The Colorado Rapids needed every last minute of their home opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday to come away with a win. Tied at nil after 90 minutes, the referees added five minutes to try and decide an outcome. With a 95th minute left-footed strike, Marco Pappa gave the Rapids a thrilling 1-0 victory in their 2016 opener at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
The former Sounders FC playmaker came on for Dominique Badji with just over 30 minutes to go but he left it until the final play of the match when he rocketed home a loose ball off the crossbar from 12 yards out.
FT: This is how you win a game Marco Pappa! #COLvLA https://t.co/9XvgOCEYnX
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 13, 2016
“I think it was a fantastic win for the guys,” head coach Pablo Mastroeni said postgame. “They’ve been putting in a lot of effort since the start of preseason. Marco joined us about halfway through preseason and for him to get this goal tonight I think is very special. I’ve been babying him a little bit as far as the minutes. I feel that Marco is an integral part of everything that we’re going to do this year. My goal is to make sure he is one hundred percent healthy and fit. There were moments of brilliance when he first came in this season and tonight as well.”
The Galaxy’s best chance of the game came in the first half, when defender Jelle Van Damme was picked out by Steven Gerrard’s free kick. The Belgian center back hit the crossbar before Zac MacMath was able to corral the ball inside the six-yard box.
“I think [Jared Watts] Wattsy and Axel [Sjöberg] were fantastic against a very good strike force in Gyasi [Zardes], [Mike] Magee and [Robbie] Keane,” Mastroeni said. “I think it was a complete group effort. I think the two guys in front of the back four were fantastic as well closing down passing lanes. I think the guys up front did a fantastic job putting things on goal, on frame, which is another thing we’ve been talking about. I think Zac [MacMath] was fantastic. Everyone had a great game, and at the end, I think it was a deserved result.”
For the second week in a row, the Rapids outshot their opponent – this time, 13 to 8 with 8 shots on goal to the Galaxy’s one.
“I think we had a great game,” Pappa said, “we kept it balanced. Each line, defenders, midfield and forwards did a great job. At the end of the day, we got a result. I’m not just happy for me, I’m happy for the team because they put in a great effort.”
The Rapids were able to bounce back after a narrow 1-0 loss at the hands of the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend and are 1-1-0 to start the season. The Galaxy also have a 1-1-0 record after a 4-1 come-from-behind victory at home against D.C. United in their first game of the season.