One of the highlights of the match between the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids occurred before the match.
One of the Galaxy’s main supporters groups, the Angel City Brigade, made its return to Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday night. They along with the Galaxy’s two other main supporters, the LA Riot Squad and the Galaxians, had spent the first two months of the season boycotting team’s home matches in protest to the continued employment of team president Chris Klein, who they lay blame for the team’s current struggles following it’s last MLS Cup triumph in 2014. The ACB returned to its usual section occupying the west side of the stadium, and its presence brought some life to a stadium that at times lacked energy.
However, one thing the Angel City Brigade could not do on Saturday night was turn around the Galaxy’s fortunes. The Rapids got a first half goal from Lalas Abubakar, then second half goals from former Galaxy striker Keven Cabral and Jonathan Lewis powered Colorado to an eventual 3-1 road win.
“I think at the end of the day, from the performance, the chant is fair,” Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said in regards to the Brigade’s chants. “It needs to be better. Part of what we need to do is just simplify some things inside of our game. Simplify our structure with two strikers. I’ve got to take a hard look at if we’re gaining enough on the attacking side with having two strikers than what I believe we’re losing on the defending side at times. So, it’s trying to find… and then some basic things.”
Colorado seized the advantage in the 15th minute. Connor Ronan sent a corner kick into the penalty area, Keeper Jonathan Klinsmann tired to get his right hand on the ball, but it was out of his reach, and Abubakar leaped over everyone else and headed a ball into the back net uncontested.
The Galaxy had its chances to level the match, with its best two chances coming during a two-minute stretch, starting in the 62nd minute, as Tyler Boyd shot a ball from near the penalty spot, but it was stopped by Keeper William Yarbrough, then a minute later, Boyd and Puig worked a one-two that saw Puig fire a shot for the far post, but just missed.
Colorado made the Galaxy pay for those two missed chances. The Rapids doubled its lead in the 65th minute, as Diego Rubio split the Galaxy defense with a ball that spung Ronan on the break. Cabral joined in to make it a two-on-none break, Ronan dribbled into the penalty spot, drew out Klinsmann, fed a ball to Cabral, who buried the open netter. Colorado finished off the match in the 80th minute, as Lewis passed to Ronan, who then sprung Lewis into the penalty area, Lewis shot a ball that appeared to deflect off Klinsmann, but still managed to sneak in at the far post. Frustrated by the lackluster performance by the team in its first night back in the stadium, the Angel City Brigade broke out into chants of “We Want Better.” Not even a Preston Judd goal in the 89th minute could sooth the bad vibes coming out of this match.
“The fans were right because I think this organization deserves better,” Chicharito Hernandez said. “That’s everything that I want to say. We all deserve better. We need to gain that betterness. Fans are right. We deserve better, like we all deserve. Starting from me, but, the thing is if all of us don’t go and feel that this situation is not a situation that you want to be in and you don’t need to suffer, you need to realize it is painful. If you don’t realize it is painful, and you don’t care about this club, you shouldn’t be here, that’s all what I’m going to say. LA Galaxy being almost in the last of the conference. Nah. That’s not something that Galaxy deserves.”
The Galaxy won’t have long to dwell on this result, as they host the Seattle Sounders to open up US Open Cup play on Wednesday night.
