The Rapids Are Knocked Out...Again

In a game the Rapids had to win by 2 goals to finally move on in a knockout competition for the first time* since 2016 they gave up 2 goals before scoring a PK in stoppage time, then giving up 2 more goals to lose 4-1.  In other words, exactly like every other Rapids game we've seen in crunch time in the last 10+ years.  Oh, and we had a 2 hour rain delay to start the game, just like we've seen other times this season.

* - Not counting USOC games against lower league competition

That PK was really the perfect encapsulation of this team right now.  Kevin Cabral gets a 1 v1 breakaway against the keeper and decides the best move is to attempt a back heel pass that goes generously 3 yards to to an onrushing Barrios that was at least 15 yards behind the play at that point instead of, you know, shooting it 1 on 1 inside the box.  Lucky for Cabral is complete paranoia at shooting was covered up by the chasing defender wiping him out just after the pass, earning the PK.  It was a ridiculous decision by our big offseason signing.

Really, that's all the time I want to spend on this game.  There was nothing surprising about it, its just the same depressingly below average team we've seen for almost two seasons.  The Rapids enter this year in 4 major and 1 minor competition.

USOC: Eliminated

Leagues Cup: Eliminated

Supporters Shield: One Cincinnati win or one Colorado draw/loss from elimination

MLS Cup: In last place in the West having to jump 5 teams and make up a 10 point deficit in 11 games

Rocky Mountain Cup: Down 3 points after the first of three games

We've known since before Memorial Day that we were down to the Leagues Cup and the RMC, and now its just the RMC.   Pathetic.

And this is hardly new for this club.  Since winning MLS Cup in 2010 the Rapids have played in 20 knockout competitions.  The Leagues Cup, MLS Is Back tournament, CONCACAF Champions League (x3), MLS Playoffs (x5), and the Open Cup (x10).  They have been eliminated in the round they entered in 12 of them.  6 of the others were Open Cup tournaments where we beat a lower league team before being eliminated.

The Rapids combined record in those 20 tournaments is 12-3-27.  Of the 12 wins, 7 of them were against USL/NASL competition in the Open Cup.  3 of them were against Central American teams in the Champions League.  So of our 12 (of a possible 42) wins, 10 of them were against competition that would generally be ranked below a MLS team.  The only two wins against an equally ranked team were the wins over Columbus (2011) and LA (2016) in the playoffs.

The Rapids have played 25 games in knockout competitions against MLS and Liga MX teams since winning MLS Cup.  They have won 2 of them.  An 8% winning percentage against competition they aren't just expected to beat.  They also have two draws,  So they lost 84% of the games they've played when advancement is on the line.  Its hard to take anything this club says seriously until that changes.

Make Rapids Fun Again