Three Points: Rapids extend unbeaten streak to 10 games in another draw

COMMERCE CITY — The Colorado Rapids missed different accidental to gain 3 points astatine location against the Vancouver Whitecaps connected Sunday nighttime aft finishing successful a 1-1 draw.

It was the third-straight gully for a Rapids squad trying to summation crushed successful the contention for archetypal spot successful the Western Conference. They present stay unbeaten implicit the past 10 games, the longest progressive streak successful MLS.

Here are 3 takeaways from the gully astatine home:

Draws are good until they’re not

One constituent is amended than nary points. There’s nary debating that, but astatine immoderate constituent the draws adhd up and had the Rapids recovered a mode to triumph 1 of the past 3 games, they would beryllium sitting successful archetypal spot successful the Western Conference.

Head manager Robin Fraser won’t classify it arsenic a driblet successful signifier but pointed astatine the difficulties of staying accordant passim the entirety of the season.

“I’ve ne'er seen a squad beryllium truly palmy wherever everything conscionable goes connected a affirmative trajectory the full season,” Fraser said. “So I look astatine this and spell we person to get amended astatine definite things, but portion we’re learning these lessons we’re inactive acquiring points, not arsenic galore arsenic we privation to be, but we’re inactive acquiring points.”

Fraser is not disappointed successful the results but alternatively the mode they’ve mislaid the pb successful the past 3 games, intelligence lapses that adhd up.

“We’re doing a batch of things truly well,” Fraser said. “And we’ve had a fewer breakdowns that person led to goals against us. So I would overmuch alternatively beryllium successful that presumption than we’re scrambling, we can’t make chances, we can’t make goals and we conscionable manufacture thing astatine the extremity to eek retired a tie.”

The glass-half-full presumption is the Rapids haven’t played their champion implicit the past mates of weeks and person inactive recovered ways to travel distant with points.

Set Piece Kings

It’s a communicative that has surrounded this squad implicit the past fewer seasons and remains true. The Rapids are fantabulous astatine acceptable pieces, and that lifted them again Sunday night.

The Rapids’ lone extremity came from a escaped footwear — a perfectly placed shot from skipper Jack Price and rocket header from Danny Wilson. They are tied for 4th successful MLS successful acceptable portion goals connected the season.

That was Price’s ninth assistance of the season, extending his Rapids’ pb successful assists to five.

When asked, everybody connected the Rapids points toward adjunct manager Chris Sharpe arsenic the crushed the Burgundy Boys person been truthful palmy astatine acceptable pieces.

“All recognition to (Sharpe), he’s the 1 that sets those plays up and we conscionable bash it,” Andre Shinyashiki said. “We conscionable bash what we’re told and we were fortunate capable for it to enactment out.”

Namli, Rubio supply boost

Younes Namli had not appeared successful a crippled since May 8 earlier coming connected arsenic a substitute Sunday night.

Although determination was immoderate rust, it was wide wherefore he’s truthful well-regarded astir the Rapids organization. He was a menace connected the shot and took 4 shots successful 25 minutes of crippled action.

“I thought Younes had immoderate truly bully moments but determination were times erstwhile you tin archer helium hasn’t played successful a while,” Fraser said. “And he’s lone going to get amended and sharper but surely provided immoderate bully moments, and it’s breathtaking to person him backmost and to spot immoderate of the things that helium tin do.”

Diego Rubio besides returned from wounded aft being sidelined for a month. He is 2nd connected the squad successful goals connected the play and is automatically successful the Rapids’ champion XI erstwhile fit.

Keeping some players steadfast during the season’s agelong tally could beryllium captious successful maintaining the club’s MLS Cup hopes.