Rocky Mountain Cup Leg 2 Preview: This Derby Has Hype!

SANDY, Utah – It’s MLS Rivalry Week. Colorado Rapids travel to Real Salt Lake for the second of three legs of the 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup. The Pids got a surprise 2-1 win in the first leg back in Week 3. It was just their third win in Sandy ever.

When: Saturday, May 18 @ 7:30 p.m. MDT

Where: America First Field, Sandy, Utah

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

The RMC hasn’t been this relevant since 2021 when it came down to the third leg. (RSL won, of course). Salt Lake are in first place in the Western Conference. Pablo Mastroeni put aside his ego and worked with the new coaching staff that was brought in for him after the front office cleared out his whole staff. Chicho Arango is first in the Golden Boot with 11 goals.

Justin Glad is leading a defense that has given up just 11 goals in 13 games. Andrés Gómez is cooking on the right flank. This midfield is a team-based machine with Pablo Ruiz out for the system. Once again, the national MLS pundits have doubted the Claret and Cobalt and been wrong. Since that loss to Colorado, RSL have six wins and three draws.

The Rapids meanwhile are figuring things out. They’re 5-2-1 in their last eight. Cole Bassett might be on the best run of his career. Rafael Navarro has seven goals and is functioning in a team that’s supporting him. The defense has improved though they’re still working on getting clean sheets. Change last Saturday by a foot or two and they’re up 4-0 on San Jose at halftime. They lost that game but got the job done Wednesday against Vancouver.

The match ended with the players saluting the south stand at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park as the crowd chanted “Beat Salt Lake!”

Both teams won their midweek games. This puts RSL in first with 25 points, three off the Supporters’ Shield. Colorado are fourth with 21 points, tied on points for second. The only game of Rivalry Week that is close in terms of form and results this season is maybe the Hudson River Derby. The New York teams are third and fourth with a combined 43 points.

MLS neutrals should be giving the Rocky Mountain Cup some respect this weekend. Both teams are good and improved this year. Moreover, it’s competitive instead of predictable with Colorado winning the first leg. The Burgundy Boys think as much.

“I wish we were hosting this one. The Rocky Mountain Cup is such an important Cup to us as a team and to our fans. It would be nice if maybe we played one on the road, one home, then on the road. To face the first two on the road is tricky,” head coach Chris Armas said.

He isn’t the only person at Colorado annoyed the first two legs are RSL home games.

“We have a lot of work to go there and get a trophy. The fact that we have an opportunity to bring one home this early in the season, we’ve put ourselves in this spot is a really big positive. Salt Lake, they’re a really good team,” he said, adding “We will go after it with everything we have. I can promise our fans that.”

Bassett scored the winning goal back in March. He has fond memories of that 5-0 win to win the Cup in the COVID season.

“That was technically my first trophy per say in professional football back in 2020 when we did it at their place. It would be special to do it there again. You have a chance to go there and end it before they have a chance to come here. We have an opportunity to win twice in their building. That would be pretty sweet.”

“We’ve both developed into much better teams than we were at that point in the season. That was early on. I don’t know that they’ve lost since that game. They’ve been on an absolute roll. They’re full of confidence right now. We feel good. We want to go there and win.”

The RMC so often has come down to intensity. Derbies have their own ecosystem sometimes. No matter the form or where teams are in the table, RSL has risen to the occasion for 12 of the past 15 years. Colorado has found ways to lose even when they’re better on paper.

“They’re going to come out with a lot of energy. Whenever we do get results vs them, it comes down to that. It’s nothing to do with the football. It’s about winning your duals and the energy that we bring to the game and making sure that we match it and up it,” said Bassett.

“They’re solid this year. It’s clear for everyone to see they’re a machine. They’re picking up points. They’re doing it home and away. We’re one of the only teams to beat them this year. Definitely gives us that confidence going into the game. Like any derby game, it’s a one off game. Form goes out the window,” added Connor Ronan, who’s returned from an injury he suffered in the first leg.”

“They’re in form right now. We’ve done well on our past few games as well. It’s going to be a big game for both of us. We’ve done well to get a result there earlier this season. We can hopefully go down there and do it again,” said Sam Vines.

Will this game be close? Can Colorado Rapids at least avoid a blowout loss to make the third leg on July 20 relevant? Can these teams elevate the RMC above being the afterthought of MLS rivalries? That’s the opportunity before them tomorrow night.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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