The Colorado Rapids continued their preparations for the 2023 MLS season on Tuesday, seeing out a 5-3 win over Liga de Expansión MX side Mineros de Zacatecas. Cole Bassett led the Burgundy Boys with a brace, while Diego Rubio, Sam Nicholson and Kévin Cabral rounded out the scoring in the win.
Early in the first half, the Rapids’ high press paid dividends when Bassett intercepted a pass from Mineros’ goalkeeper and slotted home to give his side the lead in the fourth minute of play.
Bassett would double his tally just six minutes later. Michael Edwards found Braian Galván down the middle and the Argentine, in his first few minutes of game action since sustaining season-ending injury a year ago, played a perfectly weighted through ball to Bassett who calmly slotted home.
Mineros then cut their deficit in half after the Rapids conceded a penalty kick in the 19th minute and Luis Fernando Hernandez converted to make it 2-1.
The Rapids made the first of two major lineup rotations in the 30th minute and found their third goal of the day shortly after. Gustavo Vallecilla sprung Cabral free down the left wing and the Frenchman squared the ball off to Rubio who coolly finished off the sequence.
In the 43rd minute, Keegan Rosenberry sent a long throw-in to Nicholson down the right wing and the winger beat his mark to go one-on-one with the keeper and score the Rapids’ fourth goal.
Just at the verge of halftime, Cabral earned a penalty kick after surging into the box from the left wing, converting it himself to make the score 5-1 at the break.
Ten minutes into second half, Mineros’ Johan Rodriguez blocked a pass in the defensive third that he was able to slot past Abraham Rodriguez to reduce the deficit for his side.
In the 65th minute, Rodriguez made a tremendous, reflexive save off a close-range effort, but Mineros’ Nestor Corona capitalized on the loose ball in the box to make it 5-3, a score line that would hold for the remainder of the scrimmage.
The Rapids will close out the Mexican portion of their preseason camp with a friendly against Liga MX’s Querétaro FC on Sunday.
Scoring Summary:
4’ – COL – Cole Bassett
10’ – COL – Cole Bassett (Braian Galvan, Michael Edwards)
22’ – MIN – Luis Fernando Hernandez (PK)
35’ – COL – Diego Rubio (Kevin Cabral, Gustavo Vallecilla)
43’ – COL – Sam Nicholson (Keegan Rosenberry)
45’ – COL – Kevin Cabral (PK)
55’ – MIN – Johan Rodriguez
65’ – MIN – Nestor Corona
Starting XI:
6. Lalas Abubakar
12. Michael Barrios
19. Jack Price (C)
22. William Yarbrough
23. Cole Bassett
27. Sebastian Anderson
31. Anthony Markanich
34. Michael Edwards
52. Braian Galvan
77. Darren Yapi
91. Kevin Cabral
