The Colorado Rapids (14-9-5, 47 pts.) extended their unbeaten streak at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park to 12 matches with a victory over the Portland Timbers (11-10-7, 40 pts.). Goals from Jonathan Lewis and Rafael Navarro and a couple of assists for Djordje Mihailovic lifted the club to a crucial 2-1 victory. The goals paired with a solid defensive performance all around were enough to secure the victory and improve the club’s potential playoff position as the regular season comes to a close.
In what was the third match of 2024 between these two sides across all competitions, the Rapids were looking to avenge their previous performances against a familiar foe.
The match’s pace started out fast, with both Colorado and Portland getting chances in the final third following transition play. Portland managed to string together multiple plays together but found no luck past the Rapids backline early on. After settling in, Colorado bounced back and created chances of their own in the attacking zone. Those repeated chances resulted in what would be the first goal of the match.
After the Rapids connected multiple passes through the midfield, Mihailovic found himself at the top of the eighteen looking to make something happen. The midfielder then played a pass that deflected off a Timbers defender and then off of himself, which turned out to be a perfect set-up for Jonathan Lewis. Without taking a dribble, Lewis fired a shot with his left foot into the bottom right corner to give his side the first lead of the match.
Lewis has now scored in consecutive home matches in MLS play. The goal was his third of the season in MLS and his 26th as a member of the Rapids. That mark puts Lewis into a tie with Mark Chung for the 10th most in club history.
Portland would end up matching the Colorado goal ten minutes later off a set piece. After the ball was served in by Evander, Miguel Araujo headed a pass across net to find David Ayala, who placed a header of his own into the back of the net to equalize.
The two goals rounded out the first half scoring, but the match still had a game-winning goal waiting in the final forty-five minutes-plus.
Portland came out of the break on the front foot, but the Leagues Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament, Zack Steffen, denied every shot he was faced with. The entire defensive play from the Rapids was stellar, stopping a high-octane Timbers attack from any high-quality chances. Midfielder Connor Ronan put in an incredible shift to prevent attacks from getting past him. The defensive play allowed Colorado to have attacks of their own, leading to their second and final goal to seal a victory at home.
A free kick drawn by Calvin Harris started the play off, with Mihailovic stepping up to send in a cross from around 25 yards out. The midfielder sent in a perfect curled ball, finding the head of Rafael Navarro, who made no mistake with a clinical finish.
The goal for Navarro was his 14th goal of the season, tying Kei Kamara (2019), Omar Cummings (2010) and John Spencer (2003, 2001) for the second-most goals scored in a single regular season in club history. It was also his 19th goal contribution of the season, tying Conor Casey (2010), Spencer (2003) and Paul Bravo (1998) for the fourth-most in a single regular season for the Rapids.
The assists from Mihailovic marked his 21st and 22nd goal contributions of the season, surpassing Spencer (2001) and Mark Chung (2002) for the second-most in a single regular season in club history. The midfielder has now contributed eight goals in his last five regular-season home matches (2g, 6a).
From there, the Rapids defense stood strong. Portland attempted to grab an equalizer in the match’s dying moments, but it was no match for the Colorado entire squad in addition to the back line. Strong performances from Andreas Maxsø, Lalas Abubakar, Jackson Travis, and Keegan Rosenberry propelled the club to a crucial result against a rising Portland side.
The victory extended the club’s unbeaten run at DSGP across all competitions to 12 matches (10-0-2, 27 goals for, 13 goals against). With the result, the Rapids currently sit at third in the Western Conference after surpassing Real Salt Lake.
The club will quickly shift its focus to Wednesday night on the road against Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Park is set for 6:30 p.m. MT (Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 950AM).
