COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Colorado Rapids 2 (3-8-3, 13 pts.) will take on LAFC2 (2-6-4, 11 pts.) for the second time this season on Friday, June 28. Kickoff is set for 8:30 p.m. MT (MLSNEXTPro.com) at Titan Stadium.
Rapids 2 extended its record to a three-game unbeaten streak after a huge 1-3 victory over Houston Dynamo 2 last weekend. The positive run marks the longest of the season for the second team and helped Colorado climb two spots in the Western Conference standings.
Colorado turned the tide in its favor at SaberCats Stadium on Sunday night in a showdown with Houston. The home side was first to get on the board before the half, asking the Rapids to find a way in the second 45 to earn three points on the night.
The dominant three-goal performance kicked off in the 51st minute when Marlon Vargas intercepted a pass from goalkeeper Xavier Valdez directed to his backline. Vargas carried the ball back into the box and played a pass to Alec Díaz who took a touch and finished to a wide-open net for the equalizer. Díaz’s goal marked his third in as many matches, tying him with Antony García for the second-most goals on the team.
Vargas’ playmaking magic continued throughout the half and reached its peak in the 63rd minute. Midfielder Ricardo Peña saw the goal from its inception, crossing a ball to the feet of García to switch the field. García then found Vargas for a quick give and go, allowing him to break past the defense and slot a low shot to the far corner to find the go-ahead goal for the Rapids.
García continued to show the Texas side that he had no quit in him when he found his second goal of the night in the 77th minute. The brace came as a result of a slow pass back from the Houston backline that the forward snatched up and curled into the far post for the team’s first two-goal performance by a single player during the 2024 season. García’s brace also earned him the recognition of the league, being named the MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchday 15.
Looking ahead to Friday’s match, both Colorado and Los Angeles enter the game on the heels of a three-point result. LAFC2’s latest match against Town FC saw Erik Dueñas score his first goal of the year while leading goal scorer Adrian Wibowo netted his fifth. LAFC2 was able to hold Town FC scoreless throughout the 90 minutes, earning their third clean sheet of the season.
LAFC2 has yet to capture a win against Colorado in the three matches the teams have played over the course of the 2023 and 2024 MLS NEXT Pro seasons. The last time these two sides met back in March, the match ended in a 1-1 draw with LAFC2 taking home the extra point in a 3-4 shootout result at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.
