Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (0-4-2, 2 pts.) walked away with a point in their shootout loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 (2-4-1, 7 pts.) on the road Sunday night.
The match opened up with initial intensity from both sides, with each team pushing for a high press off the bat. The Rapids 2 defense put up a strong fight, with goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo working to punch out shot attempts and the backline maneuvering to limit breakthroughs. However, Whitecaps FC 2’s attempts would prove successful with a goal in the 9th minute when Rayan Elloumi, alone in the center of the box, struck one in to put the home team up 1-0.
Rapids 2 stayed persistent with their pressure and found their answer in the 30th minute. Forward Mamadou Billo Diop, relentless with his pursuit, chased a ball played back to Vancouver’s goalkeeper whose touch rolled out too far. Taking advantage of the error, Diop jumped on the opportunity to steal the ball, beat the closest defender, and sent a ball to the back corner of the net to secure the equalizer. With his first of the season, Diop is now tied with Marlon Vargas for the third-most goals in club history at 15.
Returning to the pitch with an even score of 1-1, Rapids 2 started the second half of the match off with high-energy, utilizing transitional plays to move the ball down the field. Through the beginning of the second half, Colorado continued to fire off shots and crosses to put Vancouver’s backline under immediate pressure. Battling through physical challenges, Rapids 2 kept a consistent urgency to find the go-ahead goal but despite several opportunities, the match would move on to a penalty shootout to decide who takes home the extra point.
Rapids 2 would fall to Whitecaps FC 2 in the penalty shootout 3-2, but Colorado remains unbeaten in regulation time when facing Vancouver.
Rapids 2 will head back on the road for their next match against Houston Dynamo 2 on Sunday, April 26. Kickoff at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado is set for 6:00 p.m. MT with coverage available on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Notables:
- Forward Mamadou Billo Diop scored his first goal of the season.
- This marks his 15th career goal with Rapids 2, tying him with Marlon Vargas for third most goals in club history.
Lineups:
Colorado Rapids 2: Zackory Campagnolo, James Cameron, Charlie Harper, Kai Thomas, Noah Strellnauer (79’ Landon Strohmeyer), Ali Fadal [C], Nathan Tchoumba (59’ Jabari De Coteau), Josh Copeland (79’ Rogelio Garcia), Mamadou Billo Diop, Sydney Wathuta, Kimani Stewart-Baynes (74’ Bryce Jamison)
Unused substitutes: Dash Williams, Chris Aquino, Grant Gilmore, Jaden Chan Tack
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2: Isaac Boehmer, Ranko Veselinovic [C] (46’ Trevor Wright), Mihail Gherasimencov (73’ Daniel Ittycheria), Christiano Bruletti (46’ Ryder Sewell), Carson Rassak (81’ Yuma Tsuji), Liam Mackenzie, Sam Adekugbe (46’ Prince Amponsah), Rayan Elloumi, Nikola Djordjevic, Yeider Zuluaga, Micaah Garnette
Unused substitutes: Marko Popovic, Immanuel Mathe, Sam Rogers, Sahil Deo
Officials:
Referee: Nicolas Melita; Assistants: Eray DeMirtas, Theo Diederichsen; Fourth Official: Niko Jecanski
