It is never easy to play at altitude. The newly formed, expansion side has only played eight games that matter together.

Opportunities that should have been goals were missed. Those are the excuses SDFC fans will give and/or hear in the week following a 3-2 loss at Colorado to a Rapids team who have been anything but consistent in its level of play this season.

The truth of the matter is that excuses will not make up for the lack of performance San Diego gave in the Mile High state. This loss hurts, but it doesn’t define the way this season has gone. As always, we will break down the good and the bad takeaways from this match. Let’s get into it.

We are around 1/3 of the way through the season, and it’s fair to assume that we have learned the identity of SDFC. They are a resilient bunch who never give up after going down in the scoreline; they fight until the end, and most importantly, they control possession, which in turn should translate into controlling the flow of the game. Surprisingly, SDFC controlled 62.4% of possession, but at many times, it felt like that was the only thing that they controlled. Colorado doubled the shots on goals (8-4) and shot attempts (20-11) as compared to San Diego.

The match started in a surprising way in terms of how San Diego typically begins their matches. The Chrome and Azul were slow in their buildup, with many players walking as opposed to previous games, where SDFC typically got the ball in the opponent’s half as quickly as possible and set the pace with quick counterattacks and high press. It was clear that the game plan for the Colorado game was to save your energy (and lungs) due to playing at altitude. SDFC was not going to be able to transition as fast as they do at home. Therefore, they were not going to high press as efficiently and as often.

It did not take long for Colorado to notice that the typical San Diego tactics in the film they studied the week leading up to the match were not going to be implemented at their home. Rapids quickly pushed the tempo and started to press San Diego on defense, which led to two back-to-back ugly giveaways in the San Diego penalty area.

In the 32^nd minute, goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos was dispossessed of the ball on the 6-yard line while failing to get rid of it as San Diego continued their well-known play-out-of-the-back build-up style. This led to a shot that was cleared off the line magnificently by elite defender Paddy McNair. The rapids followed up with two quick shots off the rebound, but Dos Santos made up for his error by making two huge saves. You’d think San Diego would learn from this and maybe surprise Colorado the next time by sending the goal kick long, knowing that the Rapids were waiting to press high again.

This was not the mentality that Mikey Varas’s team was going to play with all game as they kept going back to playing predictable out of the back. In the 33^rd minute, defender Franco Negri couldn’t control a pass from the back and took a big touch. The ball was intercepted and flung into the box. Dos Santos desperately tried to get it from Yapi’s legs, but the slightest of touches saw Yapi go down with Dos Santos under him while seemingly being kicked in the back of the head. Referee Sergii Boiko quickly pointed to the spot, and the VAR officials eventually agreed to a PK. Colorado’s star, Djordje Mihailovic, put it away as the home side went up 1-0 before half.

When asked about the mishaps that happened in the back, Mikey Varas told the media that he isn’t opposed to the team playing that style of football because that is part of the identity that SDFC has. What he was upset about was the lack of creativity and performance that he expected from his team. Perhaps that will be a key takeaway from this game. San Diego needs to be precise with their passing to minimize mistakes. Giving the ball away like they did in the back will only lead to dangerous chances for the opposing team, and that simply cannot happen.

For those not familiar with that particular playing style, it has its positives and negatives. Varas said many times in the past that he is building confidence in his team by playing that dangerous style of soccer. If executed correctly, it draws the opposing team in, allowing a quick pass or two to create counter-attacking opportunities. We’ve seen this work a few times in the past, and when it does, it sure is beautiful to watch. SDFC will surely be studying tape and practicing confidence on the ball while they work on their tactics for matches coming up.

In the past two games, San Diego has scored six goals in the first half. In Colorado, their score sheet remained at zero. Midfielder Luca de la Torre leveled the score at one when he received a pass from Chucky at the top of the 18-yard box and skillfully turned his body to loft a shot into the top-right corner of the net past a sprawling Zach Steffen, who’s made multiple great saves prior.

Colorado was able to give themselves some cushion by scoring two more goals before the 60-minute mark. The second goal came from a corner kick, which SDFC usually defends really well. The ball was bouncing in a crowd of players, and Yapi was able to get a toe on it to poke it in the back of the net. The third? Well, that was a complete defensive breakdown.

Let’s dive into it.

In the 59^th minute, Hamady Diop, who came on as a substitute for Franco Negri at the beginning of the second half was caught playing in the attack and failed to quickly get back to his defensive position, which allowed Colorado midfielder Cole Bassett to get in behind and receive a pass from Rafa Navarro on the edge of the box. He quickly returned the favor and slotted the ball back into Navarro, who was able to find tons of space with all three SDFC defenders forgetting to track his run.

Navarro hit a floating shot into the top-right corner, and the Rapids were off to a dream second-half start. Perhaps Diop’s inexperience was a key factor in the lead-up that saw Colorado go up 3-1, as he was clearly out of position. This also plays into the fact that some guys who come off the bench do not see much playing time in a playstyle that requires the ultimate understanding of tactics and performance. Not only understanding but also practicing. It’s tough to criticize players for making mental mistakes when they aren’t given ample time and opportunities to learn – especially young players. Again, this may be a key takeaway from this game, and the team will undoubtedly get better as a collective unit.

In their typical fashion, SDFC did not give up until the very end and were able to pull within one when winger Alex Mighten showed a little bit of creativity and got into the box on the left-hand side. A pass found its way to Dreyer, who laid off a beauty to the number 9 striker, Tomas Angel. Angel was able to place a hard shot into the bottom-right corner of the net, and Zach Steffen was once again beaten. It did not prove to be enough as the game went to a final whistle, and San Diego suffered only their second loss of the season.

One could argue that Colorado was not the only one with clearly missed chances. SDFC had their fair share of missed opportunities that should have been goals as well. In the 27^th minute, Valakari missed a sitter after Dreyer skillfully headed the ball onto his left foot in the penalty box, but the wide-open shot went high. Dreyer himself had a couple of one-on-one opportunities that he could not put away in the 56^th and 75^th minutes, respectively. We’ve seen missed opportunities that should have resulted in goals on and off with SDFC this season. It is something that the team struggled with in the past but seemingly overcame as they’ve managed to score three in each of their last two games.

At times, it seemed as though San Diego was trying to push the ball through the crowded middle of the field, which was a bit odd seeing as the Rapids were openly giving space on the wings. Surely, the game flow would’ve been much different had San Diego played wide to create space in the middle. Their lack of creativity showed more in this game than in any other game in the past. SDFC remains number 1 in the league for overall possession at 58.9% and second in the league for passing percentage at 88.3%, only trailing the Galaxy by 0.01%. This speaks to the team’s ability to play calmly on the ball and dictate pace. Perhaps in the game against Colorado, this was not the case all the time, but head coach Mikey Varas alluded to the fact that the team played “with intention” and were close to earning points “even when we do not play our best,” and that is something to be proud of.

Next, the third-place SDFC will travel to Charlotte for a road test against an Eastern Division side that is coming off two straight wins and is currently sitting in second place.

The matchup will surely bring fireworks, as the Charlotte fanbase is one of the best in the nation. A match preview will be coming later this week. Until then, make sure to follow my coverage of SDFC via East Village Times and my personal blog by clicking here—Home | SDFC Nation!!

Notes:

• Due to the quiet nature of the Colorado fanbase, the traveling supporters were heard all game long. The Fronteras Lokos gave 100% and were acknowledged by Jasper Loffelsend in the media availability, who called them simply fantastic.
• Milan Iloski made his debut, coming on as a substitute in the second half, but failed to impress early.
• SDFC dropped a spot in the standings after their loss and currently sit in third, one point behind Minnesota United and five points back of Vancouver Whitecaps, who cannot stop winning.

Dmitry Anisimov

Dmitry Anisimov is a San Diego native who played soccer up to the college level when he represented the SDSU Men’s Club Soccer team. Growing up in San Diego, Dmitry is a fan of all the home teams but he specifically couldn’t wait until San Diego got an MLS team. Once that dream became reality, Dmitry married his love for writing and the game of soccer to portray a voice of the San Diego soccer community. There is a deep-rooted love of soccer culture in San Diego and Dmitry hopes to bring it to light through his pre and post-game coverage of all things San Diego FC.