QUERÉTARO, MX. – The Colorado Rapids kicked off their first of three preseason scrimmages against Mexican teams with a 3-1 loss to Liga de Expansión MX side Atlético Morelia FC on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday's matchup against the Monarchs provided an opportunity for new and returning members of the Rapids to get their first minutes on the pitch. Midfielder Omir Fernandez, goalkeepers Zack Steffen and Adam Beaudry and defender Nate Jones all saw their first minutes in burgundy, while Chris Armas made his debut as the Rapids' head coach for the contest.
Colorado held possession for a large part of the first half, but Morelia was able to get on the board after a handball was committed in the box and the penalty kick was converted.
A combination between Oliver Larraz, Lalas Abubakar and Rafael Navarro saw Navarro's header find the back of the net late into the second half, but the goal was called offside, and the Monarchs went on to score another before halftime when the Rapids made a wholesale substitution, featuring Jones and Beaudry.
A quick free kick outside the box saw the Liga de Expansión MX side slip another goal in before they committed a handball of their own in the 18, prompting the penalty kick. Jonathan Lewis stepped up to the spot in the 73rd minute and cleanly put the ball away in the upper right corner for the Rapids' lone goal of the game.
Colorado will be back in action on Jan. 29 at 11:30 a.m. MT when they take on Querétaro FC as they continue their preseason preparations.
Final Score
Colorado Rapids - 1
Atlético Morelia FC - 3
Scoring Summary
CAM: Omar Islas (14')
CAM: Gustavo Ramírez (28')
CAM: Joao Maleck (58')
COL: Jonathan Lewis (66')
Lineups
First Half: Lalas Abubakar, Cole Bassett, Moïse Bombito, Kévin Cabral, Omir Fernandez, Oliver Larraz, Rafael Navarro, Ralph Priso, Keegan Rosenberry (C), Zack Steffen, Jackson Travis
Second Half : Sebastian Anderson, Adam Beaudry, Michael Edwards, Braian Galván, Yosuke Hanya, Calvin Harris, Nate Jones, Jonathan Lewis, Andreas Maxsø, Connor Ronan, Darren Yapi
