In the midst of a season-worst spiral, the Colorado Rapids might have been dealt yet another big blow in Sunday night’s 4-2 loss at D.C. United.
Veteran center back and team captain Drew Moor was forced off in the 14th minute with a right knee injury, and its severity has not yet been determined. Moor was attempting to stop D.C. United midfielder Luis Silva’s opening goal when he sustained the knock.
"[Moor] will travel with the team back to Denver for further evaluation on Monday,” a team spokesman told MLSsoccer.com on Sunday night.
Defensive depth is a major issue for Colorado right now. Without fellow central defender Shane O’Neill (knee), Moor’s absence could be the nail-in-the-coffin for the faltering Rapids, who have lost four straight and won just one of their last eight games to slip into seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
In Moor’s absence on Sunday night, rookie Jared Watts, normally a central midfielder, was forced to slot in at center back. If Moor and O’Neill are both unable to play in Wednesday’s quick turnaround against the LA Galaxy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (9 pm ET, MLS LIVE), head coach Pablo Mastroeni may be forced to play Watts at center back again.
Rookie Grant Van De Casteele and new acquisition Gale Agbossoumonde are other options at center back should Moor and O’Neill be unavailable midweek. Regardless of who plays, the defensively troubled Rapids have to figure out solutions in the back quickly – with or without Moor.
“It’s unfortunate to see our captain go out with an injury,” Watts said after Sunday's game. “Unfortunately, a couple of mistakes made it difficult on ourselves, and we weren’t good enough back there tonight and we let a couple in.”
Chris Bianchi covers the Colorado Rapids for MLSsoccer.com.
