COL 2, RSL 1: Jasper Löffelsend doesn't lose Rocky Mountain Cup matches, apparently
The 26-year-old midfielder from Cologne, Germany made his season debut as the Rapids rallied from a brilliant MLS-first goal by Emeka Eneli to stun RSL, 2-1 in Sandy.
Whether the rivalry has lost its luster, one thing is sure: Jasper Löffelsend doesn’t lose in the Rocky Mountain Cup.
The 26-year-old midfielder from Cologne, Germany by way of Pitt has seen six editions of the local derby since Real Salt Lake drafted him with the 81st overall pick (third round) of the MLS SuperDraft in 2022.
That included a 3-0-2 mark in MLS play as the center midfielder rose through the ranks at RSL, starting and coming off the bench, before he was traded to the Colorado Rapids on Jan. 10 in exchange for $100,000 in conditional general allocation money, an international spot and a second-round pick in 2025 as part of the Rapids’ roster overhaul under new coach Chris Armas.
And he’s still never lost the rivalry, after Colorado’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake late Saturday night at America First Field in Sandy.
“Same game, different side, I would say,” Löffelsend said after his Rapids’ win, which came in his first debut game with Colorado. “Obviously, it was a little bit chippy, with little fouls here and there. Today I was more of a friendly guy trying to separate guys … just don’t try to escalate there. But Colorado’s my team now and I’m giving 100% for Colorado; it was the same when I was at Salt Lake for my team. Whomever I’m playing for, that’s who I give 100% for. Today I felt like we did that as a whole, and that’s why we came out and got a big win and a big three points.”
Löffelsend wasn’t the difference, at least on the scoresheet, but his side did come through with a breakthrough in the third match of the Armas era in a key rivalry showdown.
The Rapids’ first win in Sandy in four years — since a stunning 5-0 shutout back on Sept. 12, 2020 — puts Colorado in prime position to win the Rocky Mountain Cup for just the second time in the past eight years.
But after an offseason of change that had some pundits around the MLS corner of the internet proclaiming the Rapids as “offseason champions,” it was a homegrown who ultimately earned the victory.
RSL took the lead early when Emeka Eneli scored his first MLS goal in the 22nd minute, a lead Salt Lake would hold until just before halftime. That’s when Eneli was called for a handball after a ball ricocheted off his shoulder, and Rafael Navarro put one firmly past goalkeeper Gavin Beavers from the spot to break even, 1-1 at at the break.
After a handful of second-half subs — except for Löffelsend, who was an 11th-minute injury replacement and then exited in the 82nd minute — Colorado native Cole Bassett collected a rebounding following a poor clearance in the 70th minute and one-touch timed his shot inside the far post for the gamewinner.
Inconsistent decisions by head referee Atahan Yaya, who handed out four yellow cards in his third MLS Match and first as the head official, according to Soccerway.
“On the penalty, I thought I got pushed,” Eneli said candidly after the match. “If I go down, it’s probably a foul. But he didn’t call a foul, and then he said my arm was not in a natural position. But I’m swiveling my body; I’m not going to put my hands behind my back when I’m trying to hold someone off. What am I supposed to do?
“The second goal looked similar to the penalty we gave up, where he might have stretched out his hand … I just felt like it was a little inconsistent. But that’s the game of soccer. We won and lost on different moments, and we can’t do anything about it now. The game’s over, so you’ve just got to move on to the next game.”
Officiating aside — and the refs will be a constant storyline during the season as MLS adapts to a league with replacement officials while negotiations continue with the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), even if broadcasters have been informed not to “belabor” commentary on the situation during games — Eneli was clear that RSL can’t put all of the blame on a bad call here and there.
There were moments where the hosts won the match, and moments where they lost. But the most important moments were the latter.
“I think in the first 30-40 minutes, we stuck to some of our structural principles and where our pivots were in the midfield,” Eneli said. “We positioned ourselves well behind that front line. But I think as the game wore on, we got away from that and dropped a little different — which let their midfield sit back. We weren’t breaking their line of pressure. It’s something we need to work on, finding the right pockets in midfield … and play more like we did in the first 30 minutes.”
Real Salt Lake has an early bye week next weekend — while the club welcomes the season debut and return of Utah Royals FC to the National Women’s Soccer League — before resuming MLS play March 23 in Vancouver against the Whitecaps and former club captain Damir Kreilach.
RSL’s next home match comes March 30, when the club hosts St. Louis CITY SC (7:30 p.m. MT, MLS Season Pass).