Shutout ends winless skid for Rapids

COMMERCE CITY • Dick’s Sporting Goods Park provided the fireworks, a collective unit of Colorado players supplied the showmanship and the Rapids culminated it all with a 4-0 drubbing of the New York Red Bulls.

Colorado (6-8-1) posted its fifth shutout of the season and ended a five-game winless streak dating to June 1. The Rapids also scored multiple goals for the third time in five outings before a record-crowd of 18,776 in the annual Independence Day contest.

The Rapids continued a trend of July 4 victories. Colorado improves to 11-1-1 on the holiday.

Colorado’s Tom McManus and Mehdi Ballouncy scored their first goals of the season in the first half.

Collin Clark had a hand in McManus’ goal. Clark then scored an unassisted goal in the 49th minute. Omar Cumming capped the scoring late in the game.

Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo praised his team for “outstanding efforts.”

He said his players executed the same tactics they had in previous games, but somehow produced a different result.

“It’s a matter of how you apply those systems,” said Clavijo, whose team is fourth in the Western Conference.

Ballouncy, who backs up midfielder Christian Gomez, scored in the 36th minute after receiving a pass from Terry Cooke on the right side of the penalty box.

Ballouncy ran down the sideline after the goal and celebrated by planting his face onto the field with his hands behind him his back.

Colorado scored its first goal when Clark, a midfielder, dribbled toward the left side of the penalty box and struck a left-footed pass to a streaking McManus, who guided the ball toward the middle with a rhythmic motion in the 24th minute.

McManus picked up the corner flag post and balanced it like a curl bar.

The celebratory sign of toughness was a fitting description of Colorado’s performance.

The Rapids prevented New York from scoring for the second straight game. It was the third time this season the Red Bulls (5-5-5) didn’t score.

Colorado’s goal production tied a season-high, matching a 4-0 victory against the Galaxy at Los Angeles to open the season.

—

Contact the writer: 636-02515 or mario.aguirre@gazette.com