee's Assistants: -Chip Reed; Jose Corro
4th Official: David Simon
Attendance: 60,142
Time of Game: 1:51
Weather: Clear-and-84-degrees