Rapids Draw Whitecaps 2-2

COMMERCE CITY – Colorado Rapids hosted Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night, 97 days after they were supposed to. The Rapids were out of playoff contention and looking for a result to not win the Wooden Spoon. The Caps needed a win to keep up in the playoff race. Would a team find a winner or would Rapids draw Whitecaps?

It was another different lineup from interim Chris Little. Moïse Bombito was at left back in a back four with Andrew Gutman out. Rafael Navarro was well enough to start up top in front of Diego Rubio. Kévin Cabral and Braian Galván were on the wing.

Like the previous two games against Cascadia teams, Colorado had a poor start and gave up an early goal. Mathías Laborda scored on a corner in the 11th. The ball got knocked down just outside the six and the right back lunged for the ball to score.

Vancouver had multiple chances to make it 2-0. Brian White had a pointblank header that Marko Ilić saved. Richie Laryea skied a shot he had in transition at the back post in first half stoppage time. It was the best chance of the half.

Colorado got the ball in good areas but the final ball was not there. Andreas Maxsø had the best chance with a free kick played to his feet at the back post, but he hit the side netting.

Halftime changes had immediate effect for Colorado. Luis Díaz and Calvin Harris came on for Galván and Cabral. Bombito and Keegan Rosenberry also switched flanks in the back four.

Rubio made it 1-1 two minutes into the second half. He didn’t make good contact on the first shot on the cross from Harris. He went to ground tap the ball past goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka. It was Rubio has now scored in back-to-back games.

Colorado were in the ascendency for the next 20 minutes. Cole Bassett scored his third goal in four games on a corner in the 67th. He found a pocket of space and had a simple header to score. It was his fourth goal contribution in four games since the coaching change.

The Caps pull one back in the 78th. Brian White beat Andreas Maxsø to a ball inside the six yard box to smash it into the back of the net. Díaz had two good chances in transition in the final minute. Neither team could find the winner as the match ended 2-2.

“We sat back on the lead too much instead of being on the front foot. We had a few chances to get the third goal. You saw some tired players there. Disappointed to lose the lead at home,” Little said postgame.

The Chris Little Effect

Colorado now has scored seven goals in four games under Little. That’s as many as they had in the final 15 MLS matches under Robin Fraser. Rubio and Bassett are scoring. Harris and Bombito have been energetic. They don’t have anything left to play for. But they’re playing better. There’s some small (albeit irrelevant) joys. Braidon Nourse of Denver Sports Magazine has dubbed this the Chris Little Effect.

“I’m pleased with aspects of what we’re doing. A commitment, a fight, a spirit to the group. I’m pleased we’re looking goal dangerous. We need to start turning those into winning games. When we do that, we’ll be happy,” said Little.

Set Piece Goals

Two goals given up on corners. Both on plays where the initial ball into the box was not dealt with. That’s the third set piece goal the Rapids have given up since the coaching change. It’s been a weakness at times this year. Historically, set piece scoring and defending has been a strength of this team.

“Poor first half again. Better second half. We’re more exciting than we’ve been going forward. Set pieces. For how much we work on them, we shouldn’t be giving up two set piece goals,” Bassett said in his opening statement.

“We came in with an idea of how we wanted to defend the corners. They knew how we were going to defend them. We were getting caught up and they were picking guys up. We need to be better at managing the lead,” said Bombito.

It was good to see Bassett get on the scoresheet again. Goal Bassett hits different when it’s a header on a corner.

“I have a good sense of where the ball’s going to land. Chris (Little) has given me that freedom to go find the ball, find the game, and do what I do,” Bassett said.

“Cole has the DNA of a Rapids player. He’s committed. He’s selfless. Today he had to player a deeper role. He grew into the game. He’s always a goal thread. He’s playing like a player who has confidence,” said Little.

Playoff and Wooden Spoon Implications

The Whitecaps had a rough week with two losses on the road to playoff contenders. They have to see this as two points dropped. That could have massive seeding implications as seven points separate second from seventh in the Western Conference.

This was a great chance for Colorado to get a win. Still a point and an improved performance. That could be the momentum they need to beat Austin FC on Saturday. Four points from this week might be enough for them to pull away from Toronto FC and have the Reds win the ignominious trophy.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken.

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