An 88th-minute strike by forward Dominique Badji gave the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club a hard-fought 1-1 draw against New York City FC on Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
The Rapids returned from a long, four-game road spell looking to take advantage of their stoppage-time victory at Houston Dynamo last weekend. Interim head coach Steve Cooke would opt for the same starting lineup that saw his team earn the their first road win of 2017.
Scoring opened in the 19th minute when Andrea Pirlo stole the ball in the center of the pitch, finding McNamara in a great position to drive to goal. The NYCFC captain stormed forward and launched a stunning shot from distance into the top corner past an outstretched Tim Howard.
The lead was nearly doubled four minutes later, but Pirlo’s free kick would ricochet off the crossbar. Rodney Wallace tried to redirect the rebound, but his attempt would go wide of the mark.
The Rapids’ best effort of the first half came in the 39th minute when Joshua Gatt made his way quickly down the line, eventually finding a streaking Marlon Hairston at the other end. Hairston cut inside and attempted a shot from distance, forcing a fingertip save from Sean Johnson.
In the 64th minute, the Rapids would make a double substitution in an attempt to get the equalizer. Shkëlzen Gashi and Stefan Aigner replaced Mohammed Saeid and Gatt, respectively. Ten minutes later, Alan Gordon would come on as the third and final substitute for the home side.
A great build-up play in the attacking end almost saw Gordon tally his third of the season. A cheeky flick from Jared Watts fell at Gordon’s feet, but the veteran forward sent his shot straight at Johnson.
Badji would eventually take matters into his own hands with two minutes left of regulation. The Senegalese forward tallied his team-high eighth of the season from just inside the box over the outstretched hand of the NYCFC keeper.
Colorado (7-16-5; 26 points) goes on the road again to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, September 23. Kickoff at BC Place is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. MT (Altitude).
BOX SCORE
Colorado Rapids 1-1 New York City FC
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, CO
Saturday, September 16, 2017
SCORING SUMMARY
NYC: Thomas McNamara (Andrea Pirlo) 19’
COL: Dominique Badji 88’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
COL: Joshua Gatt (caution) 58’
NYC: Sean Johnson (caution) 63’
NYC: Thomas McNamara (caution) 90’+3’
Colorado Rapids: Tim Howard; Eric Miller, Kortne Ford, Axel Sjöberg, Mekeil Williams; Micheal Azira, Jared Watts; Marlon Hairston (Alan Gordon 75’), Mohammed Saeid (Shkëlzen Gashi 65’), Joshua Gatt (Stefan Aigner 65’); Dominique Badji.
Subs not used: Zac MacMath, Bobby Burling, Nana Boateng, Dillon Serna.
New York City FC: Sean Johnson; RJ Allen, Frederic Brillant, Alexander Callens, Ben Sweat; Andrea Pirlo (James Sands 67’), Thomas McNamara; Jack Harrison (Andraz Struna 88’), Maximiliano Morález, Rodney Wallace; Khiry Shelton (David Villa 72’).
Subs not used: Eirik Johansen, Sean Okoli, Jonathan Lewis, Kwame Awuah.
ATTENDANCE: 14,336
TEAM RECORDS:
Colorado Rapids: 7-16-5 (26 Points)
New York City FC: 15-8-6 (51 Points)
