Recap | Rapids fall to LA Galaxy in road contest

The Colorado Rapids (11-13-3, 36 pts., 7th West) fell on the road to the LA Galaxy (9-10-9, 36 pts., 8th West) 3-2 on Saturday night. 

Colorado started on the front foot almost immediately thanks to some key defensive plays that led to multiple counter attacks. That aggression on the defensive end through the midfield paid dividends almost immediately, with the Rapids getting on the board first in the fourth minute of the match. 

After a strong stop, defender Jackson Travis found himself with the ball and played a pass to Josh Atencio in the midfield. Atencio then played a picture-perfect curled pass on the ground to a streaking Donavan Phillip, who quickly found himself in on goal with a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper. Phillip then placed a perfect shot into the back of the net to log the Rapids’ first of the night.

The goal marked Phillip's second consecutive match with a goal after recording his first in MLS last weekend against the Seattle Sounders. 

From there, Colorado followed the same blueprint they had from the start. Whenever the club wasn’t dominant in possession, they quickly mounted counter attacks to catch the Galaxy off guard. 

Phillip received multiple opportunities similar to his first as he attempted to double the lead, but the LA defense managed to clear any danger despite being on their heels. 

The continuous pressure from the Rapids in the attacking end paid off yet again at the end of the first half in the 39th minute. 

Play started with Rob Holding on the Colorado back line, with the defender weighing his options up the field. Holding then played a lofted ball over the LA defense to find Paxten Aaronson, who quickly went to work after gaining possession. Even though there was a Galaxy defender draped over him, the Designated Player powered through and found himself in on goal. Aaronson then placed a shot in for a goal to double Colorado’s lead right before the halftime whistle.

The goal marked Aaronson’s sixth of the season and his fifth goal contribution in his last four MLS appearances (3g, 2a). 

From there, the Rapids went into halftime with the lead and plenty more to play for. 

LA came out of the break with increased energy in their press in an attempt to start a comeback. That change in pace led them to their first goal of the match in the 53rd minute. 

The Galaxy then managed to equalize in the 66th minute off the foot of João Klauss. 

The hosts then found a third to take the lead in the 74th minute. 

That would be all for the scoring on the night, with the Galaxy earning the 3-2 victory. 

Colorado will have a week break in matches before returning to play on Saturday, October 10, at home against the San Jose Earthquakes. Kickoff for the match is set for 7:30 p.m. MT with coverage available on Apple TV, Altitude Sports Radio, the Colorado Rapids app, and ColoradoRapids.com.