A lack of depth cost the Colorado Rapids in a 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. It was another poor showing with all the usual Rapids away-game mistakes. There were big chances missed, poor giveaways in the back, and a team that gave up after going down a goal.
Rapids head coach Matt Wells didn’t mince his words postgame.
“When we score first, we’re one team,” he said. “We concede first, we’re a different team. I thought that was evident again this evening. The second half was a technical disaster.”
The match’s first goal was shrouded in controversy as it came from a corner that should not have been given. On the play where Columbus won the corner, Crew forward Josef Martinez was in a clear offside position.
The flag was not raised, however, and Columbus scored on the ensuing corner. It wasn’t a well-defended corner by the Rapids either way. In the 23rd minute, the cross was poorly dealt with by Rapids goalkeeper Adam Beaudry, who missed the punch away and then stayed on the ground as the ball was headed into the net from 15 yards out.
Rapids defender Rob Holding was the player who gave away the corner and showed his frustration with the non-call on the field.
“Itap such a tough spot for a defender,” he said after the match. “I can’t gamble and hope that the referee is going to get it right. I’ve seen it in the Premier League and across all leagues. Itap something for the refs to think about and give defenders a helping hand.”
Goals number two and three for Columbus came late, with Colorado chasing the game. In the 81st minute, Rapids substitute Alex Harris gave the ball away cheaply on the top of the Rapids box. Columbus took the opportunity by passing it wide to Crew forward Gonzalo Tapia. The Crew substitute found the bottom corner with a well-struck outside-of-the-foot shot.
The third goal happened in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time. With Colorado pushing numbers forward, the Crew found Tapia through on goal, and the forward unselfishly found Taja Habroune open on the opposite side of the box. The finish was easy, and the Rapids were yet again on the wrong side of a 3-0 scoreline away from home.
The Rapids weren’t without their chances, however. In the 28th minute, Rapids midfielder Wayne Frederick found Paxten Aaronson through on net. Aaronson looked to be in on goal, but took one too many touches, allowing Crew defender Brooks Lennon to catch up, easily get in front, and take the ball away. Aaronson needed clinicality to finish, but looked scared to take the shot.
It only got worse for the Rapids in the missed chances department. In the 35th minute, Rapids defender Noah Cobb had tons of space down the right flank. He used the space to find Aaronson out wide, and Aaronson played a great ball into the heart of the Columbus box. Rapids forward Darren Yapi was there to put the finishing touch, but his sliding attempt at goal came off his feet all wrong. With more open net to shoot at than not, he found a way to miss everything by quite a margin.
Yapi would’ve seen this game in particular as a chance to make a case for more minutes at striker, with Rafael Navarro leaving the club.
Wells commented on the players looking for more minutes, saying, “We were below par as a team right from the start. We tried to give away two goals. For me, itap not an individual issue. Itap a team issue.”
Depth was tested after the Rapids lost their usual starters, Dante Sealy and Navarro, this past week. Colorado had made a number of signings to bolster the attack, but with all three still awaiting visa approval, the Rapids’ frontline was very makeshift in this matchup. Yapi up top, Aaronson out wide, and the only player in their usual position was Georgi Minoungou, who continued his poor run of form.
Another depth piece that struggled was third-string goalkeeper Beaudry. Beaudry has made four appearances for the Rapids in the last three years. In those four appearances, he has conceded three goals in three separate matches. He didn’t face a single shot on target against Real Salt Lake last weekend. He wasn’t necessarily at fault for the goals outside of the first one. He also wasn’t a bright spot, but no one on the field was.
Colorado will continue both trends of losing away from home and losing whenever they go down a goal. They are 0-0-12when going down a goal.
“In what team sport can you be successful if you can’t perform when there’s a little bit of adversity, or you’re behind in a game?” Well said. “ It’s my biggest frustration. Seeing zero points in those games where we go down a goal”
Colorado will have to figure out its away form before its next match. The Rapids head to Austin to take on Austin FC on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
