Game Overview
Final: Rapids: 3 | Minnesota United FC: 2
Quick Read
The Rapids showed remarkable resilience on Saturday, battling back from a two-goal deficit to earn the 3-2 victory. Goals from Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett and the game-winner from Danny Wilson sealed Colorado's second-half comeback. The win marks Colorado's first in front of their home crowd in 2021 and the beginnings of a winning streak, as it is their second straight victory.
Midfielder Cole Bassett
On his objective when entering the match…
“We were down 2-nil already so I came in with really nothing to lose. I was trying to change the game for the team. I thought we didn’t have much energy and I had a feeling like I could provide a spark of energy to drive the team forward and create chances. That was my mindset coming in and also to give pressure on the backline for them. I felt like they were playing too freely in between the lines so once I came in, me and Diego [Rubio] did a good job of getting pressure on them and they didn’t have time to face forward and that allowed our back guys to win the ball and we could start going forward again.”
On his role with the club…
“I’ve been a bit frustrated lately. I feel like I should be starting every game and sometimes the lineup doesn’t include me and that’s how it is. It might not be that I’m not one of the best players to play in the game, it’s just tactical sometimes. The biggest thing for me that I’ve had talks about with coach [Robin Fraser] about trying to stay positive, and when you do come in, make an impact. Don’t pout and then when you come in, you don’t make the difference. I’ve been trying to stay positive with the group and I know I deserve to be a starter. I’m going to keep playing with this team and I feel like I drive this team forward. That was kind of my role coming in, to really help this team get goals and assists because we haven’t really scored many from open play so far. That was big for me and I’m going to try and start every game possible.”
On overcoming a two-goal deficit…
“We have had that problem, that was kind of one of the biggest points we had as a topic of discussion in preseason from last year. Whenever we scored first we won the game. It was almost every single time, but whenever we gave up a goal we just continued to give up goals and that was one of the things we looked at over the offseason that we needed to improve on. It happened versus Austin so we weren’t happy about that, we looked at it. Last week, we obviously scored the first goal and won but this week we had to pretty much change. We had to do something different than what we’ve been doing and I think that was just an aggressive mindset at home -- the keep fighting mentality that we have. We did not really let them out of their half in the second half and I think that was just down to our aggressiveness and just wanting to bring the three points. Even after we scored 2-2 we went and got the ball and wanted another. We weren’t satisfied with a tie so I think that’s the mentality that we have.”
Head coach Robin Fraser
On tonight's match…
“What a crazy game. It really felt like we didn’t start off as strong as we wanted to, a little bit passive throughout the first half and then towards the end of the half we really started to impose ourselves, start to put some more pressure on them and with good possession we were able to create some opportunities and generate some real belief going into halftime.”
On the team chemistry and character…
“I think it’s a huge part of what this team is about and what you mentioned is me talking about the character of the group ever since I got here and tonight was a real example of that. I think that throughout the season we’ve had so far some decent performances, some not-so-great performances, but we haven’t been able to kind of put things together completely and I think as a result there could have been some confidence issues going into this. Just not really remembering who we can be when we are as good as we can be, and as the game wore on you could see the belief start to rise and certainly by the end you could see that the group was very, very confident, really thinking that they were going to find ways to win the game and I think it’s a huge testament to the character of the group to be down 2-0 at home at halftime and to find that kind of energy and quality to come back and get a result.”
On the team chemistry and character…
“It was really about Cole [Bassett] coming in and giving us some energy and from the very first play he had -- I think it’s the first play, he sprinted 50 yards to go close down the goalkeeper and the goalkeeper kicked it out of bounds. It was just a statement by him that he was there to work and that he was going to everything that he could to disrupt and I thought he did a really good job of it throughout the night. The mood at halftime was understandably a little bit somber but by the same token, by the time I had gotten in there they had already gotten on each other about how much better it needed to be and I think by the end of halftime we came out with a lot of belief. As I said, to be down 2-0 at home but to come out with that kind of belief from the start of the second half, I think they look at each other and they are a group that trusts each other and they just said enough was a enough and it had to be better and they were fully accountable to each other in the second half.”
Next Up
Colorado returns to DICK'S Sporting Goods Park next Saturday, May 15 to take on Houston Dynamo FC with kickoff slated at 7:00 PM.
