Rapids embarrassed by MLS Cup playoff loss to LA Galaxy

The Colorado Rapids did well to go into halftime with just a one-goal lead against the LA Galaxy in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday night.

The first 10 minutes of the second half made it clear that this Rapids team, running out of gas and impactful players, had stumbled upon an MLS Cup contender in immaculate form. The result: a deflating 5-0 loss back home to Colorado for Game 2.

“The message (to the team) is clear: these games are coming. “They’re a good team and we found out again: (Galaxy) is a good team,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said. “We knew we were prepared for it, but the message is clear: no matter how many goals you lose tonight, the next game is the most important right now.

“You’ve got to get home, 18,000 fans waiting for us on Friday night and we’re going to figure this out. “I’m the type of coach and person that will take a long, hard look at it and find the solution to help us get there.”

The only goal of the first half came in the Galaxy’s only corner of the half. Galaxy forward Dejan Joveljic headed a high cross from Riqui Puig and vertically beat Reggie Cannon to reach it. The shot looked direct, but it slipped through the hands of Zack Steffen to his left.

Then it got ugly. In the 52nd minute, Galaxy left back John Nelson received a pass from right back Miki Yamane in a dangerous position, touched it and buried it in the top right corner of the opposite corner, past Steffen. Less than two minutes later, Joveljic returned the favor for Puig in the first half with an assist for the Spanish midfielder to make it 3-0.

Joveljic got his double in the 75th minute and Puig got his in the 87th minute.

Rapids defenseman and captain Keegan Rosenberry attributed the result to his team running into a host of great players with the strings pulled by Puig, as evidenced by his three goal contributions that night.

He said the Galaxy didn’t necessarily do anything different than the first two matchups of the season (both losses in which the Rapids gave up three goals) but they simply did more with the intensity of the playoffs.

“Special players, good, talented guys. We didn’t do a good job of limiting them, and especially Puig,” Rosenberry said. “Our task is to try to force him off the ball and not give him time on the ball. He’s a guy who goes and finds the ball, gets into different spots that are unorthodox and difficult to track.

“He is a good player and they have a lot of that. “Tonight we didn’t do a good job and we got punished for it.”

The Rapids ruled out star midfielder Djordje Mihailovic with an ankle injury in the week leading up to the game, but expected local star Cole Bassett to return after a month-long quadriceps injury. As of Friday, the club said Bassett was ready, but he suffered a setback and was deemed unfit ahead of Saturday’s game.