Everyone has a bad day every now and then, and unfortunately for Colorado, their’s happened to come Friday night in front of a ferocious FC Dallas attack that rolled to a 3-0 win over the previously undefeated Rapids.
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Two goals on either side of halftime by reigning MLS MVP David Ferreira – the second one just seconds into the start of the second half – and one from Ugo Ihemelu confirmed Dallas’ superiority on the night.
[inline_node:333387]“The goals were at very nice times for them,” Smith told MLSsoccer.com. “They played quite well and were clearly up for it and we were well below par. It was a bad day at the office.”
Smith refused to blame the absence of key players like Conor Casey (hamstring) and Pablo Mastroeni (ruled out after failing a pregame fitness test due to a calf injury). Rather, it was a generally poor performance by the whole team, he said.
“Sometimes, you just can’t put your finger on it,” Smith said. “We have to be able to deal better with the adversities that will be thrown at us. We didn’t start particularly well and we weren’t threatening enough going forward until those last 20 minutes.”
Younger players like Joseph Nane – who started in place of Mastroeni – and Sanna Nyassi – who got the nod ahead of Brian Mullan – struggled thoughout the game. But they were not the only ones.
“I liked Joseph’s industry but, technically, like a lot of the players tonight, he was below the standard he is capable of,” Smith said. “It was a tough night for Sanna and life was made very difficult for him given where we were playing in that first half.”
The only option for the Rapids, who remain atop the Western Conference despite the stumble, is to regroup for a tough Rocky Mountain Cup first leg matchup at Real Salt Lake in Utah slated for April 13.
Smith described Mastroeni’s chances of playing in that game as “tight.” The Rapids could also find themselves without fullback Anthony Wallace, who came out in the 63rd minute vs. Dallas because of a calf injury. His chances are slim, Smith said.
