COMMERCE CITY — Going down two goals — twice — against a team’s bitter rival is enough to drive a head coach to give a blunt one-sentence, 11-word opening remark following a loss.
Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser did just that in his opening postgame comments following a thoroughly disappointing 3-2 loss to Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“We can’t expect to concede goals like that and win games,” Fraser said.
The Rapids lost a third straight game in the span of one week, as they were unable to fight back from two-goal deficits twice at 2-0 and 3-1. Despite a late goal from Lalas Abubakar, it wasn’t enough. Colorado (2-6-6, 12 points) was unable to find its home form again as it is still winless at DSGP. The Rapids are 0-3-3 through six games this season — the last team in MLS without a home win.
“As we talked about last time, one goal can’t turn into four. Tonight, one goal turned into three and for me it was just defensive frailty, we absolutely have to be better. All three goals I thought were soft,” Fraser said.
Real Salt Lake made the most of its early opportunity while Colorado couldn’t. Six minutes after Zac MacMath tipped a Bryan Acosta shot off the crossbar, the visitors struck first. In the 12th minute, Bryan Ruiz’ shot took a deflection off of Connor Ronan from 30 yards out and beat William Yarbrough at his near post to make it 1-0.
RSL took a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute as Colorado failed to clear a bouncing ball in its box and Acosta turned the ball over. After the turnover, RSL got a second chance as Danny Musovski scored and it deflected off of Danny Wilson.
Wilson had a shot at redemption minutes later. Off a dangerous free-kick opportunity, Wilson flicked on a header into the top left-hand corner to cut the deficit to 2-1. It was Wilson’s first goal since September 2021.
Colorado was unable to keep it to a one-goal game through halftime as the visitors added a third. After RSL counterattacked and Colorado rushed to get back into position, captain Damir Kreilach made a late run into the box and was eventually fed the ball, which he placed into the bottom right-hand corner to make it 3-1.
As the halftime whistle, the boo-birds were not out at DSGP. Rather, it was more of a stunned audience as it was expecting a response after the mid-week 4-0 loss to Atlanta United.
In the second half, Colorado pressed the issue with a pair of substitutes at the 62-minute mark as Ralph Priso and Michael Barrios came in to bring energy.
In the 74th minute, Colorado cut into the deficit once again. Off of a recycled cross, Danny Wilson served a ball into the box and Abubakar got on the end of it to reduce the deficit to 3-2. The fans kept up the energy, but the team was unable to find a game-tying goal.
Colorado tried to float long balls to counter RSL’s back line but the visitors managed the pressure well. In a late effort, Fraser brought on Anthony Markanich but he wasn’t able to make the difference.
“There’s been games here that we should’ve won, there’s no doubt about it,” Wilson said. “But we’ve given teams encouragement that come here and have given up goals or haven’t been quite clean with our play. It’s funny because over the period of time I’ve been here, the home form’s been really good. So, strange for us not to win yet. … The games here have been disappointing because we haven’t won yet, but over the course of the season I’m sure we’ll be picking them up.”
At the full-time whistle, boos rained down on the field as RSL improved 26-15-13 against the Rapids all-time in regular-season Rocky Mountain Cup games.
The teams will do battle once again Wednesday in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 at DSGP for a spot in the quarterfinal.
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