Chicago earns tie in Colorado home opener

John, McBride trade goals with Cummings, Casey
April 3, 2010

COMMERCE CITY, CO

The Colorado Rapids were unable to carry forward the momentum gained from last week's road victory against Chivas, settling for a 2-2 draw with the visiting Chicago Fire in the club's home opener

The draw will be more satisfying for Chicago given their opening loss in New York last week. Both Brian McBride and Collins John started for the visitors, and they showed some improvement in the attacking third as a result.

For the Rapids, it was the first time they have failed to win their opening home game of the season since Dick’s Sporting Goods Park opened in 2007.

The Rapids went into half time 2-1 up after a spectacular goal from Omar Cummings and a penalty kick from Conor Casey sandwiched a header from Chicago’s Collins John. An early second half penalty kick from Brian McBride restored parity.

Cummings started the scoring in the 13th minute, picking up a pass from Mehdi Ballouchy and finding himself in a few yards of space. The Jamaican enjoyed those extra seconds of freedom, picked his spot and calmly sidefooted a powerful right-foot shot perfectly into the corner from just outside the penalty area for his second goal of the season.

But just as Chicago appeared to give the dangerous forward too much space, so too did the Rapids as John took full advantage of some lax defending to head home a corner in the 25th minute. Many in the stadium felt the corner should never have been given as the ball appeared out before Rapids fullback Danny Earls forced it out for sure.

Casey then notched his first goal of the season from the penalty spot after Colin Clark ran dangerously into the penalty box and was tripped.

The second half began just as the first ended. Just minutes in, the dangerous Patrick Nyarko outstripped Marvell Wynne down the left and Wynne fouled the Ghanaian in the penalty area. McBride equalized from the spot.

The Rapids pressed and pressed with Cummings, Casey and Clark trying to break through but few chances were actually created and the Rapids were left frustrated by the result.

Misconduct Summary:

COL -- Marvell Wynne (caution; Reckless Tackle) 22

COL -- Colin Clark (caution; Simulation) 31

CHI -- Marco Pappa (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 42

COL -- Danny Earls (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 42

COL -- Omar Cummings (caution; Reckless Tackle) 56

Officials:

Referee: Terry Vaughn

Referee's Assistants: Adam Wienckowski; Jason Cullum

4th Official: Abiodun Okulaja

Attendance: 11,641