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Casey lifts Rapids into 1-1 draw with Revs

Oct 4, 2009 - 4:52 AM By DALE BUBLITZ STATS MLS Correspondent

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (STATS) - Conor Casey figured to be elated, scoring a game-tying goal in the second half. Instead, he couldn't have been more disappointed.

Casey moved into a tie for the MLS goal-scoring lead with a penalty kick in the 58th minute, lifting the Colorado Rapids into a 1-1 tie with the New England Revolution on Saturday night.

"We kept with it and in the end, I guess it's a good point for us," Casey said. "It would have been nice to get the three points."

With Colorado (10-8-10) trailing, Casey tied it with his 16th goal after Omar Cummings was taken down in the scoring area. The Rapids star is tied with Dallas' Jeff Cunningham for the league goal-scoring lead.

"I never get tired of it - being in those situations," Casey said. "It would be nice for us to create some goals in regular play and not have to rely on PKs for the rest of the season."

It was the fourth consecutive deadlock for Colorado, which has 40 points and remains in the running for a playoff spot. Casey has accounted for game-tying goals off penalty kicks in three of them.

And that was the problem in the mind of Colorado coach Gary Smith.

"The goal was a big lift and with 30 minutes to go I was full of hope that we could turn it around," he said. "We didn't."

New England coach Steve Nicol was equally frustrated.

"I came away thinking we should have won the game," he said. "We had enough possessions. I'm disappointed we didn't do more with them."

Kheli Dube scored for New England (10-9-8), winless in its last four games. They failed to build on a one-goal lead despite playing the last 30 minutes with a man advantage when Colorado defender Julien Baudet was issued a red card in the 60th minute.

The Rapids are 5-0-3 at home against the Revolution since 2002.

Colorado goalkeeper Preston Burpo got the start for Matt Pickens, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a knee injury. Burpo is 1-2-6 in his last nine games and hasn't won since a 3-2 victory at Los Angeles on April 4 in his first start of the season.

Dube's eighth goal of the season opened the scoring in the 29th minute. The Revolution, who lost 1-0 on Wednesday in Dallas, hadn't scored since the 87th minute of a 2-1 victory over Seattle on Sept. 26.

Two minutes after Dube's tally, New England's Matt Reis dove to swat away a shot by Nick LaBrocca. Burpo then made a diving save of a shot by Nico Colaluca in the 43rd minute.

Casey tied it after faking Reis to the center of the crease and kicking it to the goalkeeper's right.

"I just pick a side," Casey said. "I went there and he went the other way."

Both teams had scoring chances late. Cummings hit the crossbar in the 88th minute, and New England's Kevin Alston sent a wild shot well over the crossbar in injury time.

"When it really counts and you need three points, the good teams get them," Smith said. "And the other teams don't quite and we don't quite (get them)."

The Rapids finish their regular season with games at FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake.

"I think what it means is we will have to get our results somewhere else," Smith said "We missed big opportunities in San Jose and tonight where we could have cemented our place and we didn't."