Rapids shut down by Austin in 2-0 loss
The Colorado Rapids (6-4-7) were shut out by Austin FC (6-5-7) 2-0 on Saturday night. The Rapids continued to struggle offensively, being unable to convert any of their 19 shots into points, with an uninspired attack all night.
Despite having two in-form strikers, Colorado head coach Chris Armas elected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Rafael Navarro leading the attack instead of Darren Yapi. With Zack Steffen still out with a knee injury, Nico Hansen once again started in between the sticks.
Six minutes into the match, Rapids fullback Jackson Travis was caught playing out of position which led to an enemy fast-break. Austin’s Mikkel Desler found the back of the net to put Colorado behind early.
“We could have started much better on the front foot trying to take risks,” Rapids midfielder Ted Ku-DiPietro said after the game. “If we are on the front foot in the first 10 minutes, we don’t concede.”
For the rest of the half, the Rapids held on by a thread. Hansen was able to deny any other goals, but if it had not been for his excellent play, Colorado could have easily been down 4-0.
After a great stop by Hansen early in the second half, in the 66th minute a powerful curling corner kick found the head of Navarro who accidentally headered the ball past Hansen. It was the Rapids’ second own goal of the year and gave Austin a 2-0 advantage.
Colorado never truly woke up on offense, as Hansen continued to bail his team out while his attack was unable to create any opportunities. Despite having 19 shots on the night and Austin only allowing 13 goals all season, they couldn’t find any points to bring the game closer. Both of the Rapids’ top scorers Navarro and captain Djordje Mihailovic struggled against Austin’s backline.
“It’s a frustrating night,” Rapids defender Reggie Cannon said after the loss. “Offensively we created the right chances, we just didn’t put the ball in the net, and at the end of the day, they punished us.”
With the loss, Colorado sits in ninth place in the Western Conference. If the season were to end today, The Rapids would play in the play-in game for a spot in the playoffs.
The Rapids will host Orlando City SC (7-6-4) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. MT. The game can be streamed on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.