Goal Bassett Gets Colorado’s Second Ever Win in Sandy

SANDY, Utah – For just the second time in their history, the Colorado Rapids went to Sandy, Utah to play Real Salt Lake and came out with three points. A poor start to the game saw an injury to a key player and a familiar goal. But a gradually better performance and ruthlessness saw the Pids take the first leg of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup. Apology Bassett became Goal Bassett as the Rapids gave RSL a taste of their own medicine.

Chris Armas made just one change from the lineup from the first two games. Omir Fernandez started over Calvin Harris, having a record of scoring in derby games. Oliver Larraz started again with Jasper Löffelsend on the bench against his former team.

RSL had to make several changes. Noel Caliskan started in midfield. Brayan Vera was at center back with Justin Glad hurt. Gavin Beavers was in goal with Zac MacMath on the bench.

The game got off to a bad start, as usual. Connor Ronan went down with an apparent left knee injury eight minutes in. He was subbed off for Löffelsend, who wasn’t great in the first half. He and Djordje Mihailović combined to give the ball up in the 22nd minute. That started a counter attack that saw Chukwuemeka Eneli score.

Against the run of play, Colorado earned a fortuitous penalty in the 41st. Eneli was called for a handball with an outstretched arm inside the top of the box, after a slight shove from Larraz. Rafael Navarro had a slow run up on the way to scoring. The Brazilian was relieved to open his 2024 account after hitting the post in the 35th. The half ended 1-1.

The second half was end-to-end. Navarro and Cole Bassett got chances. Those balls got cleared which sprang multiple counter attacks through Andrés Gómez. Chicho Arango had multiple good looks.

Again against the run of play, Colorado got a great chance and were ruthless. Bassett made a great run from midfield after Colorado won the ball back. He passed off to Sam Vines who crossed into the box. The ball was deflected and fell to the feet of Bassett who buried it in the far side netting.

The teams traded chances. RSL got the ball good areas but that did not lead to dangerous shots on goal. Beavers made a great save on Larraz.

“Take their left flank!” – Captain Miller

This team is still a work in progress and it’s concerning. The pressing is not unified. Players are regularly yelling and pointing to each other to figure things out. There’s no pattern of play when they build out of the back. It’s easy for them to go from the defensive third to the attacking third.

“It was really fun to watch our guys suffer for each other. They’re young but they’re good. We’re looking more and more like the team we want to become. They defended well, didn’t give up too much at the end. There’s nothing that you can do that substitutes what they had to go through. That’s how younger teams move themselves forward,” Armas said postgame.

“Halftime, we talked about being tighter, more compact, launching the press more. They did it. They changed the rhythm a bit. It was better. We’ll reset. Try to learn.”

RSL regularly went down their right flank and created offense with little resistance. That shows what they think of Mihailović and Vines defensively. Löffelsend was not great in his Rapids debut, on the ball or defensively. It’s understandable why Larraz is starting over him. It got better as the game went on. There’s still work to do.

Relief for Rafa! Goal Bassett!

This fixture last year was rock bottom for the club. It was 2-0 loss. Bassett delivered a crestfallen apology postgame. Robin Fraser was fired the following week. What a turn around from six months ago. He’s been the best player so far this season. He’s created his goal. He put the team on his back. He took responsibility for seeing this result out. And he did it in his 100th appearance for the club.

“Happy. It’s been four years since we got a win here. We’re ecstatic. It feels good to get the first win of the season. To do it against RSL, it doesn’t get much better,” Bassett said with the biggest smile postgame.

“I didn’t think I had one of my best games. I was not quite good on the ball. It’s not going to be about quality today. It’s going to be about duels, how much you want it.”

Navarro needed to get on the scoreboard. He’s had good chances in all three games so far, but not enough chances. He hasn’t been ruthless. Yes is was a penalty against a young goalkeeper. But it was well taken. It had to feel good.

“For strikers, goals, there’s no real substitute for hitting the back of the net, whatever the way it comes. He’s a real man on the pitch. He fights and grinds things out. (The penalty) was going to be his from the start. Great that he gets rewarded,” said Armas.

The Rapids did to RSL what RSL normally does to them.

This fixture normally follows a script. RSL shows up with intensity. The Rapids make a mistake. RSL punishes them for it. RSL figures out how the ref is calling the game and adjusts accordingly. Colorado gets frustrated. They spiral. RSL wins convincingly.

That is exactly what the Rapids did in this game. RSL got frustrated with Scabby the Ref Atahan Yaya. There was the handball. Moïse Bombito had a few run ins with Arango. One of those was inside the box. RSL let their emotions get to them. They showed it, especially after the whistle. Colorado time wasted and saw out the game with a veteran savy and composed poop-housery. The game ended with most of the 20,147 fans chanting “ref you suck!”

“After that goal in the first half, a couple of us said a few things to each other. I haven’t got on certain people that are my good friends like that in awhile. I got yelled at. The response was different this time. Last couple years, we didn’t respond quickly. This time, we woke up and tried to throw the punches back at them,” Bassett told Burgundy Wave.

“We wouldn’t have won this game last year.”

The Rapids flipped the script in the Rocky Mountain Cup.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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