Union Play To 1-1 Draw With Rapids
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) -- Conor Casey converted a penalty shot in the 63rd minute Saturday night to help Colorado to a 1-1 draw with the Philadelphia Union, allowing the Rapids to match an MLS record with their sixth consecutive tie game.
Colorado (4-3-7) also matched the franchise-best unbeaten streak of eight games, even though only one of those was a victory. Colorado went 3-0-5 during the 2009 season.
Danny Mwanga scored his fourth goal of the year for Philadelphia Union (6-3-3), who have a modest three-game unbeaten stretch. Philadelphia has scored eight goals while going just 2-3-1 on the road this season.
Colorado's defense blocked Jordan Harvey's shot and the Rapids quickly pushed the ball deep into the Philadelphia zone. Pablo Mastroeni was leveled in the scoring area, setting up Casey's penalty kick. He faked Faryd Mondragon to his knees and scored his second goal of the year.
The lead was short-lived. Mwanga took a pass from Harvey and beat goalkeeper Matt Pickens with a low drive into the left side of the net in the 66th minute.
Mwanga had a potential game-winning shot blocked just outside the crease in the 90th minute.
Scoring chances picked up in the first half after defenses controlled play in the first 11 minutes. Colorado defender Tyrone Marshall hauled down Justin Mapp, setting up a free kick just outside the scoring area in the 12th minute. Kyle Nakazawa's free kick was thwarted by Pickens.
Philadelphia missed another opportunity in the 17th minute when Sebastien Le Toux threaded the needle to get a pass to Jack McInerney in the heart of the Rapids defense. McInerney punched a shot that barely cleared the crossbar.
The Rapids' offense picked up in the 26th minute after defender Anthony Wallace drew a yellow card for a tackling Philadelphia midfielder Gabriel Farfan.
Casey's blind pass from the back line set up a header by Drew Moor, whose shot sailed well off the right post in the 40th minute.
Casey's own header barely missed the same post in the closing seconds of the first half.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
