The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (4-0-1, 13 pts) fell short to St. Louis CITY2 (0-3-2, 3 pts) in tonight's match, which saw both teams compete in a MLS NEXT Pro shootout after drawing 0-0 in regulation. Goalkeeper Marko Ilić made four saves on the night during regulation, helping the team to its second clean sheet of the season.
Notable:
- Rapids 2 faced its first shootout of the year after drawing 0-0 in regulation to St. Louis CITY2. The Rapids fell short during the shootout (4-5) and collected only a single point on the night.
- Rapids 2 earned its second clean sheet of the season in tonight's match versus St. Louis CITY2.
- Goalkeeper Marko Ilić made four saves on the night for Rapids 2 during regulation.
- Midfielder Oliver Larraz wore the captain's armband for the first time this season in tonight's match versus St. Louis CITY2.
- Defender Daniel Garcia and forward Rémi Cabral both appeared in the starting XI for the first time this season in tonight's match versus St. Louis CITY2.
- Midfielder Dillon Serna made his return from injury and appeared in his first match of the season for Rapids 2 in tonight's game versus St. Louis CITY2.
- Midfielder Keith Chavarria logged his first minutes of the season in tonight's game versus St. Louis CITY2.
Postgame Media Availability:
Select postgame quotes transcribed below.
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY
On the match:
“It was a tough game, but the players gave a lot today. The energy was good, the work was good, the collective effort was really again excellent. For me, I am proud of their performance from that standpoint. The fact that we were together, the fact that we fought through some adversity and the fact that we kept a second clean sheet. We walk off and it does feel like a loss and the guys are frustrated by that and that makes me frustrated for them. For me, I am very proud. It was a tough game, and a lot of credit goes to St. Louis. They put us under a lot of pressure. We were well organized, and it was a good game, a great game. The soccer for us wasn't to the level we think we are capable of, but we defended hard and worked throughout. Tough game, but that is the league, so we take it and we move on."
On the team's second clean sheet of the season:
“We have proven to be difficult to beat, even when the opponent advances into deep territory. We are good at defending our box, but I am careful to say that because it is hard, and it is hard to be consistently good at that. Right now, we are. If we do have breakdowns, the team recovers very well. The boys work exceptionally hard to recover and get into dangerous spots and to get it towards the most dangerous men. We defend well on the ball and that is what we did. When we couldn't execute that effectively enough, that's where Marko (Ilić) came into play, so it was nice having him behind us tonight."
On the team's attacking presence:
"I know we created some lovely chances, and I would have loved to see Daouda's (Amadou) go in. That was such a lovely strike. That's what we talk about though, we talk about winning the boxes. We are doing that right now on the defending end. The attacking end, it is not just going to be one thing. You have to get players in dangerous positions, and you have to have the composure to execute, the technique to execute, guys coming in from behind to surround them, to suffocate them to keep them in. We are actually pretty good at it, but the finishing touch, we have guys that are capable of it, which is the great thing. I think that will continue to get better as we continue to compete."
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 DEFENDER BLAKE MALONE
On the match:
“Tonight was definitely a scrappy one for both sides. I think there was a lot of work and effort, but it wasn't the cleanest at times. It was good to get our second shutout within five games, no goals against, which is already a big improvement from last season. It is something we really strive to build upon. It was good to get the clean sheet, but we are looking forward to next week."
On the team's second clean sheet of the season:
“Defending our box is something we work a lot on, and it is something we strive to be the best at. I think that has shown in the last couple of games. We are very cohesive and have been good at getting to our spots, our four or five spots, protecting our zones and getting man to man when we need to. At the end of the day, the boys are just putting their selves on the line and getting the clearances out and it has been good, it has been great."
On next weekend's match versus North Texas SC:
"North Texas is a great team. They are very good at their play out of the back and they are very organized on the ball. We need to make sure that we are organized defensively and protecting our box is an important attribute we need to contribute. Also, just cleaning up our ability on the ball. Like I said, tonight was a bit sloppy, but that is okay. We will look to improve it. We need to bury our chances. I think that is something we did very well in the first four games. We had our moments and we buried them with no hesitation, so I think once we see that first one go in again, it will start flowing."
