The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (1-1-1, 4 pts) drew 1-1 against LAFC2 (2-0-1, 8 pts) at the end of 90 minutes at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park on Sunday night. Rapids 2 midfielder Marlon Vargas was the lone goal scorer of the match, converting on a penalty kick in the 75th minute to give the team its equalizer. Both teams faced their first MLS NEXT Pro shootout of the season with LAFC2 taking the extra point on the night in a 4-3 result. The 1-1 draw marked the end of LAFC2's perfect record and boosted Rapids 2 to four points in their first three contests of the season. Highlighting the match was the appearance of amateur player Andre Romo who made his professional debut in tonight's game against LAFC2.
Notable:
- The Rapids First Team and Rapids 2 played their first doubleheader of the 2024 season, facing LAFC and LAFC2 in back-to-back matches over the weekend.
- Rapids 2 midfielder Marlon Vargas scored his third goal of the season off a penalty kick in tonight's match against LAFC2.
- Rapids 2 midfielder Andre Romo made his professional debut in tonight's match against LAFC2.
- Rapids First Team goalkeeper Adam Beaudry and forward Darren Yapi made their first MLS NEXT Pro appearances of the 2024 season in tonight's match against LAFC2.
- Rapids 2 faced their first MLS NEXT Pro shootout of the year, falling short to LAFC2 in a 4-3 result.
- Rapids 2 extended their home unbeaten streak to six matches, dating back to August 19, 2023.
Postgame Media Availability:
Select postgame quotes transcribed below.
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY
On the match:
“Tough game, of course. We had a lot of guys who worked very hard, and I am grateful for that. Full credit goes to LAFC for getting the result or at least the extra point. Now, we turn our attention to Hailstorm for Open Cup on Wednesday."
On his post match feelings about the game:
“I haven't shared remarks with the guys yet. I think we have collectively more to give. It's early on in the season and we have some young players and some learning to do. The work continues."
On the team's ability to manage emotions:
"Yeah, that's football. A lot of emotion goes into it and when things aren't going great, each of us have to fight our own battles in that realm. Where we guide our energy, where we guide our emotions, plays a significant role in terms of our overall level of performance. Control the things we can control and make sure our energy is directed towards winning and what I can do right now to help my team win. That is a part of the growing we have to do, and it is always one of the great challenges in competition."
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 DEFENDER NATE JONES
On the match:
“It was honestly kind of disappointing, the whole team performance, I don't think that we played up to Rapids standard. The message going into tonight was to basically carry on the momentum from the first team's win yesterday and to represent the club and I just don't think we did that that well. There is a lot we can say about it. We can get into tactics and all of that other stuff, but I think it was more of a mentality thing. Easter Sunday, I am not making any excuses, we just need to play better."
On the message to the team post match:
“I think he (Erik Bushey) was just disappointed. You saw the success they had last year with this team and the mentality they had every single day coming into those games. Fighting back, and I mean we fought back today, but it just wasn't the same. There wasn't that tenacity to go after. I think he knew that we were at a loss of words. In the locker room, we didn't really know what to say about the performance. It was to the point that we would rather lose that game but go off the field knowing we played our hardest with the highest mentality, pressing, pressing, pressing. I mean to tie, that was just kind of okay, not up to standard."
