The Colorado Rapids have rounded out their first leg of preseason in Querétaro, Mexico, with a 3-0 victory over Club Atlético La Paz. A brace from Rafael Navarro and a free kick goal from Djordje Mihailovic within the first 30 minutes of the match were enough to seal the victory before the club headed back home to Colorado. Strong performances in net from both Adam Beaudry and Zackory Campagnolo led to the Rapids’ first clean sheet so far this preseason.
Similarly to the club’s last preseason match against Querétaro F.C., today’s match was 120 minutes total, with two 45-minute periods followed by a 30-minute period. This allowed for just about every player on the preseason roster to get some form of game action, making the 3-0 result a complete team performance.
Colorado got to work right away and had their press working early, even on a hot day in Mexico. That press proved to be beneficial as it has throughout this entire first leg of preseason, directly leading to the match’s first goal. After putting pressure on the La Paz goalkeeper, Navarro managed to scoop up a loose ball and calmly place a finish into the back of the net.
That goal wouldn’t be all for the Brazilian, as he would add to his tally less than five minutes later. The play started around midfield, with Mihailovic collecting the ball and surveying his options in the attack. The Olympian then dinked a pass over the opposition’s backline to find a streaking Navarro, who made no mistake with his finish to double the lead. The forward has now logged three goals within his last two preseason matches as he prepares for the 2025 season.
After notching an assist, Mihailovic was looking for more in the early stages of the match. With a foul being drawn for Colorado around the 30th minute, the midfielder stepped up to take the free kick from around 25 yards out. From a spot he is incredibly comfortable in, Mihailovic sent a curling shot in with pace around the right side of the defending wall and beat the goalkeeper to net the club’s third and final goal of the match.
While the attack was strong throughout the match, the defense and goalkeeping cannot be overlooked. As they showed in their previous contest, the Rapids backline put in a strong shift and limited the high-quality chances from their opposition. When the occasional chance did come through, Beaudry and Campagnolo were there to clean things up and make multiple strong saves each.
With the first portion of preseason wrapped up, the Rapids will head back home to Colorado before travelling to Florida for leg two. There, the club will face off against familiar MLS opponents in D.C. United on February 7 and Toronto FC on February 11.
Final Score
Colorado Rapids - 3
Club Atlético La Paz - 0
Lineups
First Half:
Adam Beaudry, Jackson Travis, Chidozie Awaziem, Andreas Maxsø (Ian Murphy 25’), Reggie Cannon, Cole Bassett (Wayne Frederick 60’), Oliver Larraz, Connor Ronan, Djordje Mihailovic (Sam Bassett 45’), Calvin Harris, Rafael Navarro
Second Half:
Zackory Campagnolo, Keegan Rosenberry, Ian Murphy (Michael Edwards 91’), Daouda Amadou, Anderson Rosa, Wayne Frederick, Sam Bassett, Kimani Stewart-Baynes, Sydney Wathuta, Noah Strellnauer, Alex Harris
