High-revving Crew SC midfielder Cedrick Mabwati got a rare starting nod from coach Gregg Berhalter on Saturday, and he took full advantage.
The Congolese midfielder scored the only goal of the first 54 minutes of a 1-1 tie over the first-place Colorado Rapids, and for an hour or so, the goal put departed star Kei Kamara in the rear-view of a crowd of 15,023 in chilly Mapfre Stadium.
But the bane of the Crew — the set-piece goal — bit early in the second half when Rapids striker Kevin Doyle headed a corner kick by Shkelzen Gashi through traffic, and the Crew (2-3-5) settled for a second straight tie at home instead of a much-needed win in the wake of Kamara’s messy exit on Thursday.