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Rapids-Sounders Preview

Jun 27, 2009 - 9:40 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Colorado (5-2-6) at Seattle (5-3-7), 4:00 p.m. EDT

Omar Cummings admits Colorado has enjoyed some luck during its unbeaten streak, but hard work and an unwillingness to give up have also helped keep the Rapids out of the loss column for more than two months.

Cummings and the Rapids look to extend their franchise-record unbeaten streak to nine games Sunday when they visit a Seattle Sounders team coming off another tie.

Colorado (5-2-6) tied FC Dallas 1-all on Wednesday to set a new franchise mark for consecutive games without a loss. The Rapids, 3-0-5 since a 1-0 defeat at Houston on April 19, bettered their previous streak of seven matches established April 10-May 27, 1999, and equaled Aug. 16-Oct. 2, 2003.

For much of Wednesday's match, it didn't look the Rapids were going to set the record.

Colorado had a season-high 19 shots, but didn't score until Cummings fired a low shot past Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse in the 84th minute to erase a 1-0 deficit. It was the second time in three games the Rapids rallied late to salvage a point. On June 6 at Real Salt Lake, Cummings scored in the 88th minute of a 1-all tie.

"Lucky, but we worked for it," Cummings said. "It wasn't given to us."

Cummings has been vital to the Rapids' recent success, scoring four goals in his last three games.

"I had been scoring lately, and the ball has been rolling my way," said Cummings, who had a season-high seven shots Wednesday. "Even after I got that goal, I felt like I should have gotten one on an earlier header."

Cummings, who is second on Colorado with six goals, has been carrying the offense while team leader Conor Casey (eight goals) represents the United States in the Confederations Cup in South Africa. Casey will miss his fourth straight game Sunday.

While Cummings picks up the slack for Colorado, Fredy Montero has been leading Seattle (5-3-7).

In last Saturday's 1-all tie with New York, Montero stripped Red Bulls defender Jeremy Hall and scored from 12 yards out in the 48th minute. Montero later had a chance to break the tie, but his shot in the 84th minute bounced off the post and the Sounders settled for their seventh draw in nine games.

Although Montero had two shots deflect off the post, the Colombian forward has taken advantage of plenty of other scoring opportunities. He leads Seattle with seven goals, and has scored in each of his last three games after notching just one goal in his previous eight. The lone score in that stretch, though, came in a 2-all tie at Colorado on May 23.

"He went through his little (dry) spell, let's hope, and now he's back to the way we know he can play," Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller told the team's official Web site.

The Sounders, who are 2-1-7 since April 25, hope to take advantage of playing their next three games at home, where they're 4-1-3 on the season.