COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Colorado Rapids 2 (3-9-3, 13 pts.) will take on The Town FC (2-6-4, 11 pts.) for the first and only time this season on Friday, July 5. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. MT (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) at Saint Mary’s College.
Rapids 2 will return to the West Coast this weekend after battling against LAFC2 at Titan Stadium last Friday. A stoppage time penalty kick allowed the home side to earn three points on the night in a 3-2 result after 90 minutes of play.
The first half of the match went largely under the radar with both sides sharing possession for a majority of the first 45. It was LAFC2’s Javier Hernandez who slammed his first professional goal into the back of the net to put the team up by one heading into the half.
Leading goal scorer Adrian Wibowo was the second to get on the board in the 51st minute, giving LAFC a two-goal lead. However, the Rapids’ fight was far from over as they team managed to find their rhythm, testing the LAFC keeper with five shots on target.
The first ball to hit the back of the net came in the late minutes of the match off the foot of Facundo Núñez. Captain Marlon Vargas was first on the ball, carrying it into the box to cross a low pass to second-half substitute Rogelio Garcia. Garcia took a light touch to play Noah Strellnauer who calmly set up Núñez for a quick turn and finish to the near post.
Just a minute later, Academy players Garcia and Strellnauer would prove to be the playmakers of the match, setting up the team’s equalizer with precision. Strellnauer managed to find Garcia on a run up the right side of the field, beating his defenders to set himself up for a lobbed through ball to Vargas. The captain took a touch off his chest and rocketed a shot into the upper netting of LAFC’s goal to bring the game level. The assist marked the first of Garcia’s career as a professional.
Colorado did well to defend their box in the remaining four minutes of the match, but a handball inside the 18 allowed LAFC one last look at goal. Los Angeles’ Decarlo Guerra stepped up to the spot and buried it to earn the team three points.
As Colorado prepares for their third-consecutive road match, the team will look to capitalize on their recent performances. Both Colorado and The Town FC have yet to put themselves in playoff position in the Western Conference heading into the second half of the season.
In The Town FC’s latest match, the team squared off against Ventura County in a 3-3 draw. Ventura County ultimately took home the extra point in a 6-5 shootout result. The Town’s three goals came from three different goal scorers, including a goal from leading scorer Eduardo Blancas Maravilla.
In the two sides’ all-time series, Colorado leads with a 3-1-1 record. The last victory for Rapids 2 came during the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs in a 1-0 win that saw forward Darren Yapi score the lone goal of the night, sending Colorado to the Western Conference Final.
