The Big PictureÂ
Colorado Rapids 2 (9-1-3, 32 pts) suffered its first loss since September 18, 2022, in a 1-2 result against Tacoma Defiance (4-3-4, 19 pts) on Sunday night. Defender Blake Malone was able to pull a goal back in 78th minute off a corner kick delivery from Dillon Serna. The lone goal of the night marked Malone's third of the season while Serna recorded his second assist of the season. Even with tonight's result, Rapids 2 remains at the top of the Western Conference table and leads the league with 32 points in total.Â
Notable:
- Rapids 2 suffered its first loss since September 18, 2022, in a 1-2 loss to Tacoma Defiance. The team had the longest unbeaten streak in MLS NEXT Pro history, going 12 games unbeaten prior to tonight's loss.Â
- Defender Blake Malone scored his third goal of the season off a header in tonight's match against Tacoma Defiance.
- Midfielder Dillon Serna recorded his second assist of the season off a corner kick service in tonight's match versus Tacoma Defiance.Â
- Midfielder Cain Castellon made his first appearance for Rapids 2 in tonight's match versus Tacoma Defiance.Â
- Goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez made his return from injury, appearing on the bench for Rapids 2 in its match against Tacoma Defiance.
- Midfielder Marlon Vargas faced off against his former MLS NEXT Pro side Tacoma Defiance for the first time during the 2023 season.
Postgame Media Availability:
Select postgame quotes transcribed below.
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY
On the match:
“Another tough game. It was an interesting game, probably one not like the others we have played previously this year. Unfortunate in some ways, not every way, but in some ways to give up goals early in the first half. We had chances to equalize before halftime came, so we know there are areas for improvement for us. I think that is an overall message as we leave the field tonight. The loss isn't for a lack of trying. The loss isn't for a lack of creating opportunities. Tacoma deserves full credit for working hard, working hard in front of their goal, making saves, making blocks. They were certainly an excellent challenge tonight. For our guys, we were good, even in the first half but maybe not dangerous. We were dangerous on set pieces, for sure, but not dangerous enough off the ball, not threatening enough off the ball. Again, areas we can improve. Second half, it is tough to be too critical. I thought we were brilliant. Tough loss and now we get ready for LA (Galaxy II) and every game that follows."Â
On the locker room feeling post loss:
“Guys are pissed or disappointed or some other emotion. Nobody is happy. I am the happiest one in that locker room, which isn't saying too much, but that is probably because I am proud of the players. I know and feel that we deserved more. I thought they tried to execute the tactical changes very well. The locker room is what people might expect. How they take the message, never mind the message, how they take the loss, for me it's about how they go back to work. For us, that starts tonight in recovery and Tuesday on the field."Â
On the team's motivation post loss:
"The response heading into Galaxy is really going to be everything. I just told the guys this and I have been saying it since week three or four. For a lot of the guys, last year is really not a distant memory. When the first loss would come, what would be the response? I thought the most important moment perhaps in our season would be just that, the moment after our first loss and the moment in this case being how we return to training and how we perform the next game. I expect the guys to respond very well. The feeling or the energy that was on the field for us in the second half, that won't have anything to do with LA (Galaxy II). It is about going out and proving ourselves again. Today I thought we held ourselves very well. I thought we proved our quality. Again, we just didn't get the result. Tacoma is a team last year we barely even got a sniff on. That is not the case now. As I told the guys, I have less concerns moving after the loss than I have more concerns. I am not sure I have felt that way after a loss. So, we will see."Â
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 DEFENDER BLAKE MALONE
On the match:
“Yeah, definitely disappointing to fall 2-1. It was our first loss of the season. It definitely hurts, but looking at the performance we were on them pretty much the whole game, had a number of great looks and that is football. Even though we lost, very happy with the performance and looking to get back next week."
On the locker room post loss:
“It was actually pretty positive in the locker room. Obviously, the initial thought and reaction was, 'Dang, we just loss our first game'. At the end of the day, as coach said, we were on them pretty much the whole game. We had great looks. If you look at shots created versus given up, we blew them out of the water in terms of that. Like I said, sometimes the luck doesn't go your way, the goals don't go your way, and you take a loss. The emotions in the locker room were good. Obviously, we knew that it would be pretty hard to go 28-0 for the season. It is probably unrealistic and at the end of the day, sometimes it's not going to go your way. We are going to look at how we did this week, review it, analyze it and bring the energy for next week."Â
On the response in the second half:Â
"It was kind of our intention from the beginning of the game to have our offense be our defense. We wanted to stay on them from the beginning and keep the ball in their half and really work it around them. That second half, I mean we did it in the first half, but that second half will definitely show it. I mean we were on it from the get-go, crosses, shots, a whole bunch of attempts, bunch of creations. It was really good, lots of energy. I think all the boys believe that we could come back because we have done it before, we have been there. Even though we fell short, that belief is still there that we know we can win games if we have to in the crunch. I am very proud of the boys for how they responded to those two goals that we gave up early. It is never easy to look forward, but we did it. Obviously, it didn't go our way, but it happens, it's footy."
