Dominique Badji is making the most of his opportunities and MLS is taking notice. He was named to the MLS Team of the Week bench in Week 34 after scoring his third goal in his last four games to lead the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo FC on Sunday. It was his fourth goal since rejoining the club via trade in July.
Younes Namli picked up his first assist of the season on the goal.
“What he’s done over the last couple weeks has been really special,” head coach Robin Fraser said after Sunday’s match, his club’s second of the season in Houston. “To get his opportunity and take his opportunity the way he did initially, I thought was fantastic.
“You talk about character and the type of person that he is and he took the challenge and ran with it and the goals that he’s given us, the play that he’s given us,” Fraser continued. “It was such a forward’s goal, just knowing where the goal is to touch and turn that way.”
The 29-year-old recently made his 100th appearance with the club (he is now up to 102) and passed former forward and current assistant coach Wolde Harris for sole possession of sixth on the club’s all-time list, just three goals from Chris Henderson in fifth.
The win in Houston was Colorado’s 16th of the year, the most since the club won 20 games in 1999. It was also their 13th clean sheet of the season, tied for the most in a single season in club history. The Rapids have secured a home playoff match and can still win the Western Conference going into Decision Day.
The Rapids host LAFC on Sunday at 4 p.m. MT.
MLS Team of the Week, Week 34
F: Valentin Castellanos (NYC), Javier Hernandez (LA)
M: Franco Fragapane (MIN), Jesus Ferreira (DAL), Lucas Zelarayan (CLB), Daniel Gazdag (PHI), Cade Cowell (SJ)
D: Nick DePuy (LA), Antonio Carlos (ORL), Sean Nealis (RBNY)
GK: Sean Johnson (NYC)
Coach: Adrian Heath (MIN)
Bench: Stefan Frei (SEA), Bakaye Dibassy (MIN), Keaton Parks (NYC), Emanuel Reynoso (MIN), Albert Rusnak (RSL), Hany Mukhtar (NSH), Dominique Badji (COL)
