Colorado Rapids 2 are set for their first ever appearance in the MLS NEXT Pro Cup as they travel across the country for a matchup against New York Red Bulls II on Saturday, November 8. Kickoff at Sports Illustrated Stadium is set for 5:00 p.m. MT with coverage available for free on Apple TV (English Broadcast) and MLSNEXTPro.com (Spanish Broadcast).
Following an entire year of play, the MLS NEXT Pro season will finally come to an end on Saturday night after a matchup between two of the league’s top sides. Colorado entered the playoffs as the West’s third seed and charged their way through the playoffs, defeating some of the conference’s top competition on the way to the Cup final. New York is heading into Saturday following a dominant run of their own, winning their three playoff games after finishing atop the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
Both of these clubs are entering Saturday fresh off nail-biting Conference Finals in their respective matchups.
For Colorado, the group had the opportunity to host Minnesota United FC 2 in the Western Conference Final last Sunday. After falling down a goal in the first half, Rapids 2 and Head Coach Erik Bushey knew that additional energy would be needed for the club to earn the title as the West’s top team. Following the halftime break, the entire group on the pitch stood up to the task and put on an incredible performance to close out the match. An early goal from Alex Harris and the eventual game-winner from James Cameron gave Rapids 2 the lead they needed for goalkeeper Zack Campagnolo and the entire back line to close the match, sending the club to their first ever MLS NEXT Pro Cup.
In similar fashion to Colorado, Red Bulls II also hosted a thriller of their own in the Eastern Conference Final. After conceding in the first half, New York came out of the halftime break with desperation to increase their attack. A brace from forward Roald Mitchell in the final 15 minutes of the match secured the victory for Red Bulls II, also sending them to their first Cup final since joining MLS NEXT Pro in 2023.
The path to get to this point in the playoffs has been long for both sides as they have fought their way through three rounds of tough opponents.
To start their campaign, Rapids 2 clashed with Vancouver Whitecaps 2 in Colorado, and fought to a 3-2 victory. Sam Bassett, Antony García, and Harris all recorded goals in the contest to send Colorado to the Conference Semifinal on the road against The Town FC. That matchup was as close as it could get, as it eventually headed to extra time following a 2-2 stalemate at the end of regulation. Stepping up as the heroes for Colorado were García and Anderson Rosa, who each logged a goal in stoppage time to give Rapids 2 their shot in the WCF.
New York has impressed on their way to the Cup, outscoring their opponents 12-5 through their three playoff matches so far. The club won their way through matchups with Chicago Fire FC II, Carolina Core, and Philadelphia Union 2.
A win for Colorado will mark the first MLS NEXT Pro Cup for the club since its founding in 2022. Rapids 2 would join Columbus Crew 2, Austin FC II, and North Texas SC as the only league champions in MLSNP’s fourth season.
