After netting a hat trick against Austin FC II last Friday, Colorado Rapids 2 striker Mamadou Billo Diop has been named the MLS NEXT Pro Player of Matchweek 23. The honor marks his first in MLS NEXT Pro as his first year as a professional in the league.
The three-goal performance comes as a part of Diop’s four-game scoring streak, which has also seen the forward record back-to-back braces on top of an additional single goal game. His season total now stands at 12 goals, tying him with Tacoma Defiance’s Yu Tsukanome and Chicago Fire FC II’s Jason Shokalook for the third-most goals in the league so far this season. The 18-year-old also places his name on a short list as the fourth-highest goal scorer in Rapids 2 history.
Colorado entered last Friday’s match in third place in the Western Conference and were set to face rivals Austin FC II at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Diop, who has been on a hot streak since the team’s 6-4 win over Tacoma Defiance, was looking to continue his climb towards the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot award.
His first goal came in the 40th minute of the match with Rogelio Garcia finding him at the top of the box in open space. Diop took one touch and turned to face goal to lay off a shot, finding the far corner despite four defenders placing themselves between him and the goal.
Minutes later, Diop would record a brace just before the halftime whistle to give Rapids 2 the early advantage. Defender Steve Flores would start the play out of the defensive end of the pitch, sending a long lob to Garcia on a run into the box. Garcia brought the ball down with ease and looked over his shoulder to find Diop running into the 18-yard box unmarked. The shot would be an easy one to the top right corner to mark the forward’s second of the night.
Diop rounded out the night with one last goal in the 55th minute that would come as a result of being in the right place at the right time. Defender James Cameron was the first to put a shot on target, which the Austin FC II goalkeeper got a hand to but wasn’t able to retain. Diop hopped on the rebound and emphatically placed the ball into the upper netting to give Colorado all three points on the night.
The win continued Colorado’s six-match unbeaten streak and helped the team retain their standing at the top of the Western Conference.
Rapids 2 will look ahead to their next match against Portland Timbers 2 on Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. MT with coverage available on MLSNEXTPro.com.
