As an exhausted Colorado Rapids squad begins its journey back home to Denver, it will undoubtedly reflect on the possibility of a win that they painfully permitted to slip away and fall into the hands of the Columbus Crew.
On an evening plagued by steady rainfall and biting winds, the Rapids fought hard and controlled a majority of the game, but were left strangers to the back of the Crew net.
The home side fared better and drew blood midway through the second half on a precisely placed shot by newly-acquired midfielder Ned Grabavoy. Grabavoy was acquired Friday in a trade with the Galaxy, and merely 15 hours after his arrival at Columbus Metropolitan Airport, the 22-year-old made a splash.
"If I could go at it again, I would cheat a little more to my left. But since he hit it well, there was no chance," said substitute Rapids' 'keeper, Bouna Coundoul, about the Grabavoy's 74th-minute game-winner, the only goal in the Crew victory.
Despite the loss, Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo felt his team looked strong.
"I felt we played outstanding," said the second-year Rapids coach. "There are times you come to the locker room after the loss and are upset ... but we created, we possessed, we passed ... we just couldn't finish. Everything else was outstanding."
Indeed, Colorado did control the pace of the game, keeping the Crew on their heels throughout. The Rapids doubled the Crew's shot count 12-6.
"Columbus won well -- they scored, and we couldn't react," Clavijo said. "But I'll be honest with you, there was only one team that played today -- that was us."
Without a doubt, the climate had an enormous impact on the game. Midway through the first half, Rapids 'keeper Joe Cannon succumbed to the slippery conditions, falling and pulling his right groin.
Cannon's misfortune, however, led to the opportunity of a lifetime for second-year man Coundoul. Replacing the injured Cannon between the goalposts, Coundoul made his MLS debut. With the exception of a single shot by Grabavoy, Coundoul played almost impeccably.
"He played outstanding," said Clavijo, "He was called upon in a very critical and difficult situation."
After taking some time to reflect upon his league debut, Coundoul was visibly pleased with the opportunity but quite critical of the shot that got squeezed through.
"I didn't want it to end like this," Coundoul said. "... I was looking to get a 'W', or atleast go home with a tie."
In his first minutes of play, Coundoul appeared quite nervous, dropping and bobbling the ball on each of his first four touches.
"In the first few minutes I was a little bit nervous, but after a while, I felt comfortable," said Coundoul. "But the ball was wet and I had brand new gloves. ... These new balls are also very hard to catch.
"I know I am capable of doing more than I did today. You know what? It's Bouna's time."
Ryan D. Kuhn is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
