COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (July 14, 2018) – The Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night. Giles Barnes made his debut for the Burgundy and Blue, just a day after signing. He played well but then exited with a lower leg injury.
Colorado Rapids draw Houston Dynamo 0-0 as Giles Barnes dazzles then gets hurt
The first half got off to a slow start with both teams feeling each other out. Houston came out in a very defensive 5-4-1 and put numbers behind the ball. Colorado tried to lure them forward to then strike on the counter.
The best chance for the home side came in the 26th minute. Edgar Castillo won the ball in the defensive third. It ultimately came to Giles Barnes with plenty of space to run. He made it into the box and found Dominique Badji, who shot but goalkeeper Joe Willis made the saves.
Houston had two golden chances in the 38th minute. Luis Gil got inside the box with just Tim Howard to beat. Howard made a save with his leg on the first shot. Gil collected the rebound and shot again, but Kortne Ford recovered to clear it off the line. The half ended 0-0.
In the 40th minute, Barnes had to come off the field briefly after an apparent injury to his right foot/ankle area. He was eventually subbed off in the 52nd minute, walking gingerly. The training staff wrapped his ankle area up shortly thereafter.
The teams traded punches in the second half as well. In the 57th minute, Sam Nicholson almost found Badji and substitute Jack McBean inside the six-yard box before the ball was deflected and cleared. Four minutes later, Howard made an acrobatic save on substitute Mario Manotas.
Manotas got another good chance in the 86th minute on a 3-v-3 counter attack. He went to volley a shot off a clearance. The ball sailed just wide of the low post.
Three Takeaways:
Barnes debut: Prior to his substitution, Barnes was one of the best players on the field for either side. He showed his skill and got the ball upfield on several occasions. He provided service to Badji. Every time he touched the ball, something happened.
Houston eyeing Open Cup: Dynamo manager Wilmer Cabrera clearly played a reserve lineup with Houston’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match this coming week at Sporting KC. He clearly wanted to rest some starters. He did substitute on the big guns in the first.
Poor finishing: The two sides combined for 17 shot attempts, six of them on goal. The strikers had their chances but could not convert. It felt like this game had a goal in it. Both sides have to disappointed with this result.
