COMMERCE CITY, Colo. ā The fortress walls remain unbreached. Dickās Sporting Goods Park continues to be impenetrable for opponents of the Colorado Rapids, who remain perfect at home (6-0-0) in 2016 following their latest win, a 1-0 decision Wednesday over Sporting Kansas City.
Lifted by Dillon Sernaās second-half goal, the Rapids also remain atop the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield standings.
āItās a midweek game for us and at times, with the run that weāre on, you might want to take the foot off the gas a little bit and take things easy,ā Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni told reporters after the game. āBut tonight was one of those games that proves you have to be focused for 90 minutes. If you stay the course, continue to work hard, and find a way, youāll reap the benefits of that.ā
Things didnāt start easy for Colorado. Without the services of ShkĆ«lzen Gashi (illness), who scored the game winner in the two sidesā previous match-up, the Rapids were held scoreless in the first half and the team struggled to put things together offensively.
āI just think [Kansas City] came out with a little bit more fire,ā Mastroeni said of the first half. āThey went more aggressively after second balls.ā
The tide turned in the second half however, especially after Kansas City defender Ike Opara was shown a second yellow card in the 76th minute.
Serna, whose strike off the crossbar in Coloradoās previous match against SKC led to Gashiās game winner in the sidesā previous match-up, did one better this time around. The Rapidsā homegrown fired a shot past Tim Melia in the 78th minute, delivering another victory for Colorado, who have gone 5-0-1 over the past six games.
āThatās my job,ā Serna said of the goal. āI just have to bring energy to the game. My job at the top of the box was to clean things up and counter. I had a look at the top of the box and it went in.ā
Said Mastroeni: āItās more than anything you can ask for. You want to mix it up a little bit; you want to put a guy that comes into the game on his strong foot. Serna has always had an eye for goal. We were getting on top of the game a little bit and I felt like we needed just a boost. He did more than what was asked for.ā
Wednesday nightās result may not have been the easiest or the prettiest, but the Rapids head coach remains satisfied with the body of work his team has put forth through 11 games this season.
āMore than anything else, these midweek games are a test of character, a test of mentality,ā Mastroeni said. āWeāve got a team here that want to keep winning and today was a great performance in that itās not always going to come away as aesthetically as youād like. But this is not a beauty contest. Itās about winning and they got the job done.ā