When the dust settled on fast-and-furious final stages Wednesday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Colorado Rapids emerged as 2-1 winners over the LA Galaxy.
The game-winner surfaced in the 85th minute via a Nicolas Mezquida penalty kick, as he slotted past David Bingham. The chance came after rookie striker Andre Shinyashiki was tripped up during a slaloming run in the 18-yard box.
Mezquida’s game-winner erased what the LA Galaxy thought was a late equalizer, with Giancarlo Gonzalez rising highest on a corner kick in the 82nd minute. His header made it 1-1 and would have propelled the visitors to a much-needed point.
If that wasn’t enough, Colorado midfielder Cole Bassett opened the scoring in the 79th minute on a glanced header. Galaxy defender Jorgen Skjelvik missed his mark, and the Homegrown Player made no mistake in nodding home Jack Price’s cross from a free kick.
Until goals were traded late, it was a game of goalkeeping. By night’s end, LA’s David Bingham and Colorado’s Clint Irwin traded a combined 16 saves.
There was also a point of controversy deep into second-half stoppage time, as Galaxy forward Cristian Pavon was shown a red card after trying to win the ball near the corner flag. Upon Video Review, head referee Fotis Bazakos changed it to a yellow card.
Video Review again came into play after the Pavon incident, as Colorado defender Danny Wilson kicked Galaxy defender Rolf Feltscher in the head on an attempted clearance on the goalmouth. However, no penalty kick was awarded after the collision.
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Goals
- 79' – COL – Cole Bassett | WATCH
- 82' – LA – Giancarlo Gonzalez | WATCH
- 85' – COL – Nicolas Mezquida (PK) | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: It’s now three straight wins for Colorado since they hired Robin Fraser as head coach. A spot in the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs is a longshot, but the Rapids seem to have something brewing. As for the Galaxy, they’re now winless in their last four games and remain just outside of the Western Conference playoff picture. They have five games left to avoid missing the playoffs for a third straight year.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: On an evening ripe with controversial moments, the late penalty-kick shout from Rolf Feltscher stands out the most. Colorado defender Danny Wilson certainly kicked the Galaxy defender’s head, though no PK came after Video Review. Any such chance would have given LA a golden chance to equalize in stoppage time.
- MAN OF THE MATCH. The goalkeepers put on an absolute show, but the nod here goes to Colorado striker Andre Shinyashiki. He drew the late penalty kick and was a menace for the Galaxy defense from start to finish.
Next Up
- COL: Sunday, Sept. 15 at Toronto FC (5 pm ET | TSN4, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US)
- LA: Sunday, Sept. 15 vs. Sporting Kansas City (10 pm ET | FS1, TSN2)
