Colorado Rapids 2 will face off against Tacoma Defiance on Sunday, September 21, at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Washington. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. MT with coverage available on MLSNEXTPro.com.
Following last week’s round of matches, Colorado has secured its spot in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. The team joins St. Louis CITY2 and The Town FC in the Western Conference while the Eastern Conference has filled out nicely with New York Red Bulls II, New England Revolution II, Philadelphia Union II, Chicago Fire FC II and Chattanooga FC all qualifying for a spot in the postseason.
Colorado is still in the running to host a home playoff game should the team maintain its standing at the top of the Western Conference table. Rapids 2 currently sits in third place in the standings and needs a top four finish in order to host.
The MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs will also see the return of the pick-you-opponent process where the top three teams will select opponents from seeds No. 5-8. The No. 4 seeded team will play the remaining unselected team.
In the team’s last playoff appearance in 2023, Colorado finished at the top of the league’s standings to earn a bye in the quarterfinals. The team went on to compete in the Western Conference Final where they fell short to Austin FC II in overtime. Austin went on to become the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Champions.
Despite punching their ticket to the playoffs, the Rapids struggled in their last match to secure three points against a strong Houston side. The 1-0 loss ended Colorado’s eight-match unbeaten streak, which dated back to the team’s last match against Houston in July.
Rapids 2 will look to bounce back this weekend against Tacoma as they face the home side for the second time this season. The first matchup marked the most thrilling game of the season after Colorado fought back from a three-goal deficit to end the match in a favorable 6-4 scoreline. Leading goal scorer Mamadou Billo Diop recorded a brace alongside midfielder Malik Pinto who also added two of his own. Forward Sydney Wathuta gave the team its game-winning goal in stoppage time while Josh Copeland put the cherry on top with his first professional goal.