Player Ratings: Colorado Rapids at Montreal Impact, April 30, 2016

The Colorado Rapids headed north of the border and were able to bring back one point, but it was an important point as the Rapids are not top of the supporter shield race in Major League Soccer. The Colorado Rapids fought back twice from deficits and tied the Montreal Impact 2–2.

The Impact scored first early in the match when Didier Drogba did some magic with the ball and was able to get it over the wall and into the net from just outside the box. The 1–0 score held through the first half.

The 1–0 scored did not last long in the second half. Mekeil Williams found Shkelzen Gashi on the cross who put it into the corner of the net with his thigh. The match was not tied long when Maxim Tissot one-timed a ball coming out the box, got it through the crowd and into the net.

The Rapids equalized in the 73’ when a Gashi free kick found Axel Sjoberg crashing the back post who put the ball back across the net and found Bobby Burling on the doorstep and he did not miss.

Drogba almost gave the Impact the lead on a break, but his shot went just high and wide.

Here is how I saw the match. The community ratings are in parentheses.

Zac MacMath - 5 (5.73) Zac did not have a bad match or a great match. He really was not troubled much. He had no chance on Drogba’s goal but may have done better on Tissot’s though he may have had his view blocked. He did bumble a corner in the second half.

Marlon Hairston - 5 (6.46) Marlon had a good match back after being out since the opening match. He had a yellow card in the first half. It was for dissent, but I did not see that on TV. He was lucky not to get a second yellow late in the match.

Bobby Burling - 6 (7.20) Burling picked up his first goal of the season. He was able to get between the goal and his defender and score the goal. He did pick up the foul on Ignacio Piatti that led to Drogba’s goal. He pulled back Piatti though he did not need to with enough cover back in the box.

Axel Sjoberg - 7 (6.70) Axel continued getting to know the strikers in Major League Soccer. In this match he lowered is shoulder ever so lightly into Drogba while in the middle of the pitch and the ball was no where close. Drogba was not pleased. Sjoberg made a magnificent run on Gashi’s free kick to get his first career Major League Soccer assist.

Mekeil Williams - 7 (7.18) Williams continues to impress and may be one of the better pickups this year. He does a good job of getting forward but also plays well defensively. He picked up the assist on Gashi’s goal.

Sam Cronin - 6 (6.55) Cronin was solid again. He was more active and maybe should have had a yellow in this much. He did have a good jump on a corner that had Evan Bush and the Impact calling for a foul, but Cronin has a right to the ball as Bush does.

Micheal Azira - 6 (6.55) Azira was his usual self, working really hard and covering a lot of ground. He was reaching and stabbing a few times while trying to defend. He was slated to come off right before the equalizing goal.

Jermaine Jones - 5 (6.39) Compared to his first two matches for the Rapids, this was an average match for him. For the first part of the match he was rather quiet. He did make some good tackles that possibly saved a goal or two.

Shkelzen Gashi - 7 (7.63) We saw the two sides of Gashi. The one that was shooting from all over the place and the one that was poaching goals. He did quite well to get on the end of Williams cross and get that first goal.

Luis Solignac - 5 (6.29) Solignac had a normal match. With Kevin Doyle back, he was on the wing. He worked hard and was pressuring well. He had to defend more than he usually has to do. He did get three shots off with one on target.

Kevin Doyle - 5 (6.48) He worked hard up top and did hold the ball up well and he also got dragged back into defending at points during this match. He was able to get out on a break and had a great opportunity to score but put the ball wide of the net.

Substitutes

Dillon Powers - N/A (6.04) He came on late for Gashi and may have had 90 seconds of play. He did get one touch.

That is how I saw the match. What do you think?