Another First Half Stoppage Time Goal Plagues Colorado Rapids: Pids lose 2-0 at Home to San Jose

COMMERCE CITY – Another first-half stoppage time goal was all San Jose needed to down the Colorado Rapids at DICK’s Sporting Good’s Park. Twelve goals out of the 18 conceded have come from either side of the halftime and full-time whistles. Concerning the Rapids, as San Jose ran out 2-0 winners in a frustrating game for the Burgundy Boys.

The Rapids made one change from the team that lost at D.C. United. Connor Ronan made his first start of the season. Cole Bassett made a second-half appearance after he missed the D.C. game. Chris Armas had kept the same 4-2-2-2 formation from the last few weeks.

San Jose also made just the one change from their 4-1 win against Portland, as Rodrigues came in for Floriani as centerback. No Josef Martinez for San Jose due to injury.

The game started quickly, as in the 2nd minute, a cross from San Jose was cleared poorly by Chidozie Awaziem and fell to Bouda. His shot was blocked by Maxso, but it was a worrying start for the Rapids. Out wide, Connor Ronan did well combining with Rafa Navarro on a number of occasions, as the Rapids had good moments in the 10th and 13th minutes. They fell to just a cleared cross and a shot over the bar, but the duo were combining early for the Rapids.

San Jose then had the best chance of the match so far, as a long ball was swung on and missed by Maxsø and fell to Espinoza. Through on goal with only Steffen to beat, Espinoza was denied by the US international, as Steffen got an outstretched arm to the shot. Another chance for San Jose that should’ve ended in more than just a chance.

San Jose started to find some space out wide with wing back Vitor Costa, who had a good opportunity in the 39th minute. The San Jose defender was played through out wide with little resistance from the Rapids, but his cross was poor and failed to find the on-rushing Bouda in the six. Vitor Costa was better in the first half stoppage time; however, as in a similar position, he found DeJuan Jones, who slotted past Steffen just before halftime.

The Rapids found themselves in a similar position that they have seemed to be in for the last few games. The goal meant the Rapids went to halftime down 1-0 due to a late goal in the first half for the fourth straight game.

The second half was not much nicer for the Rapids, as they couldn’t create much throughout the half. They also lost striker Rafa Navarro to an injury in the 56th minute. Despite losing Rafa, Bassett coming into the game breathed some life into the Rapids’ attack. The Rapids looked destined to be the next team to score.

Chicho Arango and San Jose had other plans, however, as Chidozie Awaziem tried to clear a ball long along the back line, and Arango got a foot to it. The deflection put Chicho through on the Rapids’ net, and Zack Steffen could not do anything about the chip that gave San Jose a 2-0 lead in the 67th minute.

The Rapids failed to produce much after the second San Jose goal, even when Noel Buck went down with an injury and left San Jose with ten men for the majority of the second half stoppage time. A few half-chances from Cole Bassett weren’t enough to breathe life into the game, and San Jose left with an impressive 2-0 away result.

“We are obviously disappointed in the result, of course, at home in another night where the fans came out. There is nothing that bothers us more than seeing fans not be able to celebrate a victory, and even us being at our best,” Chris Armas told the media after the match.

Return From Injury For Bassett:

Cole Bassett made his return as a substitute from his calf injury that kept him out of the D.C. game. Bassett said, “It felt good tonight. I hate missing games. I missed a bunch at the end of last year. It’s frustrating to watch because I know that when I’m not out there, it doesn’t help the team. I gotta keep my body healthy, and make sure that I’m on the pitch at all times for this team.”

“It was just a minor calf strain, and hopefully it’s good from here,” Bassett told Burgundy Wave.

Chris Armas was happy to have Cole back on the field, saying, “He gave us a spark right away, and then all of a sudden we had a grasp on the game. We are happy that he’s healthy, he gets through the game. It’s a positive on the night. I think he looked really sharp.” The homegrown will now have to look to Wednesday and try to be 100% for San Diego.

Another Goal Conceded Late in the First Half:

The Rapids conceded another goal right before half-time, this one just a minute away from the third and final minute of stoppage time. This is now 12 goals out of 18 total conceded that have been scored on either side of either half this season. This trend has now not just been noticed by the coaching staff, but has the attention of the team, as they look for ways to fix the problem.

“We’ve talked about it, as a leadership group with the coaches, we even said it before this game. DC put an emphasis on it with two goals. I really don’t know what it is. I guess it has to be a lapse in concentration,” said Cole Bassett.

Chris Armas was less worried about when the goals were being scored and more focused on the goals themselves. Armas told the media, “The goals come in those moments, but if that happened in the 34th minute, I think it would [still] be a goal. It’s hard to explain it, against the run of play tonight.”

“I saw a team that was alert in those moments, and we just didn’t execute. That’s for what it’s about. Controllables, execution, in that moment, it’s coming at the end of halves, and we’ll have to keep looking at that,” said Chris Armas. Mentally, the team is aware and trying ot fix it, they just can’t execute in those moments to keep the ball out of the back of their net.

Concern for Rafa after Injury:

Rafa Navarro had to be substituted in the 56th minute after a knock he took minutes earlier. He was visibly upset about having to leave the field, and Chris Armas is aware that he may have wanted to stay on the field.

“Rafa Navarro is never gonna wanna come off the pitch. He’s durable, he’s prideful, he never wants to come off. But for five minutes or so, he’s hobbling on the field, my job is to protect these guys. Sometimes you get a knock and you shake it off, it didn’t go away, and he kept limping,” Chris Armas said.

In terms of how this injury will affect the Brazilian’s availability for the busy week ahead, Chris Armas is hopeful that this is not an injury that will keep him out. Armas told the media, “There’s something going on, it’s probably minor, I hope it is because we are going to need him.” Rafa Navarro has five goals and one assist in twelve matches for the Rapids this season, and it would be a huge blow if he had to miss any time.

Yapi Hour Continues in 2025:

Darren Yapi got his fifth straight start alongside Rafa Navarro in the 4-2-2-2 formation. Even though the youngster did not add to his tally of two goals on the year, the 20-year-old is racking up professional performances, and is becoming an issue to defend for opposition teams.

Cole Bassett is aware of the fellow homegrowns’ progress, telling the media, “Yapi has really taken a step forward this year. Last year, you would see him start a few games, and he’d have one good game and then be a bit inconsistent, as most young guys are. This year, he’s really stepped into a role, and he knows when he goes into a game how he’s gonna play and what his strengths are, and he’s utilizing those now.”

“He’s utilizing his body really well, playing combination plays, setting the ball for us underneath, and turning to goal. He’s had a lot of those good moments. If we continue to have him and Rafa pushing each other and wanting to score a lot of goals, that’s good for the rest of the attacking group,” Cole Bassett added.

The partnership between Rafa and Yapi has been a mutually beneficial one, as Yapi allows Rafa to find the game as he fills the big body role up top. The new 4-2-2-2 formation has given Yapi the opportunity to showcase his talents this year, and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity. The future is starting to look bright for the Denver native.

The Rapids will have a quick turnaround as they play at San Diego FC on Wednesday, May 14th at 8:30 MT.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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