Rapids dominate LA Galaxy, earn first win of June
The Burgundy Boys got their first win of the month over the reigning MLS champions
The Colorado Rapids (7-4-8) got back in the win column, after shutting out the reigning MLS champion LA Galaxy (1-5-13) on Wednesday night. Colorado’s captain, Djordje Mihailovic, scored his eighth goal of the season en route to a much-needed 2-0 win.
Head coach Chris Armas elected to use a 4-2-3-1 formation with Rafael Navarro as the lone striker. Winger Calvin Harris made his first start of the season in place of Sam Bassett who started the night on the bench.
The Rapids almost took an early lead In the eighth minute after Mihailovic received a pass from Navarro that was quickly converted into a goal. However, the score was disallowed after it was ruled that Navarro was offside when he received the set up pass.
In the 24th minute, Mihailovic put one in the back of the net following a perfectly placed ball by defender Sam Vines. The Captain leads the Rapids with eight goals, accounting for 40% of the team’s 20 goals.
Just four minutes later, Harris received a ball in the right side of the box and blasted a shot into the bottom left bin to extend the Rapids’ lead to 2-0.
“He’s done enough to earn the start,” Armas said after the game. “I'm thrilled for Calvin [Harris], I'm really happy for him.”
Harris continued his excellent play into the second half and nearly capped off his brace had it not been for the left post that denied one of his shots.
Although the Galaxy led in nearly every offensive stat including shots and shots on target, their star-studded attack including the likes of Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil could not net a goal. Both attackers had more than 10 goals last season but have a combined four goals through the first half of the season.
“I’m proud of the way we stepped onto the pitch,” coach Armas said following the win. “It’s obviously an important win.”
Mihailovic, Navarro and Harris all played remarkably well which is a good sign as the team nears its final 15 games. The key for Colorado to find success down the stretch of the season is finding offensive help outside Mihailovic and Navarro. With Harris and midfielder Ted Ku-Dipietro both providing goal contributions, Armas’ squad could finally be escaping their rough patch of games.
The Rapids now head over to Massachusetts to take on the New England Revolution (6-5-6) on Saturday. Kickoff against the Revolution is set for 5:30 p.m. MT (MLS Season Pass via Apple TV).