The Colorado Rapids have stumbled in their last four games, and the rest of the season isn’t looking much brighter. News came out Tuesday that captain Drew Moor would miss the rest of the season with an ACL tear. That along with the news that Shane O’neill would be missing extended time as well has left the team battered going into their final 10 games. Wednesday they took on Landon Donavon and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first of 10 Western Conference matchups to end the season.
The Rapids would strike first. Colorado had been pressuring the goal right from the opening kick, but it would take a rebound to get on the board. Deshorn Brown took in a cross field pass and let a strike go at LA’s keeper Jaime Penedo. Penedo did well to block the shot, but gave up the rebound that rookie Marlong Hairston would make him pay for. Hairston found himself wide open behind four defenders and cut the ball across the net to give the Rapids an early 1-0 lead.
Just a couple minutes later the Rapids would tack on another one. In the 18th minute Edson Buddle would finally hit the century mark for goals when Dillon Powers delivered a corner kick right into the middle of the six-yard box. Buddle was able to bully his way past the LA Galaxy defense to get open and sent a header flying into the back of the net for just his second goal of the season.
But you can never count the Galaxy out. A couple minutes later in the 20th minute Robbie Keane would get one back for LA. Keane would find himself open and Dan Gargan would provide him with a perfect opportunity to score. Gargan would put in a long cross field pass right to Keane’s head and there was nothing the Rapids could do but look the ball hit the back of the net.
In the 30th minute the Rapids would get their two goal lead back after Dillon Powers was able to draw a costless kick just outside the 18 yard box. Powers and Marc Burch stepped up to take the kick, but it was Burch who would strike the ball. And strike it he did. Burch let loose a shot around the wall and toward the cross bar. The ball hit the cross bar and bounced off the ground and into the back of the net.
The first half was definitely not the prettiest soccer defensively for Colorado, but with a make shift defense and playing one of the most dangerous attacking duos in the league, letting up one goal cannot be seen as all that bad. The Rapids offense was the story of the half however. Colorado had scored just three goals in their last four games but were able to tally three in the half against the star studded LA team.
The Galaxy would draw one back in the 55th minute after a Landon Donovan costless kick. Donovan took the kick, but Omar Gonzalez would put it home. Clint Irwin came off his line to try and punch the ball out, but looked to have misread where the ball was going and Gonzalez was able to put it right by Irwin to bring the game within one.
The injury bug would bite another Rapids defender in the second half when Jared Watts would come up with a left hamstring strain. Rapids rookie Grant Van De Casteele would make his debut replacing Watts.
Alan Gordon would bring the Galaxy even with Colorado in the 68th minute. The Rapids found themselves playing zone defense and LA took advantage. Omar Gonzalez was able to head the ball right to new Galaxy signing Alan Gordon’s feet and Marvell Wynne could do nothing about it. With three Galaxy players around him Wynne was marking the middle, but Gordon was able to take the ball in and quickly put it past Irwin for the tying goal.
Colorado would bring on their designated player Gabriel Torres shortly after this and would start to push forward, but the Galaxy would hold fast and get a fourth goal on a counter attack. Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan would connect in the 80th minute when a defensive breakdown by the Rapids center backs left Donovan wide open and Keane found him in stride.
The Rapids would try to push forward and get the equalizer, but poor passing and shooting, combined with strong defensive play by LA would put any hopes Colorado had to rest.
The game was a story of two halves and defense spoke volumes in both. The Rapids defense played relatively well in the first half, giving LA chances but ultimately holding solid. In the second half fatigue showed for the Rapids and LA’s dangerous duo of Keane and Donovan took over. The Rapids are all but out of the playoff run after this loss and will need to find answers somewhere because it is apparent that whatever it is; it is not on the team currently.
The Rapids next match is on the road visiting the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on August 30th while the Galaxy's next game is three days away when they host the Vancouver Whitecaps at the StubHub Center.