Rapids’ calamity continues after 3-0 loss to Real Salt Lake

SALT LAKE CITY — The Colorado Rapids were trying to do something they haven’t done since 2007, win back-to-back games against Real Salt Lake in Utah. They failed to do so, losing 3-0 in one of the worst losses of the season.

“We’re disappointed obviously with the result,” captain Jack Price said. “We thought we were comfortable in the game until obviously the goals we conceded, which for our standards they’re below par so we take full responsibility as a team there.”

Is it revenge or is the curse back?

The Rapids snuck away with the Rocky Mountain Cup last season after a 5-0 victory at Rio Tinto Stadium. It was just the fourth time in 14 years of the rivalry the Rapids had taken home the cup and it was the first win in Salt Lake since 2007.

They beat the Vancouver Whitecaps at Rio Tinto Stadium earlier this season. With two straight wins at the stadium, it had appeared those demons could be behind them.

Until Saturday night.

In the 14th minute, Lalas Abubakar passed the ball back to goalkeeper William Yarbrough, when Yarbrough went to stop it, the ball was no longer there. It went past Yarbrough and across the goal line before the goalkeeper could get to it. A play that will likely end up on SportsCenter’s not top 10.

“Will’s been fantastic for us this season, he has so many clean sheets already,” Price said. “… So one error, I’m not going to put him down in the ground because it is what it is. It happens. Unfortunately he’s a goalkeeper so if he makes a mistake it usually ends in a goal.”

In the 30th minute, the Rapids found themselves on the wrong side of a turnover once again. After a corner kick, with most of their defenders in or near the opponent’s box, Andre Shinyashiki lost control of the ball. It was cleared to RSL’s Bobby Wood, who carried it down the pitch, beat Keegan Rosenberry one-on-one and slotted it home to put his squad up 2-0.

“We made some really bad mistakes tonight,” head coach Robin Fraser said. “We made some really bad mistakes and it was always going to be a challenge when we give away the goals that we did… [B]ut we move on.”

The Rapids showed signs of life in the second half, dominating possession and creating a few chances. But in the end it wasn’t enough and RSL sealed the deal in the 77th minute with a goal from Rubio Rubin.

“I think we were not clinical in those chances,” Fraser said, as the Rapids held the ball for 58% of the match but didn’t have anything to show for it. “And in our final actions at times not precise enough.”

Around 50 Rapids fans, as part of the supporter’s group Centennial 38, made the 500 mile-plus trek in a bus from Denver to Salt Lake for the match. It is not the first time they will be going home disappointed.

“I’m disappointed for them that we didn’t do better–certainly, that we didn’t do better on the scoreboard—but it was tremendous to look up and see how many Rapids there were,” Fraser said. “It was really heartwarming.”

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