COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - Colorado Rapids 2 (11-1-3, 38 pts) will face off against Whitecaps FC 2 (8-6-3, 29 pts) for the first time this season on Saturday, July 8. Kickoff at BC Place is set for 3 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Colorado is heading into the weekend with a perfect away record (6-0-1) after securing three points against St. Louis CITY2 last weekend.
Rapids 2 took the field in front of 4,000 fans at CITYPARK on Sunday night to face off against the only team this year that has been able to keep Colorado scoreless during a regular season match.
The game amped up in the early minutes with midfielder Marlon Vargas getting the first shot of the match off in the fifth minute and goalkeeper Abraham Rordriguez making his first save in the 10th minute of the match off a CITY2 free kick. The front three of Vargas, Dillon Serna and Caique de Brito gave the home squad a run for its money in the first half adding two more shots on goal.
The Sunday night game marked Serna’s first start for Rapids 2 this season after a long injury recovery during the first half of the season. Prior to the match against CITY2, Serna had gone 463 days without a starting XI position after dealing with multiple injuries over the team’s two seasons. The last time he started in a match for Rapids 2 was during the inaugural home opener on March 27, 2022.
After a scoreless first half, Caique was the first to give Rapids 2 some hope in the 46th minute when he found a ball at the top of the box and made an attempt at the far post. His shot was immediately followed by two more attempts from Serna and Daouda Amadou who were both denied by the CITY2 keeper.
With momentum slowing, head coach Erik Bushey called on Yosuke Hanya and Oliver Larraz in the 60th minute. Hanya’s first touch on the ball saw him weave through three defenders before he was denied a shot on goal. Meanwhile, Larraz found some space from 30 yards out in the 62nd minute and attempted a long shot with pace that was saved by the goalkeeper.
Seeking more firepower up top, Bushey exchanged forward Rémi Cabral for Caique in the 72nd minute of the match. Cabral’s appearance marked his first match after his return from injury. The last time Cabral stepped on the pitch, he was making his MLS debut with the Colorado Rapids first team, playing 11 minutes in the team’s match on May 31 against Columbus Crew. The last MLS NEXT Pro match Cabral played in was on May 28 against MNUFC2, which saw the Frenchman record his first brace of the season.
Just 10 minutes after he stepped on the pitch, Cabral found the back of the net on a half volley in the box. In the 82nd minute, Hanya carried the ball up the right flank and sent a high cross into the box to the feet of Cabral who finished with ease for his fifth goal of the season.
The match ended in a 1-0 victory for Rapids 2’s 11th win of the season. The single goal allowed Colorado to maintain its standing at the top of the league’s scoring charts with 37 goals this season. Heading into Week 16 of the MLS NEXT Pro season, Rapids 2 continues to remain the top team in the Western Conference and the league overall with only one loss this year.
