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Atmosphere On Opening Night Aided Defending Champion Rapids In Win
The Colorado faithful helped secure a win.
Mar 20, 2011 4:02:00 PM
By Stephanie Gardner
Michael Martin
The Colorado Rapids and their fans made a loud statement Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park when the defending champions defeated the Portland Timbers 3-1 in the Rapids home opener.
Before the team even stepped onto the pitch, the entire stadium was on their feet, proudly waving championship flags.
“It was wonderful,” coach Gary Smith said. “Who’s ever idea it was to have all those flags there, was aesthetically, it was wonderful. The players got a huge lift. The fans got behind the group tonight, and I don’t think it was any shock that we started the game well.”
Within eight minutes, midfielder Jeff Larentowicz scored the first goal of the Rapids season.
“The game was kind of chippy at first,” captain Pablo Mastroeni shared. “It was back and forth, back and forth; the ball bounced on the right side, and Jeff did a good job of putting it away. Omar did a good job getting loose, and so it was momentum building momentum. It’s just great that things are clicking, and it’s a great platform to build on.”
Within minutes of Cummings scoring the second goal of the night, Jamie Smith powerfully put the ball into the back of the net, making the score 3-0.
“We didn’t really know what Portland was like,” Smith admits. “We knew that John Spencer, the coach, was working for them to be ready for us. They were going to work ever-so-hard, and we had to try to match their work grit. They are a good team, and they kept us under pressure the whole game. Over all, we came out of the game excited and really enjoyed that victory.”
The Timbers didn’t go down without a fight, however. In the second half Kenny Cooper was able to prevent a shutout by scoring from a free-kick with the help of a defection.
“We knew Portland was going to come back out and give it a good push, and they did,” defender Drew Moor says. “They put some good pressure on us. We still had some opportunities to put it away, but I am disappointed that they did score. As a defender, you always like shutouts. It was a good finish by Cooper."
In spite of giving away a goal, the reigning champions are very pleased with the outcome of this historic home opener.
“It was an awesome atmosphere,” Moor continues. “Exactly what we were hoping we would have. The fans definitely provided a 12th man for us. Gary told us to put last year behind us. We have great memories of it, but it’s behind us. It’s a new year, and we are ready to go forward.”
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Before the team even stepped onto the pitch, the entire stadium was on their feet, proudly waving championship flags.
“It was wonderful,” coach Gary Smith said. “Who’s ever idea it was to have all those flags there, was aesthetically, it was wonderful. The players got a huge lift. The fans got behind the group tonight, and I don’t think it was any shock that we started the game well.”
Within eight minutes, midfielder Jeff Larentowicz scored the first goal of the Rapids season.
“The game was kind of chippy at first,” captain Pablo Mastroeni shared. “It was back and forth, back and forth; the ball bounced on the right side, and Jeff did a good job of putting it away. Omar did a good job getting loose, and so it was momentum building momentum. It’s just great that things are clicking, and it’s a great platform to build on.”
Within minutes of Cummings scoring the second goal of the night, Jamie Smith powerfully put the ball into the back of the net, making the score 3-0.
“We didn’t really know what Portland was like,” Smith admits. “We knew that John Spencer, the coach, was working for them to be ready for us. They were going to work ever-so-hard, and we had to try to match their work grit. They are a good team, and they kept us under pressure the whole game. Over all, we came out of the game excited and really enjoyed that victory.”
The Timbers didn’t go down without a fight, however. In the second half Kenny Cooper was able to prevent a shutout by scoring from a free-kick with the help of a defection.
“We knew Portland was going to come back out and give it a good push, and they did,” defender Drew Moor says. “They put some good pressure on us. We still had some opportunities to put it away, but I am disappointed that they did score. As a defender, you always like shutouts. It was a good finish by Cooper."
In spite of giving away a goal, the reigning champions are very pleased with the outcome of this historic home opener.
“It was an awesome atmosphere,” Moor continues. “Exactly what we were hoping we would have. The fans definitely provided a 12th man for us. Gary told us to put last year behind us. We have great memories of it, but it’s behind us. It’s a new year, and we are ready to go forward.”
Follow Goal.com on
to get the latest soccer news directly. Check out Goal.com's page; be part of the best soccer fan community in the world!
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