In a physical match riddled with eight cautions and one ejection, the Kansas City Wizards and Colorado Rapids played to a 2-2 draw Sunday evening at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. Both goals for the home side came from the still scintillating form of Eddie Johnson while the visitors countered with a penalty from Jovan Kirovski and the tying goal from Facundo Erpen after the Wizards went a man down.
Looking to shed an eight-game winless streak and a long scoreless string, the Rapids applied most of the pressure early on, gaining several corner kicks and firing a few errant shots towards goal. The Wizards soaked up the threats and started to get their attack going, gaining two set pieces in the eighth and 10th minutes.
Colorado retaliated with their best chances a minute later as Nicolas Hernandez drove a header right at Hartman from nine yards out, followed by forward Herculez Gomez beating Wizards back Jack Jewsbury in the box and firing wide, trying to pick out the far upper right corner while in alone on goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
Neither side was shy about tackling from the start, and the physicality remained throughout the hard-fought opening 45 minutes. After a Rapids' chance in the 21st minute, the Wizards countered, with Carlos Marinelli eventually collecting the ball on the left side of the area. Ridden off the ball by Pablo Mastroeni, Marinelli grabbed his opponent, earning a yellow card caution.
Three minutes later, the Wizards took command. On the right wing, Sasha Victorine quickly beat his man and fed for Arnaud on the edge of Colorado's box. Arnaud gained a step on Ugo Ihemelu and crossed for a diagonally running Eddie Johnson at the right post.
Trailed closely by defender Brandon Prideaux, Johnson reached the ball first, tucking it between goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul and the post for his league leading 11th goal and his eighth in four matches. Johnson, nicked by Prideaux from behind after striking for goal, was stretchered off but returned to the fray minutes later.
Tensions boiled over in the 33rd minute as Johnson shoved an opponent as players gathered and was booked. Six minutes later, the Rapids benefited from the rising tensions after K.C. center back Jimmy Conrad appeared to push Gomez as they went for a ball at the top of the Wizards box, and even though Hartman came out and slid and covered the ball as the two continued past, referee Tim Weyland ruled for the penalty kick.
Colorado midfielder Jovan Kirovski hit for the ensuing penalty, beating Hartman high and down the middle, ending the Rapids string of being shutout in three consecutive matches.
The Rapids relief did not last long though. In the 43rd minute, Arnaud beat two defenders on the left side of Coundoul's box and struck a left-footed shot off the far post. Ever aware, Johnson was well-positioned to put away the rebound into the empty goal as he equaled his career high of 2004 while with FC Dallas with his 12th goal of the season and second of the night.
But the remaining two minutes of regulation time as well as the time added on did not fade dully as Coundoul and Hartman turned away chances and Rapids midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy earned a yellow card after the halftime whistle, the sixth caution of the half.
The persistent visitors still had 45 minutes to claw their way back and showed their intentions with two chances in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. K.C.'s Hartman was equal to the task each time.
It was now the Wizards turn to ratchet up the pressure, and they twice nearly took the lead. First, Johnson put the ball into the back of the net a third time on the night, only to have it called back on a tight offside call. Then Johnson was sent in alone on Coundoul, who tripped up the dynamic forward as Johnson rounded him. The foul and subsequent yellow for the professional foul, which arguably could have been an ejection, foreshadowed what would come next.
In the 67th minute, a scrum for the ball broke after Coundoul brought down a cross with a fumble. The ball and players banged around ending with the Rapids goalkeeper and the Wizards' Burciaga tangled on the field. Coundoul appeared to kick out, while Burciaga charged at the 'keeper, and when the two were separated Weyland showed red to Burciaga, leaving the Wizards a man short.
Nine minutes later, Colorado leveled. Winger Terry Cooke played in a corner kick that found the head of defender Facundo Erpen, whose glancing header was perfectly placed inside the far post for his first goal of the season.
The outcome of the match seemed secure until Arnaud intercepted a pass out of the Colorado back and broke through a couple of defenders to face Coundoul. Arnaud fired low and his shot from the edge of the area trickled behind the prone goalkeeper, but Coundoul was able to smother.
Each side had to settle for a 2-2 draw, one in which both sides walked away disgruntled. The Wizards had failed to hold the lead twice, and missed out in gaining a win in back-to-back home matches. The Rapids avoided the loss and being shut out for the fourth successive match but still saw their winless streak extended to nine games.
Bob Rusert is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
