Before a sparse crowd of 6,579 at Invesco Field at Mile High, the emotionless Rapids were comprehensively beaten 1-0 on Wednesday night by the San Jose Earthquakes.
Afterward, inside a locker room as mute as a dentist’s waiting room, the Rapids had no excuse for their lack of heart.
“This team, it lacks inspiration, it lacks emotion and (there is) a lack of passion when we play,” said Joe Cannon, who took the loss in goal against his former team despite seven saves. “It doesn’t matter what we do. As soccer players, if you don’t bring your heart, this is going to be the result every time.”
Midfielder Eric Denton was similarly at a loss to explain how the Rapids were picked apart in the second half by an Earthquakes squad that supposedly was suffering an injury crisis.
“We’re playing soccer, we love it for our livelihood, and to come out with no passion is ridiculous,” Denton said. “Everybody has to look themselves in the mirror and figure out what they need to do to right this ship.”
The Rapids (2-7-1) lost their third consecutive game – their longest losing streak since May 2003, when they dropped four straight. Colorado remains adrift toward the bottom of the Western Conference and faces New England on Saturday – Major League Soccer’s only unbeaten team.
Forward Alejandro Moreno bagged the deserved game-winner in the 76th minute as the Earthquakes snapped a two- game winless streak and improved to 3-2-4.
Rapids forward Jean Philippe Peguero was the only field player who turned in a consistent effort as the team substituted for attacking partners Jeff Cunningham and Alain Nkong in the second half.
After early shots by Peguero and midfielder Guy Melamed, the Earthquakes dominated the second half, starting in the 55th minute, when Moreno got by newly signed defender Mike Petke and tested Cannon with a low shot that sparked a wave of chances.
Ronald Cerritos produced a huge save in the 56th minute, seconds before former Rapid Mark Chung – who was traded May 19 – beat Ricky Lewis down the right side and was denied by a sliding Cannon.
Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo made three substitutions in 14 minutes, but nothing seemed to change until Moreno scored with a low shot 14 minutes before full time.
“Nothing happened,” Clavijo said. “From the beginning we were late on the ball, there was no energy. … One of those games, you just want to put behind you and concentrate on the next one.”
One year after going 7-1-7 at home, the Rapids dropped to 2-2-1 this season.
Both teams created good scoring chances in the first half, despite the increasingly physical nature of the game.
Colorado’s “attacking trio was lively before halftime, each forcing a save from Pat Onstad. Peguero nearly wrong-footed the Canadian international with a far-post header in the 32nd minute, and Cunningham made it easy with a shot in the 38th directly at the 2003 goalkeeper of the year.
San Jose 0 1 – 1
Colorado 0 0 – 0
First half – None.
Second half – 1, San Jose, Moreno 3 (Barrett, De Rosario), 76th minute.
Goalies – San Jose, Onstad; Colorado, Cannon.
A – 6,579 (27,000).
