The Colorado Rapids have been eliminated from the 2011-2012 CONCACAF Champions League knockout stages due to Isidro Metapán's 3-2 win over Real España. The fixture at Estadio Jorge Calero Suárez was in doubt due to heavy rain early in the week in El Salvador. Metapán became the first team from El Salvador to reach the knockout rounds of the CCL.

The halftime score was 0-0, and early in the 2nd half Paolo Suárez and Edder Delgado traded goals to make the score 1-1. Ramon Sanchez scored in the 68th minute and Suárez scored an insurance goal to make the score 3-1 in the 82nd minute. Real España made matters interesting in stoppage time as Maynor Martinez tallied in stoppage time, but in the end it proved to be nothing more than a late consolation. 

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The Rapids shouldn't have needed to get three points or even one point in Torreon last night against Santos Laguna. Considering the way they pounded the drive for three points in every home game into the fans' heads before the CONCACAF Champions League began, the 3-1 win over Metapan should have given the Rapids the points they needed to safely breeze through Group B into the knockout rounds of 2012. Unfortunately, only three out of nine points at home - and the three they earned being far too close for comfort - left the Rapids with an almost must-win game against Santos and the pressure was too much as the Rapids fell 2-0 to the superior Mexican side.

Much was made before the match about how the Rapids were bringing their strongest side so far into a CCL match, with guys like Jeff Larentowicz and Drew Moor getting the starts, though they still missed Pablo Mastroeni as he was still sitting in Denver with a concussion. You would never have known this was the strongest Rapids side possible watching the match though, as the starting line-up frustratingly included Scott Palguta once again and head-scratching moves like Kosuke Kimura playing right midfielder and an obviously picked on a dartboard forward selection of Macoumba Kandji and Caleb Folan.

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Santos Laguna will welcome the Colorado Rapids to Estadio Corona on Wednesday, October 19th, for the final group stage match of the 2011-2012 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Santos have already secured qualification into the quarterfinal stage of the tournament while Colorado needs a win to ensure a quarterfinal spot within the region's top club tournament. 

Colorado Rapids head coach Gary Smith has taken a strong squad to Mexico in a bid to qualify for the quarterfinals as the Rocky Mountain club wrapped up a MLS playoff spot on the weekend. The only player within the normal starting XI that did not travel was Pablo Mastroeni. The captain is still being evaluated after suffering a concussion against Real Salt Lake on Friday evening.

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The Colorado Rapids really screwed the pooch - and themselves - when they allowed Real Espana to come into Dick's Sporting Good's Park and win 2-1 over them. That left the now hapless Rapids at 1-2-1 in CONCACAF Champions League competition, good for a measley four points and third place in Group B. At this point the Rapids control their own destiny, but they would need to beat Santos Laguna in Mexico to make that happen, and that's about as likely as... uh, something very unlikely happening.

To make their chances anywhere close to possible, they're going to need to beat Isidro Metapan tonight in El Salvador. Metapan is currently in 2nd place with six points in the group and will automatically advance with a result tonight unless the Rapids can beat Santos and have a better goal differential after drawing Metapan.

Colorado defeated Metapan 3-2 back when they came over to Commerce City for their first CCL match.

...Yeah, really nothing more to say than all that.

On a wet evening at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Colorado Rapids were on the wrong end of a 2-1 defeat to Real España. The visitors benefited from costly errors in Colorado's defense that led to a first-half Carlos Pavón brace. Andre Akpan found himself tally his second Champions League goal, but it was not enough as Colorado faces an uphill battle to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals. 

Colorado (1-2-1) suffered their second straight defeat in the CCL, and their fifth straight defeat in all competitions. Real España (1-2-1) moved ahead of Colorado in Group B on goal differential as both clubs have four points from four matches. Group B leaders Santos Laguna and Isidro Metapán will play in Torreon, Mexico, on Thursday evening. 

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The Colorado Rapids have had a rough stretch recently in MLS league action and in the CONCACAF Champions League. The last league victory for the club came on August 13, which was a 2-1 road victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. Colorado followed with a 3-2 victory in their opener in the CCL against Isidro Metapán just four days later. However, the past four weeks have been harsh and no less than a victory at Dick's Sporting Goods Park against Real España could be devastating in Colorado's quest to reach the CCL Quarterfinals.

Colorado are 1-1-1 in the competition so far, but this match will be the final home fixture in the group stage. This means two tricky away contests in El Salvador and Mexico remain on the horizon, with only the top two teams form the Group advancing to the Quarterfinals. Real España have lost twice in the campaign and claimed a home point against Colorado in a 1-1 draw where Gary Smith started many reserves.  

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Gary Smith's dubious claim that he really did want the Colorado Rapids to win the CONCACAF Champions League seemed a bit off when he sent out the worst Rapids side we'd seen in years against Real Espana, and now even his chattering about how they were working toward 9 points at home looks pretty off. Colorado sent out an uninspiring lineup today to take on Santos Laguna and played an uninspired ball-game to follow, dropping their chance to take a hold of Group B 4-1.

The Rapids started the game with a 4-3-3 formation with Sanna Nyassi, Omar Cummings and Macoumba Kandji up top and a mostly defensive midfield that featured Wells Thompson and Jeff Larentowicz pushing up and Pablo Mastroeni wandering the pitch in the center. Funny thing about 4-3-3 formations though, you need a very solid defense in order to keep the diminished number of bodies in the midfield from affecting the team's ability to hold the ball.

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When the Colorado Rapids signed Guadaloupe defender Miguel Comminges earlier in the week, it was speculated that it might be a bit of time before we saw him actually appear in a Rapids uniform. Fortunately, the transition from him being a Rapids player to him training with the other Rapids took a very short time and he has begun training with the team as of yesterday. The Rapids even tweeted a picture of Miguel wearing the burgundy, confirming his training has begun.

This brings up an interesting question since he is eligible to play tonight against Santos Laguna. Anthony Wallace obviously won't be playing left back since he's soon to have surgery. Danny Earls may still be tired from his full 90 against the Los Angeles Galaxy and Scott Palguta has shown plenty of times this season that his job is probably precariously perching on the verge of insecure with his play.

That leaves Comminges as the only left back remaining on the squad. The fans will certainly be itching to see him in the midst of Earls and Palguta continuing to have bad appearances week in and week out, and putting him into a game in CONCACAF Champions League rather than one of the ultra important league matches coming up will probably be the best trial by fire option since it's likely we're going to need to see him quickly.

Palguta is probably the first option as the Rapids may roll out their Kosuke Kimura - Drew Moor - Marvell Wynne - Scott Palguta version of the defense, but don't be surprised to see a face you won't recognize on the pitch when the ball is first kicked against Santos tonight at 8 PM. Who knows, we might even see him spell Kimura at right back if Kosuke is tired and Eddie Ababio isn't quite ready for prime time either.