Wasting two-goal leads continues to be a problem for the Colorado Rapids. The latest came Saturday night in a 3-2 road loss to the LA Galaxy. Itap the second straight game the Rapids have blown a two-goal lead and the third straight game they’ve given up three goals.
“We were very good in the first half,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said after the loss. “Loads of good stuff. It is tempting to make this a bigger deal and wider problem than it was. We just gave away three terrible goals. We should be leaving with three points, one point minimum. We leave here with zero. Itap a painful one.”
The Rapids were off to a flying start. In the fourth minute, Rapids midfielder Josh Atencio threaded a through ball to Rapids forward Donavan Philip. Philip beat the offside trap well and went through on goal, finishing past Galaxy keeper JT Marcinkowski. The MAC Hermann Trophy winner found his first in MLS goal last week, and he made it two in two with a seasoned veteran’s finish.
Philip could have easily made it 3-0 with multiple good chances, but it was the Rapids’ Paxten Aaronson who found the next goal in the 39th minute. Rapids defender Rob Holding hit a long ball to Aaronson, who controlled the ball in traffic and burst through on goal. His finish was well-placed, and Colorado looked to be flying away from home.
“Itap nice to help the team. Itap obviously a bad feeling to not get three points,” Aaronson said. “Not getting the three points really deflates the satisfaction of the goal.”
The second half for the Rapids was as bad as it gets. It started in the 53rd minute. LA won a free kick from a deep position and Galaxy midfielder Pablo Ruiz found the head of LA defender Justin Haak. The flick-on header found Galaxy forward Joao Klauss, who battled with Rapids defender Reggie Cannon. Through the contact, the ball hit off of Cannon and found the back of the net.
It felt like 100 things could have called the goal back. Haak looked to be offside. Klauss got far too rough on Cannon, and it certainly impacted him on the own goal. Nothing was definitive, however, and VAR did not intervene. The Galaxy found a way back into the game through a relatively harmless set play.
It went from bad to worse in the 66th minute. The Rapids were playing from the back when the ball went back to goalkeeper Nico Hansen. With time and space, Hansen inexplicably passed it right to Klauss for the easiest goal the German will ever score. Hansen’s hands were at his head before the ball even went in. From nothing, Colorado gave up their two-goal lead through ordinary plays.
LA made it three in the 74th minute. Haak knocked in the goal on the end of a corner kick. It made it three set-piece goals allowed by the Rapids in the last two games. It was nothing flashy from the Galaxy. They didn’t beat the Rapids through good interplay. They just wanted it more.
The loss throws a lot into question for the Rapids. Add struggling with set pieces to the list of issues that have hindered this team this season. The Rapids have failed to secure a point in a game after conceding the first goal.
The Rapids struggle away from home and haven’t been able to get points even when they avoid all of their usual problems. It will be impossible to avoid all of these struggles in a game.
“We need to get back to being the team thatap got the best defensive record in the MLS from set plays,” Wells said. “You just need to increase your strength in those moments as an individual and as a group.”
The Rapids were missing a handful of important players due to the international break. Wells had been vocal about his disappointment at having to play a game during an international break. Colorado was certainly put in a worse spot because of the break.
“I don’t think we should pretend we had the roster tonight,” Wells said. “There’s plenty of guys missing from the performance. Letap not make a bigger analysis than what needs to be made. I think itap always very easy after a game to react. Itap a shame we didn’t have players at our disposal tonight.”
The Rapids now get a two-week break for the international window before hosting the San Jose Earthquakes at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m.
