Colorado Rapids 2 faced off against New England Revolution 2 at IMG Academy on Wednesday in a match that ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Rapids dove in quickly at the whistle, fielding a combination of returning players and new faces.
The Burgundy backline was the first to take action as an eager Revolution attack forced the Rapids’ trialist keeper to make a lay out save in the first five minutes. The trialist went on to make three more crucial saves throughout the half to keep Colorado in the match.
The team eventually found their feet rounding into the 10th minute when newcomer Marlon Vargas picked up a ball on the left wing and drove towards goal for the first of many attacking attempts. First team midfielder Oliver Larraz followed up minutes later with a shot from the top of the box that soared over the crossbar.
The first half continued on with a handful of corner kick attempts serviced by Larraz.
In the 28th minute, Larraz’s service found a trialist in the box who sent a half volley toward goal that was ultimately saved by a Revolution defender. Two minutes later, midfielder Robinson Aguirre picked up a loose ball off a corner and punched it straight into the crossbar for the most promising scoring opportunity of the half.
After a scoreless first half, the Rapids emerged from halftime with a fresh set of feet, fielding 10 players off the bench.
Cain Castellon was the first to get a shot off in the 51st minute after finding some space at the top of the box. The 17-year-old midfielder kept pressing on, finding another scoring opportunity in the 67th minute off a cross field punt from the team’s additional trialist goalkeeper.
The team remained dominant throughout the half, creating multiple chances but fell short each time on dangerously close opportunities.
The Rapids ended the scrimmage with seven shots on target with Castellon and Pariss Mitchell leading the charge with two of their own.
The Rapids will continue their stay at IMG Academy through the end of the week and will face off against one more team in a closed-door contest: MLS side CF Montréal.
After returning to Denver, the Rapids will take on four more teams throughout the months of February and March: USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks, USL League One side Northern Colorado Hailstorm, University of Denver and the Air Force Academy.
To view the full 2023 preseason schedule, click here.
