The Colorado Rapids advance to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals after defeating Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The club advanced via a shootout following a 2-2 scoreline at the end of extra time.
For just the third time in these two clubs’ history, Colorado and Colorado Springs were slated to face off in this latest edition of the “I-25 Derby”. Previously, the Rapids had won both contests against the Switchbacks with the most recent match coming in 2016.
Right from the opening whistle, play in the match was consistently open with both sides getting high quality opportunities. The increased attacking play led to a pair of goals in the first half, with the Rapids getting on the board first.
In the 25th minute, play started with Rafael Navarro charging down the pitch and running point for the Rapids attack. The forward made a slick move and sent a pass into Alexis Manyoma, who poked at the ball with his first touch and beat the goalkeeper to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. The goal was Manyoma’s second of the season across all competitions and his first in U.S. Open Cup Play.
From there, both sides continued to create chances, with Colorado Springs striking back soon after. The visitors found their first in the 33rd minute, with Brennan Creek scoring off a corner kick to equalize.
That would be all the scoring for the first half, with plenty in store for the remainder of the match.
The second half was similar to the first, with both teams going back and forth with their attacking play. The Rapids saw a shift in the match after a red card was issued to Kosi Thompson in the 78th minute.
Despite being down a man, Colorado did not see a change in their style of play. The club managed to create positive opportunities while also maintaining a strong back line to keep the visitors from finding a winner.
With no scoring in the second half, the match went to extra time to determine who would advance to the Quarterfinals.
The two clubs, in desperate search for energy to find a winner played each other evenly for the first 20 minutes of extra time, with the remaining ten holding all of the action.
Colorado, who were knocking at the door to grab their second of the match, finally saw their break through in the 114th minute. The play originated from goalkeeper Nico Hansen, who launched a pass to Navarro. The Brazilian then rose up and threaded a perfect header through to a sprinting Georgi Minoungou for a breakaway opportunity. The forward then notched his first goal in Burgundy to put the Rapids up 2-1.
Navarro’s two assists on the night marked his 12th and 13th goal contribution in his last 10 appearances across all competitions (7g, 6a).
With little time left, the Switchbacks attempted to strike back for an equalizer, eventually leading to a penalty that was converted by the visitors in the final minutes of extra time. With the score level at two, the sides progressed to a penalty shootout to determine who would advance to the next round.
In a back-and-forth affair that went seven rounds, the Rapids finally came out on top in the shootout by a final score of 5-4. Navarro, Rob Holding, Lucas Herrington, Dante Sealy, and Keegan Rosenberry all converted their shots with help from Hansen, who made multiple key saves, to secure the victory.
The Rapids will quickly shift their focus to their next match against Houston Dynamo FC this Saturday, May 2. Kickoff at Shell Energy Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. MT with coverage available on Apple TV, Altitude Sports Radio, Tico Sports Spanish Radio, ColoradoRapids.com, and the Colorado Rapids app.
