Inclement weather rained on the Colorado Rapids' Fourth of July celebration, literally, before the New England Revolution did the same on the field, picking up a 2-1 road win on Thursday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
The game was delayed a combined three hours and 34 minutes on the night, leading to a postponement of the annual postgame fireworks show. The loss snapped the Rapids' seven-game unbeaten streak, with the Revolution extending their own unbeaten run in league play to seven games with the win.
The game featured three weather delays due to lightning, with heavy rain coming down at times during the suspension. First, the kickoff to open the game was pushed back 60 minutes. When they got underway, the Revolution grabbed the lead early, as Teal Bunbury slotted a quick strike between two defenders in the opening 10 minutes.
In the 28th minute, the game was suspended for a second time due to lightning in the area, with the delay lasting one hour and 34 minutes. The teams played another six minutes of game time, before the match entered a delay once again, this one lasting 50 minutes.
When the teams resumed play, they reached the halftime break and paused for an abbreviated eight minutes, with the Revolution remaining on the field in that time, while the Rapids briefly went inside.
The shortened halftime went off without further delay, and New England extended their lead in the 52nd minute, as Juan Fernando Caicedo's header off Carles Gil's free kick nestled inside the far post.
The Rapids didn't give up, however, with Diego Rubio scoring a header off a Nicolás Mezquida corner kick to cut the deficit in half with just under 20 minutes left. Revs goalkeeper Matt Turner had a remarkable save in the 89th minute to preserve his side's narrow lead.
Rapids midfielder Kellyn Acostawas sent off in second-half stoppage time for dissent after arguing over a yellow card he was shown moments earlier.
Goals
- 8' – NE – Teal Bunbury
- 52' – NE – Juan Fernando Caicedo
- 71' – COL – Diego Rubio | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: A game between teams in a remarkably similar situation, with in-season coaching firings followed by an upturn in form of late, the play was what you would expect under the circumstances: A bit disjointed due to the various delays, but with two teams confident they could find a result. In the end, the Revs were much sharper until the final 30 minutes, and they weathered the Rapids' rally well enough to get a good win on an odd night.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: It's unclear if Revs coach Bruce Arena was experiencing technical difficulties for his halftime interview or deadpanning on a challenging night, but either way, he had an apt summation of a rather surreal game.
Next Up
- COL: Saturday, July 13 at Portland Timbers (9:00 PM MT | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; DAZN in Canada)
