COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - Colorado Rapids 2 will face off against Bundesliga’s TSG Hoffenheim U23 in the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Invitational. The match is set to take place on Tuesday, July 18, at America First Field at 8:30 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast on MLSNEXTPro.com.
The second-annual MLS NEXT Pro Invitational will see MLS NEXT Pro sides Colorado Rapids 2, Real Monarchs and Whitecaps FC 2 compete in friendly contests with TSG Hoffenheim U23 and Premier League 2 side Crystal Palace U21 from July 18 through July 25. Rapids 2 and Whitecaps FC 2 will compete in a single match over the course of the invitational while hosts Real Monarchs will face both international sides. The full schedule for the MLS NEXT Pro Invitational can be found here.
In the inaugural 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Invitational, Rapids 2 had the opportunity to compete against Premier League 2 side Wolves U21. The first-ever MLS NEXT Pro international match saw first team defender Anthony Markanich and former first team striker Dantouma “Yaya” Toure put away the two goals of the night to give Colorado the 2-1 win over Wolves.
The match marked the first time that goalkeeper Adam Beaudry appeared between the sticks for Rapids 2. Since his 2022 debut, Beaudry has gone on to make 10 total appearances for Colorado in goal and holds the title for most clean sheets in team history with three to his name.
Heading into the Tuesday match, Colorado is coming off a 4-1 victory against MLS NEXT Pro side Real Monarchs at Zions Bank Stadium. The high-scoring game saw first team midfielder Oliver Larraz bag his first brace of the season while Yosuke Hanya and Rémi Cabral added the remaining two goals of the night to give the team another three points on the road.
With his goal in the team’s most recent game, Hanya now sits in second place for the lead in league goals (10 goals) alongside four other MLS NEXT Pro players. Cabral has also been on a hot streak as of late, adding three goals in the past three matches for Rapids 2.
The team kicked off July with three road matches against St. Louis CITY2, Whitecaps FC 2 and most recently Real Monarchs. As it stands, Rapids 2 has yet to drop a road match so far this season with a 7-0-2 away record. Rapids 2 also continues to occupy a first place standing in the Western Conference and regained their position as the top team in the league heading into Week 18 of the MLS NEXT Pro season.
Following the Tuesday night match, Rapids 2 will get back to its regular season programming to take on Austin FC II at home. The match is set to take place on Sunday, July 23, at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. MT and the match will be broadcast through MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
