The Big Picture
The Colorado Rapids (2-9-8, 14 pts) picked up a point at home as they drew the visiting LA Galaxy 0-0 on Saturday night at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. With the clean sheet tonight, Rapids goalkeeper William Yarbrough logged his 31st career shutout for the club, extending an all-time record he set earlier this season.
Notable:
- M Cole Bassett played all 90 minutes tonight, bringing his career total to 5,302 minutes for the Rapids and tying Dillon Serna for the most minutes recorded by a Homegrown Player in club history.
- GK William Yarbrough recorded his 31st career shutout for the Rapids, extending a club record he set earlier this season. Matt Pickens held the previous record for most clean sheets all time in club history with 29.
COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH ROBIN FRASER
On the match:
“Certainly feel a bit disappointed. The way the game started, we had a lot of control. I thought we could have turned some of that control into real opportunities and goals. The work of the team was fantastic. I thought the effort was great. The defending coordination for most of the game was really good. Late in the game when it became a transition game, I didn't think we did as well there. But disappointed probably because the first half we felt like we did enough to certainly have a lead. And you know, everyone wants to win at home and we certainly felt like we did enough to win the game early on. And then I think towards the end in the transition moments, we weren't quite as good.”
On getting the most out of the remainder of the season:
“If we look at tonight, and as we look over the course of games in which we've not won, mistakes have done us in, in transition moments, turnovers, things like that. And at times, lack of precision in both boxes and for us to get over the hump that's a big part of it. Because as you look at the game, we can play, we can move the ball on the field well. And when we do create these opportunities, we have to bury them. That certainly is the case tonight. We've had moments where we played well and we made mistakes in the back in front of our goal. And it's really, at this point, I think everything counts. The margins are so fine. Here we felt like we had pretty good control of the game and if we were maybe a touch more precise in the first half, we're up one-zero and that may change the way the game looks. But then it comes down to the end. And we create some transition moments against ourselves and the game could have gone the other way. So, I think the margins are so fine for us right now that there is no such thing as perfection, but that's certainly what our goal needs to be—is to be as clean as possible in front of our goal and as clean and precise as possible in front of their goal. And we work at it, and we'll continue to work at it. I've spoken so much about the character of the team and my message to them was I'm so proud of the work and the way they defended and the coordination. They made it difficult for LA to actually put attacks together, but they need to reward themselves for what they're doing.”
COLORADO RAPIDS DEFENDER STEVEN BEITASHOUR
On the match:
“Disappointed not to get three points. I think we started the game off really well. Good possession, created really good chances. We just got to capitalize. I think that's kind of the story at home this season. It's just not taking advantage of those opportunities. I think second half, you know, we started pushing forward a little too much, give up some counter attacks. Obviously, that's where they created some of their chances. But overall, game at home, great fan support. We got to get to three points for that.”
On the team’s recent form:
“We're about the halfway point right now, just past it, and for the most part at home at DICK’S [Sporting Goods Park] it's been a fortress here. We've, for the most part, gotten three points. So, we're disappointed that we can't get those three points. The fans, the atmosphere, the elevation—everything—teams struggle when they come here and so we expect three points. We’re disappointed in ourselves. But a lot of the stuff that we're doing is right decisions, right movements, right passes, good counter pressing. A lot of little things are good, it's just that final touch. It's that final execution, whether it's a final shot or the final pass for slip into tap, tap it in. We're just missing that little bit of sharpness. And so, we’ve got about half of the season left, but obviously, we have to start getting points at home, especially. It's not one of those things where we're panicking and we're saying we have to win every game to get up to first place. We know—what, is it nine teams that get into playoffs? You know, you just got to get in the playoffs and then everyone has the same record. So, it's definitely not a point to panic. If we were getting out played, if we were getting out-hustled, then I’d kind of be worried. But that's not what's going on right now. It's just that final little piece, you know. Games are won and lost in both boxes. So, we just have to be a little bit more clinical. And once we get on a roll, I think good things are coming.”
