Commerce City, Colo.- Ah, the guaranteed get right game. The team has a full week to prepare and get healthy. You’ve got a bottom dweller at home. A wind storm and a Rob Holding red card later, you’re left wondering what just happened. Colorado Rapids hosting St. Louis CITY was anything but expected on Saturday night.
Matt Wells was forced into changes for this one. The morning of, Zack Steffen’s shoulder injury was bothering him the morning of so he was scratched. Nico Hansen started with Zackory Campagnolo called up on the bench. Miguel Navarro started at left back with Jackson Travis making the bench. Georgi Minoungou and Paxten Aaronson were well enough to start.
For the visitors, Eduard Löwen and former Rapid Rafa Santos were on the bench.
The wind was blistering out of the north for most of the first half. It was advantage Colorado on the whole, who attacked the south goal. Both teams kept the ball on the ground. Rapids found space and created chances with their off-the-ball movement.
However, the wind was tricky. Eight minutes in, Hansen and Rob Holding had a mixup. Hansen cleared the ball to Chris Durkin who shot from 50 yards and could have scored. Five minutes later, Colorado had a goal called back on a corner for a foul. St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki took the restart quickly. There was a man making a run for a breakaway but the wind boomeranged the pass out for a throw in.
It was St. Louis who capitalized to score. In the 26th minute, Bürki sent a goal kick up the middle. The ball took a touch off Simon Becher, to play Sang Bin Jeong on a breakaway. The South Korean beat Lucas Herrington in a foot race, took a touch around Hansen and scored.
The Rapids huffed and puffed. They had six first half corners to CITY’s none. Crosses were dealt with awkwardly. Darren Yapi had a backheel into space that went to no one and was wide of goal. Minoungou had a shot in the 31st that went wide.
The wind died down in the second half yet it got messier. In the 51st, Holding and Simon Becher went for a ball. Their arms were going at it. Becher got ball side and Holding pushed his shoulder in. Referee Timothy Ford called a foul and gave Holding a red card for DOGSO.
It’s hard to dissect the game the rest of the way. Colorado didn’t immediately raise their level like they had in previous games where they went down a man. The officiating seems inconsistent from the press box with the refs chanting “Ref you suck.”
St. Louis was chippy. Wells made subs to try and change things tactically. At one point, Miguel Navarro was playing center back on a yellow. Brendan McSorley hit the post in the 71st on a counter attack. It should have been a tap in. Rafa Navarro had a great shot blocked. In the 80th, Lukas MacNaughton almost scored an own goal on a deflected cross inside the box. Chris Durkin was given a second yellow for a cynical tactical foul on Alex Harris in the 87th. Jackson Travis fired a shot wide on the last kick of the game, seven minutes into stoppage time.
The match ended 0-1.
So about the Rob Holding red card:
I see the logic behind the Holding DOGSO, but it seems a bit harsh. Both players are going at it. The ball is going away from goal. Holding is the last defender back and the closest one to goal. If Becher stays on his feet, it wouldn’t have a foul.
“I think it’s an incredible decision… I’m not speaking to any fourth official. I’ve learned quickly it’s one of the most pointless tasks over here… We might as well scrap VAR… I was so calm. Sat down and said to my coaches it was going to be overturned… To have that upheld by VAR is puzzling… It’s been a story of the season (unjust red cards).” Wells told Burgundy Wave.
“Rob’s the last man. It goes both ways. You’ve got to be physical in those moments. I thought Rob didn’t really do anything wrong. It’s a tough call. We’ll just move on,” added Herrington.
That’s the fourth red card for Colorado this season, all competitions. There isn’t a trend or common issue with those four. Wells has joked that he wants to win every trophy but the Fair Play Award. The Rapids are a physical team. When you’re used to playing at an 11/10 and the ref calls a tight game or an inconsistent game, it’s really hard to bring it down to a 7/10.
They’ve played well 10-v-11. Keegan Rosenberry sees the positive in that but shared the frustration that they should start games with that intensity and domination:
“That is the frustration tonight, that it takes an event like that (a red card) to wake up and play to our potential and play with some initiative… From the get go tonight, they just were up for a bit more of a scrap.. It was a focus all week… Just not strong enough in moments that seem not as impactful as they truly are. Those little moments build on each other.”
Can they do it on a windy night in Commerce City?
The wind was a factor, but the team didn’t see it as an excuse. It helped Colorado. They had the wind at their backs for the first half going south and the wind calmed down later in the game. Players were forced to keep the ball on the ground. Advantage Rapids. The goal comes on a long ball where the wind wasn’t a huge factor.
“The wind was tough. It goes both ways. It was different. We had to adjust. It’s not good enough. It’s one of the easiest goals we’ve conceded this season. I got to cover Rob better. It shouldn’t happen again. Pretty disappointing,” said Herrington.
“There’s no excuse. On the end product, it’s something we have to work on,” added Minoungou. “We just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.”
Credit to St. Louis. They dealt with it. Survived the first half. Played into the trajectory of the game to get the result.
Four losses in a row in league play:
Colorado hasn’t won a non-Open Cup game against a USL team since April 11 vs Houston Dynamo. A draw at LAFC has been followed by three MLS losses. They’re still being creative and positive on the ball. They’re creating fewer chances and have one goal in the last four MLS games.
“We analyze it for the reality… We need to try and find a way for Minnesota to recover… With 10 men, we were incredible… I need to analyze as to how there is another level,” said Wells.
“What we’re going to find is this period is going to be our biggest source of growth as opposed to beating Galaxy 4-1 or Houston 6-2… We can use St. Louis as a template… Let’s take some inspiration. We’ll do it in our own way.”
Given the result, the honeymoon for Wells is coming to an end. But is there something more? We’ll see. Next week is a big week. At Minnesota on Wednesday then at RSL for the Rocky Mountain Cup on Saturday. Hamzat Ojediran is suspended for yellow card accumulation and Holding for the red card.
“Short turnaround. That’s the best part about having midweek matches. There’s not much time to sulk,” said Rosenberry.
The Rapids Community honors Ryan Sabin:
Regardless of the result, the Rapids Community did right celebrating the memory of Ryan Sabin. Centennial 38 had a tifo that read “For Ryan. His passion is contagious.” There was a moment of silence before the National Anthem. The Oar was themed as well with the Sabin family as honorary Oar captains. There was a standing ovation in the 44th minute. Sabin was 44 when he died at the Open Cup game against Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
The family met with the team after the match. They expressed gratitude and support in a difficult time. Wells apologized for the result.
“I assume that’s what he would have wanted. Perhaps a better result would have helped. I hope in some small way we can put a smile on their faces. The 44th moment was a nice treat,” said Rosenberry.
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Spencer Baldwin 