Wednesday night was a game of missed opportunities that culminated into a scoreless draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy. For LA, it was another frustrating night of not being able to pull ahead of the opponent. For Colorado, though, it was a hard-fought road point that widened the gap between them and FC Dallas in the Western Conference.
Answering pre-match questions
The biggest question was how Colorado’s back line would look (and fare) without four of their defenders. Pablo Mastroeni ended up starting his back four, from left to right, with: Miller, Sjoberg, Watts and Castillo – a new look at the back line that was destined to face a challenge from the league’s top offense.
Miller did a tremendous job clearing and recovering balls, and Castilo did the same on the right side with a key block in front of MacMath in the 79th minute.
To the delight of many Rapids fans, Marco Pappa was back for his sixth start. He played a solid 73 minutes with quality Pappa-esque passing and three shots.
Who impressed
The back line
Colorado’s new back line started off slow against the Galaxy, giving up three corner kicks in the first 18 minutes of play. Down the stretch though, the Rapids’ defense stood tall and fended off a Galaxy attacking side that refused to settle for another draw. Considering the inexperience on half of the line against the quality of LA’s strikers, this was a very impressive performance from Colorado.
Marco Pappa
Pappa has been questionable for a few months with an injury he sustained in April against the Red Bulls. He was a sub in the Rapids’ last match, scoring the game winner in their 2-1 win against Chicago on Saturday.
Wednesday though, Pappa put up a solid chunk of playing time while distributing the ball in quality ways to create key chances for Mastroeni’s side. It was only a matter of time before the Guatemalan midfielder returned to the starting lineup, and when he did, he certainly didn’t disappoint.
Zac MacMath
MacMath was huge. Especially late against Giovani dos Santos and newly-recalled Jack McBean, MacMath may have saved the Rapids’ night. He made quality save after quality save, but perhaps none bigger than the one on Alan Gordon in stoppage time.
What could be improved
Finishing
The Rapids squandered too many chances against the Galaxy, simple as that. Pappa’s impeccable footwork created the chances, and Marlon Hairston (among others) ran with them, but Colorado couldn’t put them away. The Rapids had one final chance at the whistle, but Sam Cronin’s left-footed shot from just outside the penalty box missed left.
Looking ahead
The Rapids now have a U.S. Open Cup match with FC Dallas on Wednesday in Frisco, Texas. It doesn’t mean anything in terms of MLS, but a win would put them one step closer to being the first-ever team to win the Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup, and U.S. Open Cup in the same season. After that, it’s the day everyone has been waiting for: The Rapids will host Portland on July 4 in Tim Howard’s Rapids debut.
Portland is not the best team at defending opponents’ scoring chances or protecting the lead. That being said, Mastroeni’s style of high-tempo soccer along with pressing the ball is crucial to securing three points against the defending MLS Cup champions.
The Timbers, though, are strong when it comes to finishing chances themselves. So if Mastroeni inserts the same back line, they better replicate what happened at StubHub Center.
The Timbers will be without Alvas Powell and Darren Mattocks for the July 4 game. Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey has a torn ligament in his finger and may not play.