The Colorado Rapids have advanced to the Leagues Cup Round of 16 following their 3-2 victory over FC Juárez on Friday night. A seven-save performance from Zack Steffen backed by three different goal scorers in Jonathan Lewis, Djordje Mihailovic, and Calvin Harris were enough for the Rapids to top the Liga MX side. Colorado is now set to face Deportivo Toluca F.C. at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Tuesday, August 13.
In this Leagues Cup Round of 32 matchup, both sides had their eyes set on advancing to their first Round of 16 match for the first time in their respective club’s history. FC Juárez was competing in the first round of the knockout stage for the second consecutive year, while the Rapids had their first taste of the Round of 32 in the tournament’s two-year history.
As was expected, a tight battle ensued right from the opening whistle of Friday’s contest. Juárez found themselves attacking early, which led to the opening goal of the match.
Following a deflected shot and save from Steffen, Juarez striker Ángel Zaldívar cleaned up a loose rebound to open the match’s scoring.
As they’ve done all season long in MLS play, the Rapids kept their energy up despite an early deficit. The squad increased their attacking pressure and had Juárez on their heels soon after their opening goal. That pressure proved to work wonders for Colorado, who found their breakthrough in the 28th minute.
Following an errant Juárez pass caused by Rapids forward Rafael Navarro, Colorado quickly found themselves in position to score. Navarro collected the loose ball and played a quick pass in the middle of the eighteen to a wide-open Lewis for a simple shot that was placed at the far post.
Having just equalized, the Rapids were still hungry for more. The club kept their pressure up and created multiple high-quality chances throughout the rest of the first half, leading to an opportunity to take the lead for the first time.
After making a run into the final third, Lewis found himself near the goal line. The forward made a slick cut back move, resulting in a Juárez handball and a Colorado penalty kick. Stepping up to take the kick was Mihailovic, who was making his first start since returning to the club from the Paris Olympics. The midfielder made no mistake with the shot and converted his fourth consecutive penalty in 2024 across all competitions to give the Rapids the lead.
That would be all for the first half scoring thanks to crucial saves from Steffen, but there was still plenty to come over the course of the next 45 minutes.
Following more chances from the Rapids in the attacking third, the squad would eventually double their lead in the 58th minute. A Mihailovic corner started the play, with the ball that was sent in causing chaos around the goal mouth. It would eventually fall to Harris, who sent a shot on net that found its way through to the back of the net to give his side the 3-1 lead.
From then on, the back line of Colorado including Steffen stood strong. Juárez kept pushing to try and level the match. Final effort saves from Lalas Abubakar and Steffen kept the Rapids lead as the clock continued to tick away. Juárez would grab one back from the penalty spot, but it wouldn't be enough for the Liga MX side to come back and force a shootout.
The victory earned Colorado its first appearance in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 in the tournament’s two-year history. The club is now set to face Deportivo Toluca F.C. on Tuesday, August 13, at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. Kickoff will be set for 8:00 p.m. MT (Apple TV—MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 950AM).
