July 4, 2008 A REAL ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOW Red Bulls embarrassed by Rapids, 4-0
Juan Pablo Angel played his first game in a month for the Red Bulls, but it did not help. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
Commerce City, Colo. -- Every time the Red Bulls think they have gotten over the hump, they come up with a performance as they did in their embarrassing 4-0 loss to the struggling Colorado Rapids Saturday night.
Their defense, team and backline, was virtually non-existent for stretches in the second half as the Rapids enjoyed opportunity after opportunity as they broke a four-game winless streak at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
It was the third time in eight games that the Red Bulls had allowed four or more goals in a game. They were trounced by the Chicago Fire, 5-1, May 25, and were routed by D.C. United June 14.
It also was the first time since the Rapids' 4-0 season-opening win over the Los Angeles Galaxy March 29 that they scored three or more goals in a match.
The Red Bulls (5-5-5, 20 points) continued their goal-scoring woes as they set a team record by finding the back of the net in their ninth consecutive match (they shared the record with the 2001 MetroStars). They also continued their sorry record of July 4 games as they are 1-7-1.
"We were not at the races," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I think that we did not compete today and in the end we got what we deserved. We matched them up and played the same system that we have been playing. It came down to the players. I don't think any of the players can really look me in the eyes and tell me that they played today."
Osorio wasn't finished.
"This means nothing moving forward," he said. "I cannot wait until the 15th of July where we can sign some players and make a very competitive team. At the moment I think that all of our players have had a chance to really shine and stake a claim. I think a lot of them have failed to do that."
The Red Bulls are in the midst of playing five road matches in 16 days. "But that is no excuse for what happened here tonight," defender Hunter Freeman said.
The Rapids (6-8-1, 19), who snapped their 0-3-1 winless skid, won for the first time in more than a month -- a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas June 1. They entered the game with only 20 goals in 14 matches, but they seemingly scored at will against a confused, struggling and underachieving Red Bulls defense.
Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel made his first appearance in nearly a month, replacing defensive midfielder Seth Stammler at halftime. The last time Angel played was the 1-0 home win over Chivas USA June 5. In an attempt to add some spark to the lineup, coach Juan Carlos Osorio pulled right fullback Hunter Freeman in favor of midfielder Mike Magee.
It didn't work. Angel did not have a dangerous scoring opportunity. Osorio left forward Oscar Echeverry in the game, and he did nothing substantial once again.
"I think it was a very bad performance overall," Angel said. "I'm very disappointed; I think we should've done a better job. But this is it; we've got to move on and try to get our heads right for the Kansas City game."
Rapids midfielder Christian Gomez had the first scoring opportunity of the match as his six-yard header just sailed over the crossbar in the seventh minute. Mehdi Ballouchy sent in a right-wing cross that Gomez almost put home for his fourth goal of the season.
A Colorado player did score his fourth goal in the opening half -- Tom McManus in the 24th minute as the home side took advantage of quick turnaround in the midfield and confusion on the Red Bulls backline. Facundo Erpen started the scoring sequence by winning a ball at midfield and sending it to a charging Colin Clark on the left wing. With Freeman chasing him, Clarke sent a left-wing cross into the penalty area that McManus put in from three yards past a defenseless goalkeeper, Jon Conway.
There seemed to be confusion in the back between defenders Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke and Kevin Goldthwaite.
Clark celebrated his goal by picking up the left corner flag. Surprisingly, he wasn't carded by referee Tim Weyland.
"Colorado was very clinical and finished their chances very well," Osorio said. "Credit to Colorado, they played very well today. This means nothing moving forward."
Ballouchy did become part of a scoring play in the 36th minute. This time Terry Cooke sent the ball in from the right side and the Moroccan-born player beat Conway from point-blank range from the right side for a 2-0 Rapids lead.
"In the beginning of the game it was back and forth," Freeman said. "Then they scored a goal. Obviously we did not want to be down a goal but it is not the end of the world. The second goal right before the end of the first half really put us behind the 8-ball."
Indeed. It went from bad to worse early in the second half as Colorado extended its lead to three goals. With the second-half subs, the Red Bulls went from a four-man to a three-man backline.
"We changed some things and basically went for broke in the second half," Freeman said. "It did not work out, and Colorado got two more goals. And that was that. In a three-man backline there is some more space and clearly Colorado has some fast players. We need to expect their speed and if you do not you pay for it. We paid for it tonight."
Clark beat his man down the left wing. As defensive midfielder Carlos Mendes picked him up, Clark unleashed a 10-yard shot from a difficult angle that found the far right post for a 3-0 bulge in the 49th minute.
Actually, the second half was chaos for the Red Bulls. Just about any time the Rapids brought the ball toward the goal. Rapids players had tons of room all over the field. Conway played as though he had lost confidence in his defense.
The chances and the goals kept coming. It was second-half sub Omar Cummings' turn to burn the Red Bulls. Ballouchy sent a ball to McManus, who found Cummings on the right side. Cummings beat Boyens as he slotted a low, 13-yard shot into the near right corner for a four-goal bulge in the 68th minute.
Midfielder Dave van den Bergh, the visitors' leading goal-scorer (four goals), had the Red Bulls' best opportunity in the 41st minute, as he cracked a 10-yard shot that was caught by a diving Coundoul. By then, the Rapids enjoyed a two-goal lead.
"We whipped some good balls in, but never really got on the end of them," Freeman said. "We kept the ball but we never really did anything with it, whereas Colorado did something with it. I thought that in the final third we had no answers, lacked creativity and obviously did not get a goal. We had a good chance in the first half and their 'keeper made a good save."
Scoring Summary:
COL: McManus 4 (Clark 3, Erpen 1) 24
COL: Ballouchy 1 (Cooke 4, Casey 2) 36
COL: Clark 3 (unassisted) 49
COL: Cummings 4 (McManus 1, Ballouchy 1) 68
Disciplinary Summary:
NY: Stammler (caution) 20
COL: Mastroeni (caution) 82
NY: Boyens (caution) 89
Lineups
Red Bulls
Jon Conway (GK), Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, Andrew Boyens, Hunter Freeman (Mike Magee, 46), Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler (Juan Pablo Angel, 46), Dave van den Bergh, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dane Richards (Luke Sassano, 66), Oscar Echeverry
Colorado Rapids
Bouna Coundoul, Ugo Ihemelu, Pablo Mastroeni, Facundo Erpen, Colin Clark, Mehdi Ballouchy, Nick LaBrocca, Terry Cooke, Christian Gomez (John DiRaimondo, 52), Conor Casey (Omar Cummings, 46), Tom McManus (Herculez Gomez, 72).
