Despite the majority of possession Chivas USA could not convert their time on the ball into goals, as the defending MLS Cup holders, Colorado Rapids came away from The Home Depot Center with a one goal victory thanks to forward Quincy Amarikwa’s 31st minute strike.

The Red and Whites dominated for long periods of the first half but ended up with no shots on goal and no corner kicks, usually the statistics that indicate a team’s overall superiority.

Chivas controlled the space in front of the Rapids midfield but could not penetrate in behind the defensive wall that Colorado set up.

The Rapids sat back and invited Chivas to come forward and in the 31^st minute a through ball from Jamie Smith caught the Goats backline high and flat. Amarikwa sprinting between the back four chipped the onrushing Chivas goalkeeper, Zach Thornton, to score what would become the winning goal.

Although The Red and Whites did up the tempo in the second half they only had two shots on target to show for their efforts. Chivas Head Coach Robin Fraser was not impressed and he had this to say. “Obviously the result was disappointing, but even a lot of our play was disappointing I thought today. There was a lot of space given to us, and I thought we weren’t aggressive enough.”

The one bright spot that Fraser’s team have is that they do not have long to try and fix their problems. Chivas travel to Portland for a US Open Cup date versus the Portland Timbers at the University of Portland on Tuesday night before heading out to Toronto for Saturdays match against Toronto FC.

Scoring Summary:

COL – Quincy Amarikwa 1 (Jamie Smith 1) 31

Chivas USA – Zach Thornton, Jimmy Conrad, Ante Jazic (Tristan Bowen 76), Heath Pearce, Ben Zemanski, Nick LaBrocca, Francisco Mendoza, Blair Gavin (Mariano Trujillo 32), Justin Braun, Marcos Mondaini (Francisco Mendoza 64), Victor Estupiñan

Substitutes Not Used: Dan Kennedy, Jorge Flores, Gerson Mayén, Seth Owusu

TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Braun 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Braun 1, Estupiñan 1); FOULS: 14 (Zemanski 3, Estupiñan 3); OFFSIDE: 1 (Braun 1); CORNER KICKS: 1 (Pearce 1); SAVES: Thornton 1

Colorado Rapids – Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor, Anthony Wallace, Marvell Wynne, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Mullan (Ross LaBauex 89), Jamie Smith, Quincy Amarikwa (Wells Thompson 68), Caleb Folan (Conor Casey 79)

Substitutes Not Used: Ian Joyce, Joseph Nane, Tyrone Marshall, Scott Palguta

TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Amarikwa 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (3 tied with 1); FOULS: 14 (Larentowicz 3, Mullan 3); OFFSIDE: 3 (Folan 2); CORNER KICKS: 3 (Smith 3); SAVES: Pickens 2

Misconduct Summary:

COL – Brian Mullan (caution, Unsporting Behavior) 39

CHV – Ben Zemanski (caution, Tactical Foul) 72

CHV – Justin Braun (caution, Unsporting Behavior) 78

COL – Matt Pickens (caution, Dissent) 79

COL – Anthony Wallace (caution, Delaying a Restart) 81

COL – Conor Casey (caution, Delaying a Restart) 89

COL – Pablo Mastroeni (caution, Delaying a Restart) 96+

Referee: Terry Vaughn

Referee's Assistants: Eric Boria, Corey Parker

4th Official: Landis Wiley

Attendance: 13,027

Time of Game: 1:55

Weather: Cloudy, 56 degrees 

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Tony Bruce is a well known and admired soccer coach who has be involved in soccer for more than 40 years. As a Youth, Tony Bruce played soccer in Scotland and in England for Leeds United, Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers.   As an adult, Bruce played for Los Angeles Aztecs, San Diego Jaws and in the NASL for California Sunshine.  In the ASL, Bruce played soccer for 14 years in the Greater Los Angeles professional league for San Pedro Yugoslavs, Montebello Armenians, San Pedro Croatia, L.A. Gauchos, So. Bay United, Maccabee.

 

Bruce has coached college, high school and competitive club soccer in the San Diego Orange county and Los Angeles areas.  Currently, Bruce coaches for La Jolla High and San Diego Surf Soccer and holds USSF National A Coaching license.