Colorado keeps firing blanks

Scoreless tie may be precursor of top players' return

Pat Rooney, Special to the Rocky

Published July 5, 2007 at midnight

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COMMERCE CITY - The Colorado Rapids have the feel of a team trying to stay afloat during turbulent times.

The Rapids still are not winning matches or scoring goals, and their drought has been drier than the one currently impacting the Front Range.

Yet while the club's winless streak reached seven matches Wednesday night during the first Fourth of July festivities at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids have reasons, though they are tenuous ones, to believe that clearer skies might be ahead.

The club's second consecutive point-salvaging scoreless draw, this one against the Columbus Crew, slightly narrowed the gap between the Rapids and third- place CD Chivas USA in Major League Soccer's Western Conference standings and the Rapids can take solace that reinforcements for their monumentally depleted lineup soon might be on the way.

Victories had become as much a part of the Rapids' annual Fourth of July celebration as fireworks as the draw against the Crew marked only the second time in 12 such holiday matches the team has failed to win.

The Rapids had won seven consecutive matches on the Fourth of July, dating to a loss against Columbus in 1999.

"Right now, we're scrapping," Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo said. "We would have liked to have three points, there is no question about it. One other thing is, not losing is also good."

The Rapids' winless streak might have reached seven matches, but their consecutive scoreless draws against the Chicago Fire on Sunday and the Crew have dulled some of the sting of the team's preceding five-match losing streak.

Still, the Rapids will be hard- pressed to recover their winning swagger as long as their lineup remains devoid of the team's top scoring threats.

Colorado (4-7-5, 17 points) has scored only one goal in its past five matches, a run of offensive futility that has coincided with the absence of most of the team's top playmakers.

Midfielder Kyle Beckerman and leading goal scorer Herculez Gomez have been competing with the U.S. national team at the Copa America tournament.

Forward Conor Casey, midfielder Pablo Mastroeni and defender Mike Petke missed the match Wednesday because of injuries.

And Panamanian striker Roberto Brown, second on the team with three goals, did not play because of an ankle injury that has limited his production since he returned from competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament.

"There is progress, yes, but we're not happy," defender Brandon Prideaux said. "When you're at home, you should get three points. I know I'm not happy and I know my teammates aren't either. We're disappointed we couldn't get one (win), and we'll look to get one on Sunday."

By the time the reeling Rapids host the New York Red Bulls on Sunday, Beckerman and Gomez could be back on the field.

The Americans were eliminated from the Copa America, and the sparse minutes the two have played in the national team's first two matches could mean they will be ready for action against the Red Bulls.

"Some of the younger players are getting opportunities, but at the same time it's complicated because we need results," Clavijo said. "Hopefully, Kyle Beckerman and Herculez Gomez will arrive on Friday and, knock on wood, they don't get hurt in their last game (today). We need help right now."

Rapids 0, Crew 0