Late mistake costs Colorado, Rapids draw Dynamo

The Colorado Rapids tied the Houston Dynamo 1-1 on Saturday in Texas.

The Rapids nearly won in tune with how they've been successful in recent memory; get a set-piece goal and hang on. But a late mistake from William Yarbrough and the centerbacks gifted the Dynamo a goal before the death.

“Will’s pretty damn good, Will is intense,” Robin Fraser said. “He’s very very professional. It adds a layer of frustration for him. Mistakes happen. It happened at an inopportune time. It was much more about our performance in the second half.”

Colorado played a really strong first half, generating several shots. No chance was better than the one that'd find goal.

Jack Price took an in-swinging corner in the 42nd minute, the ball glanced off of a jumping Danny Wilson, then found Mark-Anthony Kaye at the back post, and he tapped it straight in.

The goal capped a strong half and was responsible for a 1-0 halftime lead.

The Rapids didn't do much in the way of going forward in the second half. They did, however, fend off several chances from the home team.

Sebastián Ferreira began the half with a narrow miss from a dangerous spot. It was the best chance the home team generated themselves.

But the Rapids just kept sitting in.

Yarbrough took a very average 90th-minute goal kick... until it wasn't. The stud goalie, who may have been Man of The Match before the play, kicked it straight to the Dynamo.

Memo Rodríguez knocked down the Yarbough ball and quickly fed Tyler Pasher, who was already speeding past the Rapids defense. Alone on goal, he tapped it past a sprinting Yarbough, who tried to break up the play at the top of the box. Dynamo tied it 1-1.

Bryan Acosta almost answered in extra time but missed his chance.

"The first half we did well asserting ourselves, creating opportunities," Kaye said. "I think we needed to score more goals. We controlled the game. In the second half they came out with insanity and I felt like we were behind the ball and getting pushed back deeper and deeper."

Yarbrough was moments from ending the month without letting up a goal and what could've been a three-game win streak is not to be. It was Houston's first non-loss while hosting the Rapids in four matches.

"That's all on us," Kaye said. "They didn't do anything amazing. We didn't get into good enough spots. They did well on the ball in the second half. The onus is on us."

“One of these games that are a little bit frustrating because we started and played well in the first half,” Fraser said. “We were happy to convert. But Houston did a good job and stepped up in the second half. Part of our maturation will be playing how we can play when the pressure steps up. They fought hard. In the end, they took advantage of a mistake. It’s disappointing because we could’ve been better.”

Instead, the Rapids come back to Colorado with only seven points, set to host leg one of the Rocky Mountain Cup on Saturday, April 2.

If the season comes down to two points here or there, these were those two points we'll look back on. Two points were thrown away at the death.