COMMERCE CITY — If Rapids fans went home from Sunday night’s game scratching their heads over the team’s inability to score, the Rapids themselves were fit to be tied.
The Rapids outshot the Houston Dynamo 14-3. They had the edge in shots on goal, 7-0. They had a significant advantage in time of possession, 55 to 45 percent.
Yet they fizzled on fireworks night with a scoreless draw. It was their fifth tie in nine home games this season and eighth in 18 games overall.
“I think everybody that’s walked away from here after the fireworks will say we controlled a lot of that (game),” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “Even the layperson will say, ‘We had the best chances, how on earth didn’t we score?’ That really sums everything up. How didn’t we score? Unfortunately, we didn’t.”
It didn’t help that leading scorer Conor Casey was serving a one-game suspension for the red card he was given last week at Columbus. Or that fellow striker Omar Cummings is still regaining his sharpness after missing seven games because of an ankle injury caused by Houston’s Lovel Palmer on May 4.
“Clean sheet, good play, good pressure — nice stats, but none of them are going to give us three points,” Smith said. “They just give us one.”
The Rapids generated two outstanding chances in each half. Jamie Smith hit the post with a snap-down header off a beautiful cross by Brian Mullan in the ninth minute, and Smith forced Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall to save a well-struck free kick in the 40th minute.
“We were desperate to get that win, and I thought we played really well,” Jamie Smith said. “It’s just the final piece to the jigsaw we can’t quite get in place.”
The Rapids had two great chances in quick succession late in the game. Defender Drew Moor got on the end of a Smith free kick and headed the ball on goal, forcing Hall to tip his shot over the bar. Two minutes later, Quincy Amarikwa got free and forced Hall to make another save.
“Quincy’s effort was a terrific strike from a difficult angle,” Gary Smith said, “but the goalkeeper makes a wonderful save.”
The Rapids (5-5-8) now sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with two more games this week. They play at Kansas City on Wednesday, and the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps will be here Saturday.
“I don’t think we’re at the stage where we should be panicking,” Jamie Smith said. “There’s loads of soccer left to play. We’re not in a bad position. We could be in a better position, I understand that, but it’s going to come. I firmly believe it’s going to come.
“If we keep doing the things we’re good at doing, it will come.”
Houston 0 0 — 0
Colorado 0 0 — 0
First half — None. Second half — None.
Goalies — Houston, Tally Hall; Colorado, Matt Pickens.
Yellow cards — Clark, Houston, 75th minute; Hall, Houston, 90th+; Amarikwa, Colorado, 90th+.
Red cards — Amarikwa, Colorado, 90th+.
Referee — Baldomero Toledo. Assistant referees — Corey Rockwell, George Gansner. Fourth official — Fotis Bazakos.
A — 18,203 (18,086).
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
