COLUMBUS, OHIO — The Rapids were beaten at Columbus Crew Stadium for the seventh straight time Saturday.
That fact, strangely, was irrelevant, because Colorado took a 1-0 lead into Game 2 of the Major League Soccer conference semifinal series against the Crew.
The Rapids lost Game 2 by a 2-1 score but won the two- game, total-goal series over the Crew in a penalty-kick shootout.
“We had one of our big- time goal scorers keep us in the series, and we took care of business from there,” Rapids defender Drew Moor said.
Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven finished a first-half flurry with a goal to tie the series. Winger Robbie Rogers scored in the 70th minute to give the Crew a 2-1 lead.
But sliding Rapids forward Conor Casey beat defender Eric Brunner and buried a cross from Omar Cummings at the near post to even the series score at 2-2 in the 84th minute.
A scoreless, 30-minute overtime followed before the first nine shooters — including all five Rapids — converted their kicks in a best-of- five, alternating shootout.
Crew midfielder Brian Carroll missed No. 10 when he misfired and sent his attempt sailing high over the crossbar.
The gaffe gave the Rapids their first home conference championship game since 2005.
In a quirk of the playoff format, two Western Conference teams — the Rapids face the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. next Saturday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park — are in the Eastern Conference final.
“There was cut and thrust and passion throughout,” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “I thought it was a great game. Evenly played. That’s why it ended in penalty kicks.”
That the Crew failed to finish its ample first-half chances helped the Rapids’ cause.
Columbus took the first eight shots of the game, including one by Gaven that hit the inside of the left post and another by Rogers that was cleared off the goal line by Marvell Wynne.
Gaven converted when he knocked in an assisting header by Guillermo Barros Schelotto.
“We weathered the storm,” Casey said. “Maybe we got a little bit fortunate in the beginning. But the first leg, they were fortunate not to concede more. It all equals out.”
Smith made a rare switch to a 3-5-2 formation after Rogers gave the Crew a 2-1 series lead.
Casey scored shortly after the change, and the Rapids weathered a 5-1 shot disadvantage in overtime.
It was a gutsy road performance, but not unusual for the suddenly surging Rapids, who finished the regular season with two ties and a victory at playoff qualifiers Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas and Los Angeles.
“When you see your team put as much effort and show as much passion and play as well as (we) did, it’s always great to get some reward,” Smith said.
Colorado … 0 1 0 0 — 1
Columbus … 1 1 0 0 — 2
Rapids win 5-4 on penalty kicks
First half — 1, Columbus, Gaven 4 (Barros Schelotto), 22nd minute.
Second half — 2, Columbus, Rogers 2 (Ekpo), 70th. 3, Colorado, Casey 14 (Cummings), 84th.
Extra period — None. Extra period — None.
Goalies — Colorado, Matt Pickens; Columbus, Andy Gruenebaum.
Yellow cards — Barros Schelotto, Columbus, 31st; Mullan, Colorado, 38th; Casey, Colorado, 49th; Ekpo, Columbus, 52nd; Carroll, Columbus, 56th; Francis, Columbus, 64th; Rogers, Columbus, 70th.
Referee — Michael Kennedy. Assistant Referees — Chris Strickland. Philippe Briere. 4th Official — Terry Vaughn.
Lineups
Colorado — Matt Pickens, Marvell Wynne, Anthony Wallace (Julien Baudet, 76th), Kosuke Kimura (Claudio Lopez, 82nd), Drew Moor, Jamie Smith, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Mullan (Macoumba Kandji, 76th), Omar Cummings, Conor Casey.
Columbus — Andy Gruenebaum, Shaun Francis, Eric Brunner, Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Emmanuel Ekpo (Kevin Burns, 81st), Robbie Rogers, Eddie Gaven, Brian Carroll, Andres Mendoza (Jason Garey, 65th).
