MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER GAME SUMMARY

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2002 - COLORADO RAPIDS 2, COLUMBUS CREW 1

DENVER, Colo. - Behind a game-winning goal and an assist from forward Chris Henderson, the Colorado Rapids beat the visiting Columbus Crew 2-1 Saturday evening in the Crew's first visit to INVESCO Field. Henderson now has ten goals and five assists this season to lead the Rapids. Columbus is the last MLS team to visit Colorado's new stadium.

The Rapids nearly took the lead early in the sixth minute when midfielder Zach Kingsley beat Crew midfielder Brian Maissoneuve down the right flank with some deft footwork. Kingsley then sent a right-footed bending cross to streaking Henderson for a diving header at the six-yard box that went just left of Crew goalkeeper Tom Presthus' net.

Colorado nearly scored again in the 11th minute when midfielder Mark Chung led forward Chris Carrieri with a ball into the penalty area. Carrieri's left-footed shot was deflected by a diving Presthus, who pushed the ball away to the far post. A sliding Henderson nearly put the ball into the net before it bounced over the endline. On the ensuing corner kick, Kingsley nodded a Carlos Valderrama cross just over the crossbar.

Columbus came back with their best scoring opportunity of the first half in the 20th minute when forward Dante Washington's initial shot was pushed away by Rapids goalkeeper David Kramer. The rebound went directly to onrushing forward Jeff Cunningham whose shot went over a wide-open goal.

Carrieri put the Rapids ahead in the 57th minute with his ninth goal of the season. Henderson started the play by finding Kingsley on the right wing, where he sent a perfectly placed cross over the outstretched hands of Presthus. Having come off his line, Presthus left the net wide-open for Carrieri's scoring header.

Colorado would double their lead in the 64th minute when Valderrama found an open Mark Chung at the edge of the penalty box. Chung then led Henderson into the penalty area where he blasted a right-footed shot into the upper right corner of the goal past a diving Presthus for his tenth goal on the campaign.

Both Kingsley and Chung saw excellent scoring opportunities thwarted by Presthus in the 69th and 70th minutes, respectively. Kingsley hit a one-time volley off a Wes Hart cross into the clutches of Presthus. Chung nearly gave the Rapids another insurance goal, but a one-handed punch by Presthus and the crossbar kept the Crew in the game.

Greg Andrulis' squad made things interesting by pulling within one goal in the 85th minute when Crew defender Chad McCarty dug the ball away from Valderrama at midfield. McCarty looked forward and found forward Edson Buddle who split the Rapids defensive pairing of Robin Fraser and Steven Herdsman before slotting the ball away past Kramer for his fourth goal of the season.

Columbus (8-10-4, 28 pts) will return home to Crew Stadium this Wednesday night to battle the Los Angeles Galaxy at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Meanwhile, Colorado (10-9-3, 33 pts) will travel to Los Angeles next Saturday night to take on the Galaxy in the Rose Bowl at 10:00 p.m. (ET).

AUGUST 10--COLORADO RAPIDS 2, COLUMBUS CREW 1

                   1     2     F
COLUMBUS CREW      0     1     1
COLORADO RAPIDS    0     2     2

Scoring Summary:
COL--Carrieri (Kingsley, Henderson) 57
COL--Henderson (Carrieri, Valderrama) 64
CLB--Buddle (McCarty) 85

COLUMBUS CREW--Tom Presthus, Chris Leitch, Brian Dunseth, Chad McCarty, Eric
Denton (Freddy Garcia 29), Brian Maisonneuve (Robert Warzycha 70), Duncan
Oughton (Edson Buddle 69), Kyle Martino, Brian West, Dante Washington, Jeff
Cunningham
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (West 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (five players with 1); FOULS: 16
(McCarty 4, Maisonneuve 4); OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: Presthus 8;
CAUTIONS: McCarty 69; EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 33%

COLORADO RAPIDS--David Kramer, Robin Fraser, Steven Herdsman, Wes Hart, Rick
Titus, Mark Chung, Raul Palacios (Kyle Beckerman 79), Carlos Valderrama,
Zach
Kingsley, Chris Carrieri, Chris Henderson
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Chung 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 10 (Kingsley 3); FOULS: 14
(Palacios
4); OFFSIDE: 0; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: Kramer 4; CAUTIONS: Palacios 25,
Carrieri 60; EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 67%

Referee: Gerry Corrie; Assistant Referees: Greg Barkey, Richard Huber
Attendance: 13,252; Weather: Clear, Pending

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