Reggie Cannon converted a 58th-minute finish set up by Youssef Maziz to give Colorado Rapids a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, extending RSL’s winless run in MLS to eight games, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. The Rapids dominated from start to finish, finishing with 64% possession and a 14-4 advantage in total shots, while Real Salt Lake goalkeeper was barely tested at the other end as Colorado’s Adam Beaudry had little work to do himself. Colorado also reclaimed the Rocky Mountain Cup for the third consecutive year, per the club’s official recap.
Key Moments
- 14′, Hamzat Ojediran picked up the first booking of the night, a yellow card for Colorado Rapids.
- 49′, Rob Holding was cautioned early in the second half as both sides traded fouls in a physical period.
- 53′, Aiden Hezarkhani was booked for Real Salt Lake, adding to the visitors’ disciplinary troubles.
- 58′, The only goal: Youssef Maziz played in Reggie Cannon, who finished to put Colorado in front.
- 63′, Real Salt Lake made a double substitution, replacing Aiden Hezarkhani and DeAndre Yedlin in an attempt to change the game.
Tactical Breakdown
Colorado controlled this match almost from the opening whistle. Matt Wells’s side held 64% of the ball, completed 86% of their passes and registered 14 shots to Real Salt Lake’s four. The xG numbers tell the same story: Rapids at 1.22, RSL at a barely-there 0.08. Ten of Colorado’s shots came from inside the box, reflecting a patient build-up that pressed RSL into a low block they ultimately could not sustain.
The goal came from that persistence. Maziz, operating between the lines for most of the first hour, released Cannon into space on 58 minutes. The right back finished cleanly, and once Colorado had the lead their possession game became even more suffocating. Maziz was withdrawn for Donavan Phillip at 71 minutes, with the assist already in the bank, and Wayne Frederick was replaced by Josh Atencio at 78 minutes as Wells managed the closing stages.
Real Salt Lake had no real answer. Pablo Mastroeni’s side registered zero shots on goal across 90 minutes, a damning return against a mid-table opponent. Five yellow cards and 21 fouls pointed to a team unable to win the ball cleanly. Rafael Cabral kept RSL from a heavier defeat with three saves, but the visitors never genuinely threatened to change the result.
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Verdict
The win moves Colorado Rapids to 28 points, eighth in the Western Conference and firmly in playoff position. Real Salt Lake stay tenth on 28 points, now without a win in eight MLS matches, a run that has erased the buffer they need to feel comfortable on the right side of the postseason cutoff. The Rocky Mountain Cup stays in Commerce City for a third straight year, a footnote that will sting RSL as they search for answers to a worrying late-season slide.