Both the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake made it clear that winning the Rocky Mountain Cup didn’t matter much on Saturday night. A spot in the Western Conference play-in game, also largely at odds in Sandy, Utah, took precedence.
Even with a 1-0 loss, the Rapids retained the cup since they won it outright in three 2024 matchups and won 1-0 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park earlier this year. Though the Rapids took the cup home for the second straight year, their reactions on the field were telling.
The broadcast showed heads down and blank stares from the Rapids while RSL celebrated like it had already won a play-in game. But that’s what this match felt like: a right of passage to the next stage of the season.
RSL, with multiple counterattack chances to double its lead and take the cup in the final 20 minutes, opted to play it back and keep possession. That way, it wouldn’t be left vulnerable to a dangerous Rapids counter if it stretched too thin. The way the dice rolled, RSL lost the Rocky Mountain Cup but jumped Colorado in the standings.
Still with a game in hand, that will surely do for RSL, which appeared just about out of the playoff picture a month or two ago.
Just two days after being left off the USMNT October camp roster, Zack Steffen made the two best plays of the game through the first 38 minutes. One was a full-stretch save in the 25th minute, then a full sprint to break up a low cross on a counterattack, which would have resulted in a sure goal.
Diogo Gonçalves one-upped the keeper in the 39th minute on what was clearly a planned play by RSL. Rwan Cruz got the ball just within the box on the byline left of the goal, then without looking, played an inch-perfect ball to the top middle of the box. Gonçalves got on the end of it with a sweet, guided strike to the coffin top left corner.
The Rapids had four golden opportunities to tie the game in the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time: a wide-open header over the crossbar by Andreas Maxsø, a shot off the post by substitute Ted Ku-DiPietro, a backheel flick by sub Darren Yapi and a spectacularly saved shot by Cole Bassett.
With the loss, the way Chris Armas’ second year in charge of the Rapids is ending eerily similar to his first. This time, the consequences may be much larger — in a contract year, no less.
For the second straight season, the Rapids fell off a cliff after Leagues Cup and have found themselves in a much lower table position than before the mid-season tournament. They held onto seventh to avoid a play-in game last year, but now have dropped to 10th with Goliath LAFC to play in their final game in two weeks.