LA Galaxy bow out of MLS Cup Playoffs in shootout loss to Colorado Rapids

By Shawn Medow
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Updated: November 6, 2016

Over 120 minutes of soccer was played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Colorado between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Colorado Rapids, but the MLS Cup semifinal was ultimately decided in the cruelest way possible: penalty kicks.

The LA Galaxy fell to the Rapids in four rounds of a penalty shootout. The Galaxy looked poor and nothing like the team who defeated Real Salt Lake with ease and dominated the Rapids back in LA. The Rapids were the better side in regulation, extra time, and most importantly, penalties.

In the first leg, Emmanuel Boateng was the best player on the field for the Galaxy with the winger bagging a brace, but he was out of the second leg with a knock. Bruce Arena made the according to adjustments, which consisted of AJ DeLaGarza and Robbie Keane starting on the bench.

#LAGalaxy XI: Rowe; Rogers, Steres, Van Damme, Cole; Husidic, Lletget; Donovan, Dos Santos, Magee; Gordon #COLvLA pic.twitter.com/Im1vI041p5

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) November 6, 2016

The Rapids started on the front foot and forced Brian Rowe to make a save inside the first minute of play. The subsequent corner kick popped out to Sebastian Le Toux, who fired a volley straight at Rowe. The home side showed no patience in its attempt to erasing the 1-0 aggregate.

LA had an attack of its own off a free kick on the left flank but Alan Gordon was offside in his headed attempt. Gordon posed as a similar physical and aerial threat to what he showed in the first leg.

Shkëlzen Gashi, who received a yellow card for a challenge on Robbie Rogers, brushed aside the booking and scored a worldly goal from 37-yards out. Rowe stood no chance in goal of saving the Swiss internationals strike.

OmGashi he’s done it again.

1-0 @ColoradoRapids. #COLvLA https://t.co/0O2grx8XNA

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 6, 2016

Going into halftime, the Galaxy trailed 1-0 but the series was tied 1-1 on aggregate with goalscorer Gashi injured at the conclusion of the first half.

At the start of the second half, the Galaxy made a change to bring on Jeff Larentowicz for Landon Donovan, who exited due to tightness, while the Rapids brought Marlon Hariston into the game for the injured Gashi.

Both sides show hesitance to fly forward because allowing a goal could cost them the playoffs.

The Galaxy made its second change of the afternoon by adding Keane to the equation and substituting Gordon.

LA used its final substitution to send Steven Gerrard on with 15 minutes left in the 90. Magee made way for the former Liverpool captain in hopes of a Galaxy goal. Jermaine Jones left for the rapids with under 10 minutes to go with Dillon Powers replacing the U.S. international.

The Galaxy struggled to show much in attack, without finding the target until the 84th minute.

Center back Jelle Van Damme went down with an apparent knee injury but the Belgian was able to get treatment and get back in the match.

Neither side managed to score or really test either goalkeeper in the second half, and extra time was set. Extra time in MLS Cup Playoffs meant that away goals do not matter and it is all about aggregate.

The Galaxy lacked spark during the the first half of overtime with the Rapids dominating the vast majority of the the extra time. Badji had a close header saved comfortably by Rowe in the 104th minute.

Even with the Galaxy playing incredibly defensively to try send the game to a shootout, the visitors got a decent chance from a free kick and a subsequent corner but no shot made it on frame.

Colorado sent Marco Pappa on for Badji in the 113th minute of play. Pappa has come to haunt the Galaxy in the past with both Seattle and Colorado.

The Galaxy had one last chance with a free kick that was perfectly swung in by Gerrard but no Galaxy player could get an effort on goal, and the match headed to penalty kicks.

Gerrard scored to his right with Howard guessing correctly, but Dos Santos (over the bar), Cole (saved) and Larentowicz (saved) missed the following three kicks with the Rapids scoring the rest to advance to the Western Conference Final to play the winner of Seattle and Dallas (Seattle leads 3-0 after the first leg).

Questions now loom regarding the future of Keane, Gerrard, and even Bruce Arena and their roles or even employment at the Galaxy.