St. Louis CITY SC Wastes Chances and Lets Colorado Rapids Escape Unscathed | OneFootball

Soccer, as the purists love to say, is all about putting the ball in the back of the net. Possession, shots, corner kicks, and pressure? Sure, those are great, but if the score doesn't change, the fans leave frustrated. And that’s exactly the feeling that took over Energizer Park Saturday night, when St. Louis CITY SC crushed the Colorado Rapids from start to finish, yet walked away with a bland 0-0 draw.

The numbers? Almost ridiculous. St. Louis fired off 18 shots, while Colorado only managed 2. The home team pounded, hammered, and tried everything in the book, but couldn’t turn their superiority into goals. On the other side, the Rapids didn’t even manage a shot on target. Zero. Zilch. It was a total offensive blackout. But guess who had the last laugh? Colorado. A draw on the road, after a tough game in the Concacaf Champions Cup, feels like a win for a team just trying to survive.

If anyone deserves a refund for their ticket, it’s St. Louis' goalkeeper Roman Bürki. The guy, now with 16 shutouts in MLS, basically watched the game from within his own penalty area. Colorado was so harmless, Bürki could’ve read a book to pass the time. This was the second time in St. Louis history that they held an opponent to zero shots on goal. The other time? Against Austin FC in 2024. But at least in that one, St. Louis managed to score.

St. Louis didn’t lose. But can we really call this a "good result"? If soccer was decided by stats and territorial dominance, CITY SC would've walked off with a 3 or 4-0 scoreline. But that's not how the game works.

On the other side of the field, there’s one name that stands out: Zack Steffen. The Colorado keeper was a brick wall, saving his team five times and ensuring they left St. Louis unscathed. It’s the kind of performance that can give a team a boost, especially when they’re still finding their footing this season.

Steffen’s already shown that, when he’s on his game, he can be one of the best keepers in MLS. For the Rapids, it’s lucky they have him. For St. Louis fans? A curse. How many miraculous saves did he have to make to keep the ball out? At least half a dozen. And so, the home team had to settle for a frustrating 0-0, while Steffen celebrated his 30th shutout in MLS.

The long answer? A little more composure. Creating chances is key, but soccer doesn’t reward teams that just “play better.” What matters is putting the ball in the net, and CITY SC needs to figure out how to turn dominance into goals. João Klauss and Simon Becher had their opportunities, but they just couldn’t find that perfect finish to beat Steffen.

It wasn’t just poor shooting. St. Louis also fell into the trap of desperation. The more time ticked away, the more anxious the players seemed, taking wild shots, sending crosses into nowhere, and rushing their decisions. No surprise, then, that Colorado dug in even more, trusting their defense and keeper to hold on.

For the Rapids, this draw was about as good as it gets. After a grueling match against LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, they came into this one tired. Knowing that, the Colorado coach set his team up to defend, rely on their opponent’s mistakes, and walk away with a valuable point on the road.

And it worked. The defense, led by Keegan Rosenberry and Ian Murphy, did a solid job, not giving up any silly space inside the box. Cole Bassett and Rafael Navarro tried to spark something going forward, but, let’s be real: the Rapids were just trying to hang on for the draw. And they did.

Next up, St. Louis will face off against San Diego FC, the newest team in MLS, on March 1st. It’s a great chance for CITY SC to get back on track and show that this draw was just a minor stumble.

Colorado, on the other hand, has a bigger challenge ahead: the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup clash against LAFC. With a 2-1 aggregate lead, advancing would be a big achievement for a team that hasn't shown much firepower early in the season.