COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - Colorado Rapids 2 (13-2-5, 48 pts) will play Houston Dynamo 2 (9-8-3, 32 pts) in a midweek match at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday, August 9. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Rapids 2 is coming off a huge win over Whitecaps FC 2 that saw the team put up the most goals in a single match in team history. The 6-2 victory marked Colorado’s 13th win of the season, boosting their season record to 13-2-5 to help propel Rapids 2 to first place in the league overall.
The first home match in August was one for the books as Rapids 2 put on a show stopping performance at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Colorado ended the night with a season-high of 12 shots on goal and managed to keep Whitecaps FC 2 to just three shots on target over the course of 90 minutes.
The game opening goal saw Rapids 2 forward Rémi Cabral find the back of the net in just the 26th minute of the match off a through ball from midfielder Marlon Vargas. Minutes later, Vargas found his stride again, slipping a ball past the back line to find first team forward Darren Yapi for his first goal of the season across all MLS and MLS NEXT Pro competitions.
Yapi continued the night with an additional two shots on goal, one of which found the back of the net in the 33rd minute to help him to a brace on the night. Midfielder Yosuke Hanya was credited with the assist, bringing his season total to six assists on top of his team-leading 10 goals.
The half continued on with more dangerous attempts from the Rapids 2 front line, but it was Whitecaps FC 2 who closed out the half with a goal from forward Lowell Wright.
The teams came out for the second half with a 3-1 scoreline and a determination to continue fighting for a result on the night. Whitecaps FC 2 jumped into action in the opening minute of the second half, grabbing another goal off the foot of Drako Ilic.
With only a one goal advantage heading into minute 50, Rapids 2 turned on the burners and applied additional pressure to the Whitecaps’ backline. Rapids 2 midfielder Jackson Walti came up big with a perfectly placed ball over the top of the backline to the feet of Cabral. The Frenchman was able to settle the ball with one touch and place it calmly in the back of the net for his second of the night. The goal marked Cabral’s ninth of the season while Walti made his first-ever MLS NEXT Pro goal contribution in the 53rd minute.
As the minutes ticked on, Rapids 2 continued to find opportunities to break the game open by creating space in the box. The attempts finally paid off in the 62nd minute when defender Logan Batiste caused a turnover in the midfield, allowing Oliver Larraz to find the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.
The scoring did not stop there as the Rapids had one last goal left in the tank to grab three points on the night. In the 65th minute, Hanya collected a ball at the top of the box and slotted one through to Larraz on the endline. Larraz played a ground ball to Vargas past five defenders in the box for a one touch finish for the team’s sixth and final goal of the night. Larraz’s assist marked his ninth of the year, boosting him to first place in the league’s assist chart for the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season.
The six-goal game helped Rapids 2 create a eight-goal gap between Colorado and Eastern Conference leaders Crown Legacy FC for the lead in goals this season. Rapids 2 is now up to 51 goals in total and also continues to lead the league in assists with 40 this season.
As the team heads into its 21st match of the season, they will take on Houston Dynamo 2 for the second time this year. The first meeting between the two sides saw Colorado Rapids 2 grab a narrow 2-1 win in its second match of the season. The game-winning goal came in the dying seconds of the match when Caique de Brito found the back of the net in the 92nd minute off an assist from Yosuke Hanya. The goal marked Caique’s first of the season for Rapids 2 and gave the team its first road trip win of the year.
The midweek match against Houston Dynamo 2 will notably take place during a break in the MLS regular season due to the 2023 Leagues Cup. Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, each team can select a maximum of 20 players (11 starters and nine substitutes) for its official match roster, which can include players on loan from the first team.
To purchase tickets to Wednesday’s match against Houston Dynamo 2, click here.
