Colorado Rapids embarrassed at home showing

Posted Sunday, July 15, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

The Colorado Rapids are embarrassed at how they represented their home field on Saturday night.

The silence in the locker room of the Colorado Rapids after a 2-1 loss against FC Dallas was grievous. Players left quickly, in hopes of escaping the nightmare of a result fans had just witnessed.

Losing at home is disappointing enough, but to lose to the bottom team in the Western Conference is simply humiliating.

“Collectively we just find ways to shoot ourselves in the foot,” said forward Conor Casey. “We had a lot of chances in the first half again, and we don’t finish, and we don’t finish. It makes it a lot harder on us. It’s just disappointing, and we somehow find ways to not get the points.”

The problem lies in what Rapids head coach Oscar Pareja calls “lack of concentration.”

“We do a lot of good things,” Pareja explains, “but then we don’t finalize the job, and when that happens, we can not lose their heads. Obviously this one hurts a lot.”

Goalkeeper Matt Pickens echoed his coach.

“That’s definitely what it is,” he agreed. “It’s a little concerning right now. I think the way we are representing our club on our home field is pretty embarrassing. We think we have something and then we come out with nothing."

As the Rapids prepare for a two game road trip, ending with a battle for the Rocky Mountain Cup, the demand to finish the job is urgent.

"Hopefully we can get something out these games coming up, but it doesn’t get any easier for us," Pickens said. "Like I said, it’s embarrassing to represent the club this way.”