Well, That Was Predictable

 

From my preview:

The Rapids can't sit back and try for the scoreless draw though, that will almost certainly fail.  Scoring a goal will force LAFC to score 3 to win outright and that should be the focus.  We might be able to prevent a 3-1 loss, but we can't prevent a 1-0 loss.

With 0 shots on goal for the second game in a row the Rapids were unable to prevent a 1-0 loss and elimination from CONCACAF play at the first step for a fifth time.  The team started out strong and spent the first half largely frustrating the LAFC attack while getting a couple of looks in themselves.  At halftime I wrote that it was a good 45 and there would be no shame in going out to a team like LAFC playing this way.

Then the second half happened.  In the 48th minute Rosenberry got beat on the wing and a cross got it.  Cannon's man got goal-side of him and was able to redirect it on net.  Steffen got a leg on the ball but not enough to keep it out and suddenly the Rapids had to chance the game.  But they didn't.  With 40+ minutes left and needing a goal to advance the Rapids got 0 shots on target and rarely looked dangerous.  Pitiful.

The other notable incident was in the 82nd minute when Awaziem was speaking to the ref about an off-ball incident.  The game was delayed for 5+ minutes with no explanation.  After that game it was revealed that Awaziem heard LAFC's Palencia use a unacceptable slur towards him and wanted the process for unacceptable language followed.  Which, by all accounts, it was.  If no ref heard it and it wasn't picked up by the mics (reviewing them was likely the cause of the delay) then there's noting the ref can do.  The game played on with a remarkably short amount of stoppage time given the delay, but it wouldn't have mattered.  We could have had 20 minutes and we weren't going to score.

Obviously there's no room for discriminatory language in the game (or anywhere) so full support to Awaziem for having to deal with whatever was said.  Unfortunately all we have are the two players words on what happened.  CONCACAF is initiating an investigation but unless other players around heard what was said this will likely result in no further action being taken.  And that's absolutely fair.  While I'm sure Awaziem believes what he is saying its possible that he misheard or misunderstood what Palencia said.  Without any sort of proof or other player's corroboration its unfair to Palencia to just assume he said something derogatory.

Moving back to the result you have to say with 45 minutes left this result was a disappointment.  I don't think 10 days ago the Rapids were favored to advance but at halftime last night it was pretty clear LAFC didn't have 3 goals in them so 1 goal by the Rapids would have ensured 30 minutes of extra time at worst.  Instead we got a completely punch less offense that couldn't put a shot on goal the whole game.  As expected that result led to a 1-0 loss.

There was some history made last night.  It was the first time in Rapids history that they have gone two full games ion a row without a shot on target.  Both goals against LAFC in the first leg were Mihailovic bangers from a set piece so through 3 games the team has no goals from the run of play and zero assists.  Not a good start to the season.

They also continued their history of being the only MLS team with multiple CCL/CCC appearances to have never advanced past their opening round.  20 other MLS teams have appeared multiple times and advanced a least once.  Not only that we've been eliminated pretty much every way possible.  On points (Toronto 2018, Santos Laguna & Isidrio Metapan, 2011), total goals (Leono, 1998), PKs (Comunicaciones, 2022) and now away goals against LAFC.  We've also been eliminated 5 times by teams from 5 different countries, Mexico (Leon, 1998), El Salvador (Isidrop Metapan, 2011), Canada (Toronto, ,2018), Guatemala (Comunicaciones, 2022), and America (LAFC, 2025).  So at least we're keeping our failures interesting.

Man of the Match: Chidozie Awaziem.  He was my choice before the language incident happened but playing through that is an added bonus.  He was more than solid all night, making some pretty defensive plays when needed.  He's looking like our best offseason acquisition so far.

Rapids Try For First Ever CCL/CCC Advancement

This is Colorado's 5th time in CONCACAF Champions League/Cup play and in the prior 4 tournaments they were eliminated in their opening round.  They have a chance to break that streak tomorrow night in LA but it will be a tough hill to climb.  Colorado has never gotten a a point at LAFC and they've struggled to even score.

The good news is that a 0-0 draw is all they need.  In fact any win or draw gets them through, but a 1-0 loss does them in.  A 2-1 loss forces an extra 30 minutes and then PKs if still tied.  If the Rapids can score more than 1 goal though then LAFC would have to win by 2.

In their two games so far LAFC has largely sat back and waited for their opportunities to attack, which really haven't come.  In the second half this weekend they made halftime changes that led to them controlling the second half.  Lets hope they revert back tomorrow night.  The Rapids can't sit back and try for the scoreless draw though, that will almost certainly fail.  Scoring a goal will force LAFC to score 3 to win outright and that should be the focus.  We might be able to prevent a 3-1 loss, but we can't prevent a 1-0 loss.

Its still a long shot though, especially with our injuries.  I doubt anyone who wasn't available will be available tomorrow night, not enough time to suddenly get healthy.  So we're going to be asking the back line to play their 3rd game in 8 days, along with a good chunk of our midfield and Navarro.  The natural inclination is going to be conserve energy and play off LAFC but we need to lean the other way and push hard for an early goal.

Prediction: 3-1 loss in extra time.  Goal by Navarro.  I think we force the bonus 30 minutes but then our defensive legs run out and LAFC gets the winner to move on and play Columbus.

2025 Starts With A Deep-Freeze, Again

 

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.  The 30th season of Rapids soccer starts tomorrow night with the CONCACAF Champions Cup match against LAFC in Commerce City.  A Commerce City that will, once again, be flirting with single-digit temperatures and negative wind-chill temps come kickoff tomorrow night.  The scheduling did us no favors either with kickoff at 8 instead of the normal 7:30 or even 7 due to having enough TV time for the earlier games.

Coincidentally enough KC is going to be dealing with the same artic storm, though in their case with snow, and they got their game postponed 24 hours to Wednesday.  Something that hasn't been offered to the Rapids for tomorrow night, or in 2022, or in 2018 when we dealt with this.  What's the difference?  Oh right, KC's opponent tomorrow is Inter Messi.  Anyway in the end it wouldn't make much difference, Wednesday would only be about 5 degrees warmer.

So, on to the game.  Unfortunately we got no favors in the draw, matching up with LAFC who has been a bit of a bogey team for us.  While we seem to play well enough against them on in Colorado, going to LA is a house of horrors.  So it means we really need to put up a good score tomorrow night.

I expect us to play compressed and make them drive the game at us, then hit them quickly on a counter.  Look for direct passes to Navarro trying to get behind the defense in the transition.  If LAFC gets a league though we'll have to open up and they've been deadly when we do that.

Ted Ku-DiPietro and Darren Yapi are both dealing with injuries and won't be available.  Sam Vines was expected to be ready for this one, but given the cold they may hold him out and not risk things.  Josh Atencio just got to Colorado today, he might be on the bench but he certainly won't start.  Otherwise the full team should be available.  I expect Awaziem to be the only new face we see in the starting XI though, otherwise I think you'll see a similar XI to what we played last season with Larraz getting the start next to Bassett in midfield and probably Calvin Harris as the winger opposite Cabral.

Prediction: 2-1 win, goals by Navarro and Bassett.  LAFC scores between our two goals but the one goal margin and giving up away goal puts us behind the 8-ball going back to LA.