It was a good Sunday in Colorado
Pride Night for the Colorado Rapids was celebrated with the CCL Champion Seattle Sounders in town at DSGP. Some new faces in burgundy were a nice surprise as Auston Trusty and Lucas Estevez were serving red-card suspensions and Gyasi Zardes was out injured. Rookie Anthony Markanich saw his first start, as well as Michael Barrios and Steven Beitashour returning to the starting eleven after Wednesday’s trip to Kansas City.
Colorado gave Seattle grief early as Lalas Abubakar chipped a beauty to Diego Rubio at the edge of the six-yard box. After a couple of touches to try and get into shooting position, the ball was eventually poked away for a throw-in.
Play evened out for the first half-hour, though with two of Colorado’s center-backs, Danny Wilson and Keegan Rosenberry, staying home and shutting down any dangerous balls sent in, allowing Abubakar and the fullbacks to venture forward a bit.
In the 30th minute, Markanich kept a ball alive along the endline before dropping it centrally for Michael Barrios to trouble keeper Stephen Frei. However, the shot from close range was lifted over the crossbar and into the C38 section.
Mark-Anthony Kaye took a hard knock up around the head, sending him to the turf for treatment. Unfortunately, he had to gingerly come off as Jonathan Lewis replaced him in the 39th minute.
The Rapids had the best chance for the remainder of the half as successive corner kicks saw a Wilson header end up more dangerous than first thought. The ensuing corner allowed Rubio, Barrios and Markanich to get shots off, only for them to be blocked and eventually cleared to keep the match scoreless at halftime.
A bright start for the Rapids in the 50th minute after a bit of confusion in front of Seattle’s goal as Barrios stormed in with the ball on the right. His drop for Rubio was sent across the goalmouth for Lewis in front. The ball appeared to deflect off Seattle’s Yeimar and into goal for the 1-0 Rapids lead.
A frantic answer was just averted by Colorado as a slip allowed Morris in on Yarbrough one on one. His chip over Yarbrough floated dangerously towards goal, but Abubakar flashed back in plenty of time to knock it away from harm. Not cleared completely, a tough ball back across the goalmouth was parried away by Yarbrough as the crowd cheered the Rapids steady defending.
Markanich began finding his legs down the left flank for Colorado with a nice long touch past Yeimar to run onto the ball deep in the 58th minute, but his far post chip was too close to the endline and Barrios could only volley side-netting.
Colorado wasn’t content to park the bus on the one-goal advantage. Patient play in possession, and continuing to try and spring Barrios, Rubio, and Lewis was still the plan well into the 75th minute keeping Seattle on the move and wearing them out.
The Rapids were stout on both ends of the pitch on the night, not really allowing Seattle to get the ball to their danger men. That and patience in possession grabbed the valuable win at home at the end of a grueling week for the Burgundy Boys.