Takeaways From LA Galaxy’s 2-0 Road Loss To The Colorado Rapids
LA’s winless run on the road reaches 11 matches with a loss in Colorado.
Following a nearly two-hour weather delay, the LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids finally kicked off their 86th all-time meeting on Wednesday night, though for the visitors, it hardly proved worth the wait.
Colorado looked to have taken the early lead in the seventh minute as Djordje Mihailovic got in behind the Galaxy defense and put the ball past goalkeeper Novak Micovic, but it was to no avail as Rafael Navarro was offside in the build-up.
The Galaxy’s best chance of the first half came in the 20th minute as Nacimiento found Joseph Painstil on the edge of the box. The Ghanaian seemed to rush himself a bit and curled it just wide of the goal.
The Rapids would finally break through soon after in the 24th minute, as a costly giveaway from Lucas Sanabria in the defensive third would lead to Mihailovic making it 1-0 with a header. Calvin Harris wasted little time in doubling the lead from the corner of the six-yard box in the 28th minute.
The match settled down in the second half. LA had their share of sporadic chances, but the finishing quality was just never quite there as the defending champs fell yet again.
The First Road Win Remains Elusive
LA entered Wednesday night desperate to break their road win drought, which dated back to November 2024 — ironically, their last win in Colorado in the MLS Cup playoffs. But after conceding two first-half goals and failing to convert any of their own chances, the Galaxy will leave Dick’s Sporting Goods Park still searching.
This wasn’t a case of being outplayed in terms of possession or territory. LA had the ball, completed more passes, and generated attacking sequences. But none of that translated into meaningful pressure or chances. By full-time, the Rapids had created far more dangerous opportunities and hit the post, while the Galaxy rarely tested Colorado keeper Nicholas Hansen.
“We didn't have the intensity level. But if there's a place that you have to play in our league, having only played one game in four weeks, it's not Colorado. You don't want to come at the altitude and have a two-hour delay,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney to reporters.
“It's no secret. I think everyone knows that it is difficult. The guys that were here last year know how difficult it is in the first half, and that's why it's important to stay in the game, keep the game at zero at halftime or one up, and to give you the best chance. But like I said, when you go down to zero, chasing the game here is it's always difficult,” said midfielder Edwin Cerillo.
It’s the same story that’s plagued this team all season: the ideas are there in flashes, but the execution is consistently lacking. Vanney mentioned the “lack of edge” from the team on the night, and that lack of urgency was visible in the team’s body language.
Now 0-7-4 on the road this season, the Galaxy’s inability to perform away from Dignity Health Sports Park continues to weigh heavily on its campaign.
Garces Returns to the Starting XI
Making his first start in three matches, Emrio Garces showed the exact blend of promise and immaturity that’s defined his season. Early on, his physicality stood out — aggressive in duels, quick in recovery. But that same aggressiveness nearly cost the Galaxy.
Garces was called for an early foul that easily could’ve resulted in a yellow (a risky scenario, as he’s one card away from suspension) and then got beat on several defensive sequences.
Greg Vanney has been patient with the 22-year-old Colombian, but this game showed why Garces hasn’t nailed down a permanent role. His ceiling is high — possibly the highest among the defenders — but his floor is also dangerously low. Until he adds consistency to his arsenal, LA’s defense will remain vulnerable.
The rest of the Galaxy backline also didn’t have the best night. John Nelson was unable to get a block on Calvin Harris’ goal in the 28th minute. According to Fotmob, Micovic had a -1.40 goal prevented metric on the night. The lack of energy and edge was infectious for the entire team.
“I've seen us take one step in the direction that the ball goes, as if we're moving and tracking the ball, but the player is now moving off us in the other direction, and there's just enough of a time edge when they we do that, where we we lose our guy and we get in trouble,” said Vanney about the vulnerable moments the backline has dealt with.
The Galaxy needs to stop leaking goals, especially heading into Saturday’s match versus the San Jose Earthquakes. The Quakes found the back of the net four times in its victory over FC Dallas on Wednesday night.
Wastefulness Defines Another Rough Night
Possession? 69%. Passes? Double that of Colorado. xG? A mere 0.54. The problem wasn’t build-up—it was the end product.
Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil continued their rollercoaster campaigns. Both wingers found space early, with Pec nearly breaking through in the 6th and Paintsil creating a good look in the 20th. But both also made head-scratching decisions in key moments. Pec shot from impossible angles, Paintsil overhit simple crosses, and Nascimento was mostly starved of clear service.
Even when chances did come, like a Nascimento header in the 80th minute or Paintsil’s stoppage-time curler, execution just wasn’t there. The same story that’s plagued this team all season.
“I felt at times when we were able to break through the lines and some of the possessions, and then we would get the ball up into a higher position, and the running at the higher position would stop. And then we would play to people's feet. And we weren't playing into the space, and we weren't running through the lines and playing and building speed into the final action,” said Vanney about the performance of the frontline.
“Every time we get into a final action, we're either taking a shot from distance, or we're hitting across into a lot of numbers because it's taken us a lot of time to build the attack and get into those types of positions,” he added.
With half the season gone, the LA Galaxy looks nothing like last year’s title-winning team. They’ve been shut out in 8 of their 13 losses and have allowed an MLS-worst 41 goals. Their -23 goal differential is also the worst in the league.
From defensive lapses to tactical disorganization and wasted chances, the second half of the season is already off to a bad start. Marco Reus said earlier this season that the team’s issue isn’t talent but mistakes in execution. That was on full display in Colorado.
The Galaxy now heads up to Stanford Stadium as they aim to put an end to the winless run on the road against San Jose.