COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - Colorado Rapids 2 (9-1-3, 32 pts) will face off against LA Galaxy II (2-8-3, 11 pts) for the second time this season on Sunday, June 25. Kickoff at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast through MLSNEXTPro.com.
Rapids 2 is coming off of its first loss of the season, ending the team’s historical 12-game unbeaten streak and handing them their first loss since September 18, 2022. The visiting Tacoma Defiance was able to beat the Rapids in a 2-1 victory that saw Seattle put up two goals within the first 20 minutes of the match.
Tacoma started the match off strong, finding the back of the net in just the 9th minute of the game. The score was doubled shortly after when a long ball from the Tacoma Defiance keeper was fed to a forward who put the team’s second goal of the night in the back of the net in the 17th minute.
Even with the team down by two, the Rapids remained composed and continued to put pressure on Tacoma’s backline. Colorado ultimately put up 18 shots on the night with five on target while Tacoma only managed to put two shots on goal the entire night.
The second half looked promising for Rapids 2 with fresh legs entering the field with a determination to pull one back. It was in the 78th minute that substitute Dillon Serna delivered a corner kick service into the box that found the head of Blake Malone for the team’s lone goal of the night. The goal marked Malone’s third of the season while Serna recorded his second assist.
Previous to last weekend’s loss, Rapids 2 remained the only team in the league with an unbeaten record heading into Week 13 of the MLS NEXT Pro season. With Week 14 in sight, Colorado continues to lead the league and the Western Conference with 32 points to their name.
Heading into the weekend, Rapids 2 will look to emulate their first meeting with LA Galaxy II, which saw Colorado take all three points in a 5-0 victory. League leading goalscorer Yosuke Hanya bagged his first brace of the season while Marlon Vargas, Daniel Garcia and Rémi Cabral all added one of their own. The game marked Rapids 2’s largest margin of victory in its two seasons in MLS NEXT Pro.
