SANDY, Utah – The second leg of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup was an instant classic. It was a heavy weight title fight as Real Salt Lake hosted Colorado Rapids, with Colorado winning the first leg 2-1.
Chris Armas made just one changeup from Wednesday’s win. Calvin Harris started at winger over Kévin Cabral, who was on the bench. Djordje Mihailović was able to start despite another knock to his heel last game. Lamine Diack again did not make the squad. Rapids fans increasingly are calling that move a bust.
RSL had some injuries to deal with. Andrew Brody was in at right back along with Alexandros Katranis. The preferred front four started though, led by captain Chicho Arango. Former Rapids goalkeeper Zac MacMath started for the home side.
The first half was a game of two halves, or rather quarters, you know what I mean. Colorado started energetic and composed. The pressing was excellent leading to turnovers which they converted into chances. Five minutes in, Cole Bassett picked off a pass from Brody. MacMath was out of position as RSL was playing out of the back. Bassett was able to pass the ball into the net from 40 yards out for his sixth goal of the year and second in the RMC.
Rapids press has created multiple turnovers off RSL playing out of the back. Cole Bassett in perfect position to intercept and shoot into an open goal. Sixth of the year. Colorado stuns RSL early!
Rafael Navarro made a great individual effort in the 19th minute. He got into the box and made a pass that was intercepted. He battled for the loose ball, got past multiple defenders and chipped the keeper to make it 0-2.
Rafael Navarro scores all on his own! Never gave up on the play! Eight goal of the season! Fourth in four games. pic.twitter.com/OwREUHZQ2e
Salt Lake responded. They were the better team the rest of the half. Arango scored off the crossbar just four minutes after Navarro’s goal after Zack Steffen couldn’t control the rebound on a shot from Braian Ojeda. Arango was dangerous throughout the half. Several Rapids defenders made individual plays to deny him scoring chances.
Zack Steffen has do better on the initial shot. Defense doesn’t deal with the danger well enough. Arango capitalizes. Game on.
Andrés Gómez scored on a quality volley in the 40th off a corner. Colorado appealed for a foul and Keegan Rosenberry and Arango wrestled to the ground in the area as the cross came in. Sam Vines did not close down Gómez on the shot.
Colorado retook the lead just 11 minutes into the second half. The play started with the Rapids winning the ball in the defensive half. RSL thought Arango got fouled. Colorado went direct with Mihailović playing Harris into space. Harris crossed the ball into the box. Mihailović was denied point blank by MacMath. Fernandez couldn’t get enough on the rebound but put it towards goal for Mihailović to tap it in from a yard out.
After that, RSL besieged the Rapids goal. Diego Luna dribbled through the defense and had a shot miss the post, going out for a corner. Steffen made a great save on a rocket from Chukwuemeka Eneli on a corner. Anderson Julio pounced on a bad back pass from Moïse Bombito in the 64th. He turned it into a breakaway but Steffen came off his like to close down the angle and the shot went wide.
Another goal line fire drill. Of course it’s Arango.
The First America Field crowd booed Steffen every time he was on the ball after he got a first half yellow card for time wasting. The goalkeeper worked the clock to settle down the team in front of him. The fans also booed the ref on calls that went against the home side. “Ref You Suck” was loud and clear after the third Rapids goal for the no call on Arango. Arango had an open header in the 81st minute on a free kick that had too much pace.
Things went off the rails for Colorado in the 85th. Arango scored on a header off a goal line fire drill on a corner. Three minutes later, he and Gómez played a one-two around Vines and Bombito to set up Gómez for his brace to make it 4-3. Anderson Julio finally finished one a break in stoppage time. The match ended 5-3.
Colorado ultimately collapsed under the pressure from the opponent and the atmosphere. RSL showed their quality and why they’re top of the Western Conference. Transition and set piece defending weren’t good enough.
Photo Credit: John Babiak
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Nice commentary on the game, Matt. You could feel the crowd impact even on TV. Could not stand the rather overtly partisan nature of the commentary from the always-irritating, (admittedly knowledgeable) Max Bretos.
In the end this game turned on player fatigue from all the pressing, and the inability of the subs to get up to speed with the game’s intensity. Arango on Rosenberry: he stopped the latter from making a play on the ball, seemed a clear foul and I don’t see why VAR did not rule on that?
I like Max but get he’s not for everyone. Dunny, understandably was amped for what RSL did. I thought the tussle between Keegan and Chicho was mutual. 50/50. If it was basketball/American football, you’d call offsetting fouls. I’m not surprised it wasn’t overturned.
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So exciting. So disappointing
Nice commentary on the game, Matt. You could feel the crowd impact even on TV. Could not stand the rather overtly partisan nature of the commentary from the always-irritating, (admittedly knowledgeable) Max Bretos.
In the end this game turned on player fatigue from all the pressing, and the inability of the subs to get up to speed with the game’s intensity. Arango on Rosenberry: he stopped the latter from making a play on the ball, seemed a clear foul and I don’t see why VAR did not rule on that?
I like Max but get he’s not for everyone. Dunny, understandably was amped for what RSL did. I thought the tussle between Keegan and Chicho was mutual. 50/50. If it was basketball/American football, you’d call offsetting fouls. I’m not surprised it wasn’t overturned.