On Saturday, forward Teal Bunbury made his first start since the season opener and wasted little time getting up to speed. The striker blitzed Sporting to an early 2-0 advantage in the first half, each in rapid succession in the game’s first eight minutes.

Bunbury’s first goal came barely a minute into the match, a header off of a Seth Sinovic cross. A Matt Besler throw-in in the 14th minute set up the second score.

In response, the Rapids became the second road opponent in as many weeks to erase a Sporting halftime lead, coming out of the half with a pair of goals also separated by eight minutes.

Seven minutes into the second half, Colorado’s Martin Rivero took a free kick that set up Tyrone Marshall’s first goal of the year.

The Rapids then knotted up the match by creating another goal off a set piece. Jeff Larentowicz took a free kick from 25 yards out that Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen pushed out of the goal, only to find itself at the foot of Kosuke Kimura, who sent it in from three yards out.

Each side threatened to go ahead as the game crept to a close. In the 86th minute, Rivero turned a cross from second-half substitute Edu into a header in front of the net, but Nielsen was able to come up with the save.

Moments later, Sporting followed with a free kick from Graham Zusi — who was called up on Sunday by the United States National Team — that Lawrence Olum couldn’t quite get down.

When the final whistle sounded, Sporting (7-3-1) left with its first draw of the season and now finds itself in third place in the Eastern Conference. Sporting will look to end its three-year streak of being winless in May games when it hosts the San Jose Earthquakes at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday at Livestrong Sporting Park.