The Colorado Rapids returned home Saturday after a disappointing mid-week loss to take on Real Salt Lake in the second leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup. The Rapids would have a big hill to climb in this game as RSL had a 7-1-5 record when both Nick Rimando and Kyle Beckerman both played in 2014. Colorado did have two of their key players return from injury, Jose Mari and Deshorn Brown, however, neither would do much on the night.

RSL put the pressure to Colorado in the first ten minutes of the match, but Colorado held strong. Thanks mainly to a tremendous one handed save by Clint Irwin off a Robbie Findley shot. RSL would end up getting on the board first though. In the 14th minute, Javier Morales was able to find space at the top of the Rapids 18 yard-box and put the ball into the back of the net. A couple bad plays by Chris Klute and Marvell Wynne allowed RSL to get the ball back into the middle of the field and Morales to get a foot on it.

Colorado was trying to play long balls forward to Brown for much of the first half, unfortunately for them and Brown, RSL had him covered solidly the entire time. Nat Borchers and Aaron Maund looked to be stuck on him; not giving him any costlessdom to use his speed, which is where he is most dangerous.

The Rapids would have a chance at a goal in the 28th when Marc Burch centered a corner kick but Brown skied it over the net. Then in the 31st minute, Nick Labrocca took a dangerous shot from the top of RSL’s 18, but just like Brown before him, put it over the net. Colorado looked to be gaining some momentum and taking some pressure off their defense, but RSL was standing tall defensively. Colorado would go into half down one goal, but their improved play over the final 25 minutes of the first half was a big positive.

The Rapids would open up the second half with a nice run from Deshorn Brown and Vicente Sanchez. Sanchez would try to dribble around Maund of RSL. Maund would end up taking Sanchez down at the top of the box, earning the Rapids a costless kick and himself a red card ejection forcing RSL to play a man down for the entire second half.

The Rapids seemed content to take shots from distance with the man advantage. This proved fruitless in the first 15 minutes of the second half. While they were getting their chances at goal none were very dangerous or even that close to on target.

Colorado would make a couple of moves in the 73rd minute bringing on Gaby Torres and Carlos Alvarez for Dillon Serna and Jose Mari. With a big need to push forward offensively and take advantage of RSL being down a man, the Rapids hoped their designated player would make a difference.

The Rapids continued to push forward and earn chances, but defensively RSL was stout and forced Colorado to take shots from distance, which has shown to be a weakness for the club throughout the season.

For a team that needed a win, the showing on the night was sub par at best. With RSL playing a man down for the entire second half the Rapids looked ill-prepared to take advantage. Strategically, Colorado looked out of it as well. With no subs until late in the second half, the Rapids seemed to not want to change their line-up insisting on keeping Brown up top alone. While they did start to have some build up, Brown, playing as a target striker, was unable to get around the RSL defense, which effectively put him out of the game.