The Colorado Rapids saw their 2005 season come crashing to an end in familiar fashion.
With a chance to reach the MLS Cup Final for the second time in club history, the Rapids were once again forced to overcome their old nemesis, and couldn't do so, falling 2-0 Saturday to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference Championship. Of the Rapids' eight playoff campaigns, four have ended at the hands of the Galaxy.
"Congratulations to the Galaxy," said Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo. "They came out to do a job and they did it. We were not as sharp as we should have been. Give credit to the Galaxy."
Although the Rapids defense held strong almost all night long, it buckled at two critical points, surrendering a pair of goals to Landon Donovan.
"We all know [Donovan] is a very good player," said Clavijo. "Pablo [Mastroeni] was marking him well, but unfortunately Pablo got a yellow card right away ... and he played handicapped the rest of the game. He had to be careful -- any fouls that he committed could be another yellow card and red. Give Donovan credit: He is in to score goals, and he scored them when they needed it."
The first goal came somewhat against the run of play, after a scrappy opening half-hour where both teams were struggling to put together any sort of coherent attack. Still, the Rapids had enjoyed more of the early possession.
Cobi Jones fed Donovan a cross through the box, which Donovan slid and poked home ahead of a sliding Mastroeni and diving Joe Cannon.
"I think it shocked us a little bit," said Clavijo. "We knew they were going to come down that side. We should have fouled [Cobi Jones] before, but we didn't.
"We had talked about Jones and Donovan and we just didn't do the job quick enough to close them down. We knew exactly what they were going to do but we just couldn't execute to stop them."
Cannon agreed Donovan was the difference on the night.
"He is just a player that when he decides to turn it on he can do things that other players can't," said Cannon. "My hat goes off to him. Los Angeles came in with a great game plan. They knew we were going to come at them and they waited and counter-attacked and Donovan worked really hard up top. ... He was the difference."
Along with Saturday's defeat, the Rapids also lost to Los Angeles in the conference semifinals in 1999 and 2004 and in the league semifinals in 2002, also with a trip to MLS Cup on the line.
Geoffrey Urland is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
