FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Already playing on short rest, and without injured attackers Conor Casey and Omar Cummings for the first time since 2008, the last thing Rapids coach Gary Smith needed was another injury.
Forward Caleb Folan was forced out in the 30th minute, and the Rapids (4-3-2) had a hard time generating any offense, but came away with a 0-0 tie against the New England Revolution (2-3-4) at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
“There were moments that we might have made a little bit more of,” Smith said. “But we’ve got so many bodies changing in and out now because of injuries it’s very difficult to find serious fluency here.”
It was the third game in eight days for the Rapids, who haven’t lost to the Revolution since 2007, going 3-0-4 in seven matches.
“They probably had the best chance, hitting the crossbar in the first half, but I think the draw is a fair result,” said midfielder Jeff Larentowicz.
The Revolution had several chances in the final third — collecting three shots on goal compared to just one from Colorado — but goalie Matt Pickens, along with a little help from the crossbar, picked up his second shutout of the season.
The Revs had a dangerous chance at goal on a corner kick early in the second half, but Pickens made perhaps the save of the game. Revs midfielder Shalrie Joseph was all alone at the top of the 6-yard box and snapped a header near-post, but Pickens stuck his right hand out just in time to push the ball away.
Minutes later, U.S. national team member Benny Feilhaber and Sainey Nyassi formed a crafty one-two combination down the right side, resulting in a one-time shot from Feilhaber that beat Pickens far post, but bounced off the crossbar.
“If someone had said, ‘Look, they’re going to have two efforts at goal that are really going to cause you a problem,’ — in 90 minutes — I’d settle for that,” Smith said
After battling a strained quadriceps in his right leg all week, Folan pulled up short chasing down a long ball in the first half and was removed from the game with a right groin strain. Smith said the attacker was sore, but the team won’t know more until this week.
The team is optimistic Cummings (ankle) will return against D.C. United next Saturday. But without him, Folan and Casey (hamstring), Smith has a lot of confidence in Andre Akpan — who replaced Folan in the 30th minute — and Quincy Amarikwa in the attacking end.
“I have to say we’re going through a difficult period,” Smith said. “But we have two very promising and bright individuals Those bodies will be back, and we will be in a good position and all the better for it.”
Colorado 0 0 — 0
New England 0 0 — 0
First half — None. Second half — None.
Goalies — Colorado, Matt Pickens; New England, Matt Reis. Yellow cards — Tierney, New England, 19th; Palguta, Colorado, 62nd; Larentowicz, Colorado, 80th.
