Colorado Rapids 2 – 6, Tacoma Defiance – 4
MLS NEXT Pro Match Week 20 | Sunday, July 20, 2025
University of Denver Soccer Stadium, Denver, CO
The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (9-6-4, 32 pts.) beat Tacoma Defiance (6-8-4, 25 pts.) in a thrilling 6-4 result at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium on Sunday night. Rapids 2 overcame a three-goal deficit at halftime to eventually secure the win in stoppage time.
The match began with both teams creating chances and taking multiple corner kicks in the opening 20 minutes, but no saves were required for the goalkeepers.
In the 24th minute Tacoma would win a corner kick. The cross would bounce around the box before finding Demian Alvarez who headed the ball into the goal, putting the away team on the board first.
Rapids 2 would have a chance to tie the game when defender Steve Flores fired a shot from outside the box requiring a save from Tacoma’s goalkeeper
Later in the first half Tacoma would get a shot off outside of the box requiring goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo to make a save. However, the rebound was put away by Alvarez for Tacoma’s second goal in the 41st minute.
Three minutes later the away team scored again off the foot of Travian Sousa in the 44th minute.
The score was 0-3 in favor of Tacoma and would hold until the halftime whistle blew.
The second half kicked off and Rapids 2 were able to create opportunities in the box. Five minutes into the half midfielder Malik Pinto would find the ball at his feet after a pass deflected off a defender. Pinto would attempt to flick the ball around a defender, but it would end up coming off of the defender's hand inside the box resulting in a penalty kick.
Pinto would take the ball and shoot it to the goalkeeper's left and get the Rapids on the board in the 51st minute.
A moment later Colorado’s press would prove too much for Tacoma with substitute Ali Fadal intercepting a pass from the goalkeeper and quickly playing a ball to fellow substitute Mamadou Billo Diop who just came in a minute earlier. Diop would receive the ball, turn towards goal and fire the ball from outside the box to the bottom left corner of the net in the 63rd minute.
In the 70th minute Tacoma would score again making the score 2-4.
Just four minutes later, Colorado would then earn their second penalty of the match. Diop would grab the ball this time, and his low shot would ripple the net for his second of the night in the 74th minute.
This goal marked his sixth of the season and earned him his first brace as a member of Rapids 2. Diop is now in sole possession of the lead for both goals (6 goals) and goal contributions (6 goals, 1 assist) with seven.
Diop’s goal would bring Colorado within one of Tacoma.
Rapids 2 would find themselves on the attack again after midfielder Josh Copeland intercepted another pass from Tacoma’s goalkeeper. Copeland would then lay the ball off to Pinto who rifled a shot that the goalkeeper parried into the air. Pinto would follow his shot with a header to the top left corner of the net, beating the diving stretch of the keeper in the 80th minute to tie the game 4-4.
The goal was Pinto’s second of the match and fourth of the season. It is also his first brace as a member of Rapids 2.
With time winding down, the referee would allocate five minutes of stoppage time. In the 91st minute, midfielder Sydney Wathuta received a ball from substitute Antony García on the left wing. Wathuta took one touch and sent a heat-seeking ball from outside of the box into the top right corner of the net. The goal would make defender Steve Flores fall to ground in awe and would end up being the decisive goal for Rapids 2.
Wathuta’s winning goal was his fifth goal of the season, tying him with Diop for most goal contributions on the team with seven (5 goals, 2 assists).
Rapids 2 would take their first lead of the game with a 5-4 scoreline.
Rapids 2 would then face attacks from Tacoma attempting to equalize the match before Colorado were awarded a goal kick. Campagnolo kicked the ball far away from his own net and found A. Garcia’s head, who flicked the ball on to Copeland. Copeland brought the ball down fighting off two Tacoma defenders before tapping the ball around the goalkeeper and placing the ball into an open net in the 94th minute.
Copeland’s goal was the first of his professional career.
Garcia added to his lead in the assists department, tallying his fifth of the season and second of the match.
A moment later when the referee blew the final whistle, it was elation for Rapids 2 after coming back from down three goals and scoring six goals in the second half to earn the team three points on the night.
Rapids 2 will be at Choctaw Stadium for their next match against North Texas SC on Saturday, Aug 2. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. MT with coverage on MLSNEXTPro.com.
Scoring Summary:
TAC – Demian Alvarez (Kaito Yamada) 24’
TAC – Demian Alvarez 41’
TAC – Travian Sousa 44’
COL – Malik Pinto (PK) 51’
COL – Mamadou Billo Diop (Ali Fadal) 62’
TAC – Yu Tsukanome 70’
COL – Mamadou Billo Diop (PK) 74’
COL – Malik Pinto 80’
COL – Sydney Wathuta (Antony García) 90+1’
COL – Josh Copeland (Antony García) 90+4’
Notables:
- M Malik Pinto scored his third and fourth goals of the season in the 51st and 80th minutes of the match.
- Pinto’s brace is his first of the season
- F Mamadou Billo Diop scored his fifth and sixth goals of the season, earning his first brace for Rapids 2.
- Diop leads the team in goals with six on the season and is tied with Wathuta for the team's lead in goal contributions with seven.
- M Sydney Wathuta scored his fifth goal of the season and is now tied with Diop for the lead in goal contribution with seven (5 goals, 2 assists).
- M Josh Copeland scored the first goal of his professional career.
- F Antony García earned his fourth and fifth assists of the season on Wathuta and Copeland’s stoppage time goals.
- García now leads the team in assists with five so far this season.
- M Ali Fadal earned his first assist for Rapids 2.
- Colorado Rapids 2 scored six goals in a half for the first time in club history.
- Tied for most goals in a match with the first time coming in Aug 5, 2023 during the team’s match against Whitecaps FC 2.
