Rapids Beaten Before Late Comeback

Consistency continues to be the weak point for the Colorado Rapids and they now find themselves winning five and losing six games following last night's 3-2 loss to LA Galaxy. It was hard to take. The Rapids had the lion's share of possession for basically the entire game but all the huffing and puffing didn't really get them anywhere until the last quarter of an hour or so when they had left themselves too much of a mountain to climb. If we're honest with ourselves, I don't really remember them having any real chances until that last 15 minutes when they managed to net two goals in reply to LA's three blows, two in the first half and one right after half-time. Even at 2-0 down at half-time, you sensed that the Rapids were still very much in the game because of their dominance in possession but to let that goal in in the 48th minute was a major blow from which it proved too difficult to recover. Colin Clark in the 73rd minute and substitute Herculez Gomez in the 84th netted for the Rapids but it wasn't enough. We also had Facundo Erpen rightly sent off for kicking LA's Alan Gordon whose own retaliation on the Argentinian also earned him a red card. All very disappointing. Just when you think the Rapids may break out and play consistently good soccer, it all comes crashing down. LA are not as bad as everyone was so arrogantly saying when the Rapids stuffed them 4-0 on opening day but they are not a good team. Beckham and Donovan work very well together but the team's defense is weak and we should not have lost this game.
On to Toronto next week and maybe there will be some significant personnel changes. We missed Mastroeni. Erpen will clearly miss some games which should see Ihemelu back in center defense where he is more effective than at right back. Kimura would step in there and should be playing there anyway once fully fit. Terry Cooke, somewhat surprisingly, did not get on the field and his time may be coming back in place of Jacob Peterson. Clark was one of the more effective players on the night, scoring a good goal and creating chances. Casey andMcManus will stay as the preferred duo up front. We have to find a way to do better on the road. At least we are scoring goals but we are leaving them until too late in the game.