The Big Picture
The Colorado Rapids fell to Seattle Sounders 2-1 on Saturday night after Jonathan Lewis put the Burgundy Boys up early in the third minute, but Colorado couldn’t stay on the front foot for the remainder of the game.
The Rapids capitalized quickly at Lumen Field when striker Diego Rubio slid a perfect ball through Seattle’s backline, setting Lewis up for a quick touch past Stefan Frei on his way to a goal. Lewis' tally marks his fourth of the season.
The home side woke up after going down one, repeatedly knocking on Colorado’s door to find the equalizer before the half. Seattle's attempt in the 43rd minute was the one to make the teams even. A quick restart following a foul called on Lalas Abubakar caught the Rapids off-guard, as the Sounder’s free kick was taken nearly 20 yards away from the spot where the foul occurred. The play was allowed to continue and Seattle’s Jordan Morris found the back of the net.
The play was taken to VAR to be assessed, but the goal stood, leaving the sides at one apiece after 45 minutes.
"It's disappointing for us to get the goal and then proceed to not play the way that we can play," said head coach Robin Fraser postgame. "We've been close a number of times on the road and everyone looks at the record on the road, but like I said, for the most part we've been the better team in most of our games at some point. I'm not sure that was the case tonight. And that's probably a bit of a disappointment."
Searching for one back, the Rapids’ offensive intensity picked up early in the second half after Seattle’s Kelyn Rowe was sent off following his second yellow of the night. Colorado’s one-man advantage culminated in five chances in front of goal before the final whistle was blown, including a combination from Michael Barrios, Gyasi Zardes and Lucas Esteves in the 47th minute that almost saw Esteves’ second goal of the season.
Seattle took the front foot in the 71st minute when Rapids’ ‘keeper William Yarbrough caught Morris’ feet in the box while attempting to defend the net, fouling the striker. Nicolas Lodeiro’s shot from the spot found the side netting, putting the Sounders up 2-1 for the remainder of the 90 minutes.
Game Notes
- Diego Rubio’s assist on Saturday marked his fourth of the season, added onto his nine goals scored in 2022.
- Jonathan Lewis’ goal comes on the heels of a two-assist performance against LA Galaxy last weekend, a game that earned him Team of the Week honors.
- The matchup with Seattle saw Rubio’s fifth goal contribution in as many games, either scoring himself or providing a vital assist in each contest since the Rapids fell to Austin FC on July 4.
- Goalkeeper William Yarbrough recorded four saves on Saturday night.
- Lewis and Lalas Abubakar led the attacking stats, taking two shots apiece at Lumen Field. Both of Lewis' attempts were on frame.
Up Next
The Rapids will face another opponent on the road before returning home to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, taking on the New York Red Bulls for the first time in almost three years. Kickoff on Tuesday, August 2 is set for 5:30 p.m. MT.
