The last time Colorado tripped to Los Angeles to face the Galaxy, Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo vowed to cut off further communication to the MLS competition committee over what he deemed were a pair of dubious Landon Donovan penalty kicks in the last five minutes that paved the way for his team's defeat.
So one wonders when Clavijo will get around to speaking with his rearguard after two horrendous pieces of first-half defending Saturday put the Galaxy on track for a 4-1 thrashing of the Rapids at The Home Depot Center.
Colorado, which saw its five-match unbeaten streak end and was reduced to 10 men after center back Nat Borchers was sent off in the 21st minute, had no one to blame but itself in failing to close the gap with the squad immediately looking down at it in the Western Conference.
"We make some individual mistakes that cost us the game, but I'm looking forward to playing the Galaxy again, 11-v-11, without any red cards, with no penalties," Clavijo said. "We get the red card and that changes the game. It was crucial."
The Galaxy scored its quickest goal of the season, in the sixth minute, when Peter Vagenas played Herculez Gomez, seemingly, through to goal. However, Rapids defender Hunter Freeman raced over to dispossess Gomez before losing the ball on his own feet in his penalty area and turning it back over to Gomez, who set himself and fired a 15-yard shot into the roof of the net.
Borchers, who received a yellow card for a late challenge on Landon Donovan right on four minutes, picked up a second caution in pulling Gomez down from behind atop the area to deny a clear scoring chance and placed his teammates further under siege.
The Galaxy doubled their lead in the 24th minute as two Rapids defenders stood flat-footed in watching Donovan run in between them to head Cobi Jones' near-post cross from the right flank past Rapids goalkeeper Joe Cannon. Realistically, there was no way back for the Rapids to earn a result after that.
"Those first two goals, I think we got to hold ourselves to a higher standard," Freeman said. "I take all the blame for the first one. I probably should've just kicked it out. I just tried to take a touch and clear it and then it got caught underneath me.
"The second goal, there's one or two guys who were there. We had guys in position. I don't know if there was miscommunication or what. Having to play 70 minutes down a man, you're already chasing the game. It could have been worse."
Just as Colorado debated Donovan's spot kicks on May 8, Borchers debated the validity of his initial card on Donovan.
"I would have to say that the first one I disagree with. I think that, any other league in the world, that's not a yellow," Borchers said. "Those first 15 minutes against a good team like L.A., we really need to stay focused and realize we're here to get a result instead of going forward and banging with them."
The Rapids did pull a goal back in the 48th minute on Beckerman's first MLS goal this season, a first-time, 24-yard strike into the left-side netting, but the Galaxy was rewarded for playing the counterattack when Gomez added a second in the 66th minute in beating Cannon one-on-one.
As for the Rapids' spot kick fortunes in L.A., Joseph Ngwenya was body-blocked by Eric Denton, setting up Guillermo Ramirez for his first MLS goal. His spot kick caromed off the left post, off the backside of Cannon, who slid the wrong way initially, and in.
Clavijo had no issue with the referee's decision, even shaking the officials' hands after the match and saying, "I thought the officiating was good."
With Colorado's 12-point cushion on Real Salt Lake for the conference's fourth, and final, playoff berth, Saturday was about playoff positioning. The Rapids are eight points behind the Galaxy for third, though they have two matches in hand on L.A. and play Real Salt Lake three times and fellow MLS expansion side Chivas USA twice more among their final seven matches.
"It doesn't matter who we play," Clavijo said. "You have to play them all to get there. San Jose, when they play at Spartan Stadium, that's a completely different game so they may be a little more difficult."
Added Borchers: "I think it's very crucial for us to come into the playoffs in good form."
Already without Jean Philippe Peguero, suspended for caution points accumulation, Clavijo chose to start 11-goal man Jeff Cunningham and central midfielder Pablo Mastroeni on the bench. Both participated in the USA's World Cup qualifier Wednesday at Guatemala along with Donovan and Chris Albright, who both started for the Galaxy. Donovan went the full 90 minutes.
"Pablo hasn't played much for us. Injury is always an issue with him," Clavijo said, adding that Cunningham "hasn't been with the team for the last month, with all the MLS stuff in going to Spain (to play an exhibition against Real Madrid) and the World Cup qualifying."
Damian Secore is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
