The celebrations for Chivas USA will have to wait for another week. With a man advantage and leading for most of the game after a Sacha Kljestan penalty kick, they gave up a late goal to Colin Clark as the Colorado Rapids came back to claim a 1-1 tie Sunday afternoon at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
A win would have clinched a playoff spot for Chivas, but the tie leaves them tantalizingly close with 44 points for the season. The single point gave the Rapids 29 points for the season and still a point out of the eighth and final spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs; even if they lose the remainder of their games, the worst Chivas USA could do is finish in a tie for eighth place overall.
Trying to get back on track after their four-game unbeaten streak was put to an end last weekend, the Rapids came out flying and nearly got on the board early when Colin Clark sent a cross to Jovan Kirovski at the six-yard box. Chivas goalkeeper Brad Guzan was able to block Kirovski's header, but the ball fell straight to Mehdi Ballouchy, whose hard first-time volley beat Guzan but unluckily caromed off of the crossbar.
The Rapids looked dangerous again in the sixth minute when Ugo Ihemelu's header off of a Terry Cooke corner kick beat Guzan but was cleared off of the line by Kljestan. Terry Cooke had a rare chance with his head in the next minute, but his hard effort was smothered by Guzan.
The first real Chivas attack came in the 10th minute, as Laurent Merlin received a ball from midfield and took advantage of some loose Rapids defending to let loose a shot from the top of the box. But Rapids 'keeper Bouna Coundoul had no problems with the hard blast.
Against the run of play, Chivas scored the first goal, which came on a penalty kick in the 13th minute. Merlin broke free in behind the Rapids defense, and as he raced in alone into the Rapids penalty area, Facundo Erpen shoved him from behind. Merlin went to the ground and referee Richard Heron quickly showed Erpen the red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity.
Kljestan put away the spot kick with ease, sending Coundoul the wrong way for his fourth goal of the year.
The goal -- and the man-up situation -- seemed to energize Chivas, as they began to control the ball in the midfield for long stretches of time. They had difficulty, however, probing the Rapids' defense. The Rapids, in turn, seemed to devolve to a more long-ball approach that proved equally ineffective.
Colorado got another chance in the 34th minute on a free kick from 25 yards, but Kirovski's low driven effort, although it curled around the wall, also went well wide of the post.
As play began to get more physical at the end of the first half, Chivas continued to be happy maintaining possession. Lawson Vaughn came up from his fullback position in the 41st minute to receive a layoff and uncork a long shot that Coundoul was well placed to block.
Kirovski continued to look dangerous with his head from set pieces, and in the 45th minute went low to meet a Cooke free kick, but his effort went barely wide.
After a brief lightning delay coupled with the halftime break, the second half began with no changes for either team.
In the beginning of the half, Chivas were content to simply keep possession and only attack when an opportunity presented itself. One such opportunity occurred in the 53rd minute, when Merlin received a ball through from the left flank and uncorked a shot from distance that Coundoul was able to leap up for and stop.
One of the best Rapids chances of the half came in the 59th minute. Kirovski was tripped just outside of the penalty area, but Cooke's free kick was directed right at Guzan.
The Rapids continued to press for the tying goal, earning several corner kicks that came to nothing. But then lightning was once again seen near the stadium, and the teams headed off to the locker rooms, this time nearly 45 minutes going by before the game could be restarted.
After the resumption in the 71st minute, the game suddenly burst to life, even with Colorado still with 10 men. Play began with another Rapids corner kick that pinged around the area before Tony Sanneh got a head to it, but his effort went well over the bar.
From the restart Chivas made a quick counter attack, resulting in a Francisco Mendoza cross that Jonathan Bornstein got a head to but put well wide.
Chivas continued to press their advantage in the 74th minute, as captain Jesse Marsch attempted to catch Coundoul napping with a long range shot, but the Rapids 'keeper was able to recover in time to make the save.
The Rapids scored on a counter attack of their own in the 76th minute. Cooke played a long ball out to Conor Casey on the right, who dribbled into the corner before playing a square ball at the top of the box to Colin Clark. The Rapids midfielder took his first touch between the Chivas defenders alone into the area, reaching the ball at the corner of the six to chip it over an onrushing Guzan.
Chivas looked certain to pull ahead in the 81st minute, as Maykel Galindo received a long through ball at midfield. Storming into the Rapids half, he threaded a pass in the penalty area that beat the defenders, but although just-entered substitute Anthony Hamilton was all alone with Coundoul, he couldn't accurately pull the trigger and sent his shot wide of the net.
In the 86th minute, Clark again received the ball in the box, but this time he went down after some light contact. Heron did not see a foul, and the Rapids' protests were for naught.
Colorado continued to press the attack in the 87th minute, as Jacob Peterson nearly out-jumped Guzan for a cross. The ball caromed around and found substitute Jose Cancela, but his shot was well blocked by a sprawling Guzan. The rebound fell to Pablo Mastroeni, but his volley was blocked by two desperately diving Chivas defenders.
Chivas wasn't finished yet, however, as they continued to attack with pace through Galindo. He received another long ball and dribbled down to the far edge of the penalty area, before unleashing a shot under pressure that Coundoul was well placed to save.
The Rapids nearly pulled it out in stoppage time, as a Chivas defensive miscommunication allowed a long cross to fall to Casey's feet in the penalty area. His attempt to play the ball back was unsuccessful and was cleared out of danger by Chivas.
Casey was again involved in stoppage time drama as he fell trying to dribble past Jason Hernandez on the goal line just at the edge of the penalty area. However, all of Colorado's appeals for a penalty were again for naught, as Heron again yelled for play to continue. The game ended soon after in a tie, forestalling Chivas USA's playoff clinching for at least another week.
Geoffrey Urland is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
