The Colorado Rapids finally heard a bell.
One of Kei Kamara’s many former teams, the Rapids fell victim to the 39-year-old’s right-footed finishing touch in the 45th minute en route to losing the Leagues Cup semifinal to LAFC, 4-0.
Rapids coach Chris Armas isn’t focused on the numbers on the scoreboard. Despite the loss at LAFC, tons of confidence has been injected into his team on the way to a third-place match in Leagues Cup. The key now is to keep those feelings and spirits high, which Armas isn’t worried much about.
“The belief is there, man. We have a strong foundation,” Armas said. “When we have belief, that doesn’t go away overnight. We bend, but we don’t break; tonight we met a good opponent. (The belief) is built on real things: a strong foundation of principles, character and the DNA of these human beings.
“We celebrate the wins, but we don’t really get too high. We also don’t get too low. I love my team.”
Kamara’s effort from the middle of the box before halftime wouldn’t come before the Rapids killer himself, Mateusz Bogusz, curled in a wonderful strike in the 42nd minute from distance past the fingertips of a red-hot Zack Steffen. The last time the teams met at BMO Stadium, Bogusz erupted for a hat trick in a 3-0 win over the Rapids.
A scoreless match before Bogusz’s effort with halftime looming, the Rapids battled with every ounce of magic they had left. But the well ran dry.
Colorado was stricken with a bit of luck in the 14th minute when a goal by LAFC star forward Denis Bouanga, scored after being given an inch-perfect ball in behind, was called offside by the thinnest of margins.
After that chance, the Rapids rattled off four shots (one on goal) during the half, both of which are decent figures for how they’ve attacked the further they advanced into the tournament.
Bouanga found his way onto the scoresheet in the 59th minute, dribbling coast to coast after a foiled Rapids corner and finding the bottom right corner. In the 75th minute, just 12 minutes into LAFC midfielder Lewis O’Brien’s second appearance in black and gold, he made it 4-0 from outside the box.
The Rapids, subbing midfielder Djordje Mihailovic and forward Rafael Navarro out before the 70th minute, acknowledged the bell and waved the white flag. In Mihailovic’s case, some of the reasoning behind his substitution in the 62nd minute was the fact the game was out of hand. Another reason, Armas acknowledged, was that the midfielder had flu-like symptoms for the entire day leading up to the game.
“(Mihailovic) is a warrior and he said, ‘I’m playing tonight,” and I give him a lot of credit,” Armas said. “He’s so well-respected on our team and it was nothing that was going to keep him out of the game. So, him for sure, we had to protect other guys and we have to think ahead a little bit.”
LAFC finished with 24 shots (10 on goal). And though four goals conceded isn’t a great figure by any means, Steffen came up with another six saves, including a few highlight-reel moments.
After the Columbus Crew beat the Philadelphia Union in the other semifinal, a 2023 MLS Cup championship rematch is in store for the Leagues Cup final.
The Rapids will travel to Philadelphia for the third-place match on Sunday, but more than just bragging rights are up for grabs. A win against the 2022 MLS Cup runner-up will secure a spot for the Rapids in the CONCACAF Champions Cup for the first time since 2022.
“I sit up here really proud of my team and how they got here. The margins are so thin in our sport, in our league and in this competition,” Armas said. “We were able to find ways to move on each time.
“This competition started with 47 teams, and for the 46th ranked team to be in the final four standing and now playing for a (Champions Cup) spot again, I sit up here proud of my boys.”
