COLUMBUS, Ohio—Playing three matches in eight days, the Colorado Rapids were running "on fumes," according to coach Pablo Mastroeni. But Saturday's 1-1 draw against Columbus Crew SC allowed the Rapids to take seven points from the busy stretch, extending their unbeaten streak to seven games and maintaining their place atop the Western Conference and also the Supporters' Shield standings.
“Coming here to a place where this team plays really well at home and usually has unlimited chances on goal, I think tonight we stepped up, had a great game plan that the guys executed, and got a good point on the road,” Mastroeni said.
Colorado's effort even impressed normally taciturn Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter.
“Give Colorado a ton of credit,” Berhalter said. “This is their third game in a week, and the energy, the power that they had, the aggression I thought was excellent. Pablo is doing a fantastic job with that group. They came here and they competed. They didn’t give up at all.”
Mastroeni, who said he was proud of his team, praised their mentality, and said the players expect greatness from one another.
“I think they believe,” he said. “I said to them today, ‘I don’t believe in things mystically happening. I believe that you are in life where you are because you’ve worked to get to that point.’
“That is a spirited group that fights hard for each other, that believes in one another, that plays good football and believes we should be where we are in the standings.”
Defender Mekeil Williams agreed, and said Rapids players are playing for themselves – not to prove anything to outsiders.
“I don’t think we’re trying to convince people,” he said. “What’s important is what’s in our locker room, our belief in ourselves. We’re going to work hard every game and keep giving that effort.”
One bonus for Colorado was Columbus being without star striker Kei Kamara, who was traded to the New England Revolution midweek.
Mastroeni said it was difficult to scout Ola Kamara, Kei’s replacement, in the latter Kamara's first start of the season. But, he admitted, it was nice to not to have to play against the departed Kei.
“[Kei] is a talented player,” Mastroeni said. “He’s a guy that brings size, brings athleticism and most importantly brings goals, which is a commodity in any league in the world. So … I wouldn’t say it was a sigh of relief, but when you look at the team sheet, it’s an obvious miss.”
