COMMERCE CITY — The first disappointment came when Rapids fans learned David Beckham wasn’t with the Los Angeles Galaxy — for the fourth time in his team’s five trips to Colorado since he signed in 2007.
Despite having back spasms, missing training Thursday and Friday and not traveling with the team, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena didn’t see fit to put him on the injured list.
“That’s life,” Arena said.
But there were more disappointments to come Saturday night for the crowd of 18,277, the largest of the season.
Playing without midfielder Jamie Smith, a late scratch due to a tight hamstring, the Rapids fell behind 2-0 in the first half, struck back with a goal by Conor Casey but fell 3-1 to the team with the best record in MLS.
The Rapids have gone six home games now without a win, the longest home winless streak in team history. Since their last home victory April 3, they have had four ties bookended by two losses.
Playing without midfielder Landon Donovan, who is on U.S. national team duty, the Galaxy scored a hotly disputed goal in the 25th minute. Midfielder Chris Birchall ran past Rapids defender Danny Earls on the right wing and crossed the ball from the end line.
Rapids center back Drew Moor tried to clear it but wound up deflecting it for an own goal.
The Rapids insisted the ball was over the end line before Birchall crossed it.
“The first goal was out of play — over the line,” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “It shouldn’t have stood.”
The Galaxy struck again just before halftime when a wide-open Juninho shot a missile from 25 yards that found the net in the upper left corner. Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, who was playing his 300th MLS game (and 200th with the Rapids), was in the area but thought Juninho was going to pass so he tried to cut off a lane.
“I’ll let that guy take that shot 100 times — that’s where you want him to shoot from,” Mastroeni said. “It was his day.
“It was a good strike. Sometimes you have to tip your hat.”
The Rapids played with more urgency in the second half, lifted by Omar Cummings’ first appearance since a severe ankle sprain May 4. In the 64th minute he hit the left post and Casey punched in the rebound to halve L.A’s lead, but 10 minutes later Caleb Folan was ejected for a serious foul on Juninho.
With him went the momentum Colorado gained after Cummings came on at halftime.
“Omar gave us a bit of energy, he was positive, he showed all of the qualities we’ve been missing in the last five-six weeks,” Smith said. “I felt we’d turned the corner. We looked like we were starting to get a bit of pressure, we were in the ascendancy, it looked brighter.
“The remaining 25 minutes looked like they could be a bit of a barnstorming end to the game.
“Then we get to the call (on Folan), and it changes the course of events completely.”
Los Angeles 2 1 — 3
Colorado 0 1 — 1
First half — 1, Los Angeles, Moor (own goal), 25th minute. 2, Los Angeles, Juninho 3, 42nd.
Second half — 3, Colorado, Casey 3 (Cummings), 64th. 4, Los Angeles, Barrett 4 (Dunivant), 80th.
Goalies — Los Angeles, Josh Saunders; Colorado, Matt Pickens.
Yellow cards — Nyassi, Colorado, 36th.
Red cards — Folan, Colorado, 74th.
Referee — Hilario Grajeda. Assistant referees — Bill Dittmar. Mike Rottersman. 4th official — Daniel Fitzgerald.
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
