NFLBy: Keith Richards
The last week has been a rollercoaster for the Colorado Rapids and Jonathan Lewis. First, on Saturday, the team had an embarrassing 1-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Then, on Wednesday, I’m sorry, Thursday, Colorado fell out of the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 loss to Minnesota United FC, but Saturday was the day of redemption. The Rapids beat league-leading LAFC 2-0. Not only was it a measure of revenge, but Colorado may have found a secret weapon in Jonathan Lewis.
Crucial Three Points against LAFC
The Wednesday match against Minnesota did not finish until Thursday to compound the challenge of playing one of MLS’s best. A lightning storm in the area forced officials to move the game to the next day. Colorado was delayed, again, during their return trip home to pour salt on the wound. So, the team had one day to rest and prepare for the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Football Club.
It was a chippy game that included 26 total fouls and five bookings, which the Rapids took advantage of. In the 17th minute, Gyasi Zardes scored his first goal with the Rapids from the penalty spot. Shortly after, in the 28th minute, Diego Rubio scored his sixth diegoal of the season, but it was not without controversy.
Initially, it appeared that John McCarthy stopped the penalty kick from Rubio. VAR, though, requested that referee Ted Unkel come to take a look at the monitor. The call in question was whether or not McCarthy came off his line before saving the Rubio penalty kick. After a quick review, Unkel agreed that McCarthy came off his line. Diego would then step back up to the spot and calmly bury the shot past the LAFC keeper.
For the rest of the game, LAFC would dominate possession. The Rapids would get chances to expand their lead, but McCarthy made some key saves to keep his team within striking distance. The visiting team would never strike cleanly, though, and the match ends in favor of Colorado.
Jonathan Lewis on the Rise
While he has only scored one goal this season, Jonathan Lewis looks like he is ready to explode. Since the addition of Gyasi Zardes, the pitch has become a lot more open for Jonathan Lewis and Diego Rubio. With Zardes central and Jonathan and Diego on either side, defending the wide areas has become an issue for opposing teams.
Saturday was an example of how effective Jonathan Lewis can be moving forward. LAFC continuously struggled to mark Jonathan. His one shot on target was a decent challenge for McCarthy. Additionally, there were several times Lewis was missed in promising spots. If Rubio and Zardes continue to draw attention, Jonathan will have plenty of opportunities to shine.
The win against LAFC pushed the Rapids into 7th place in the Western Conference. At 15 points, they sit eight points behind conference-leading LAFC. Colorado has Sporting KC on Wednesday and the Seattle Sounders on Sunday. Both are very winnable games and could be a huge spark to the Rapids’ season. Check back next week as we’ll discuss those matches and the matches to follow.
