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Loons fall on the road in Colorado

In what many felt like was a must-win game for the Loons, a lackluster performance saw Adrian Heath’s side fall at the hands of the Rapids.

MLS: Minnesota United FC at Colorado Rapids Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

A towering first half header from Kei Kamara was the lone goal in a 1-0 victory for the Colorado Rapids in a Western Conference match-up versus Minnesota United FC.

The Rapids, lying in 12th place, last in the conference, managed to snag three points out from under the noses of an unambitious Minnesota side.

The Loons were without four starting players on the evening as Rasmus Chuller, Kevin Molino, Romain Metanire and Jan Gregus are all out on international duty. Without those four players in the team, Adrian Heath was forced to maneuver his lineup in the best way he thought was possible.

Adrian Heath chose to start Centerback Michael Boxall in the fullback role that Metanire usually occupies, but that choice, along with the attacking tactics distributed on the pitch, were what haunted the team from the start.

As Adrian heath said in the postgame show, “too little, too late.” was a motto for how the game went.

The Loons went without a shot on target in the first half, and their first shot on target, came from a bicycle kick attempt via Abu Danladi.

The Rapids outplayed Minnesota in every essence of the game, but they still didn’t look threatening. For Minnesota, this may be their worst performance of the season; questions will be asked of tactics, coaching decisions and whether or not some players will see the pitch any time soon again for the Loons.

Debuts

Lawrence Olum and Colin Martin made their 2019 MLS debut’s tonight, while rookie Superdraft pick Chase Gasper made his professional debut.

Moving Forward

The Loons hos Sporting Kansas City on June 12 in a U.S. Open Cup thriller. SKC is no unusual foe for the Loons, as they’ve played Peter Vermes’ side three times in the past four years in the tournament.