Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (0-4-2, 2 pts.) fell to Minnesota United FC 2 (3-3-0, 9 pts.) at home on Sunday night.
Pressing from the first whistle, chances would come to Rapids 2 in the beginning of the first half. Both Bryce Jamison and Alex Harris found themselves in prime positions to head crosses towards the net but to no avail. Put under pressure in their defensive third, goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo and the Rapids 2 back line stayed composed to shut down attacking opportunities from the visiting team.
Colorado’s constant pressure would pay off late in the first half. Nathan Tchoumba, quick on his feet, passed a direct ball to Josh Copeland who turned to dribble down the sideline and into the outside of the box. Copeland cut the ball to his right foot, faking out two MNUFC2 defenders, and delivered a long shot across the box and past the diving Minnesota goalkeeper.
Rapids 2 would face a challenge in the second half, going down a man following a red card to Alex Harris in the 50th minute. Battling an aggressive MNUFC2 offense, Rapids 2 would work to shut down these moments by intercepting passes and blocking crosses. Campagnolo continued to fend off shots from the opposing team, including a flying jump to tip a ball over the top of the goal in the 58th minute.
Despite their best efforts, Minnesota’s Marcus Caldeira would eventually break through and find the equalizer in the 76th minute. Colorado tried to keep the energy going but two minutes later, Caldeira would find the go-ahead goal to put Rapids 2 down 1-2. Fighting until the bitter end, Rapids 2 held off MNUFC2 and created offensive plays to find the goal to tie but would finish unsuccessful, ending in a loss at home.
Rapids 2 will head back on the road for their next match against Whitecaps FC 2 on Sunday, April 26. Kickoff at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Colombia, Canada, is set for 5:00 p.m. MT with coverage available on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Notables:
- F Josh Copeland scored his second goal of the season.
- The forward has now recorded goals in consecutive matches and three goal contributions in his last two appearances (2g, 1a)
- M Nathan Tchoumba recorded the first assist of his professional career at 15 years old.
Lineups:
Colorado Rapids 2: Zackory Campagnolo, James Cameron, Kai Thomas, Grant Gilmore, Jabari De Coteau (86’ Charlie Harper), Ali Fadal [C] (86’ Noah Strellnauer), Nathan Tchoumba (63’ Sydney Wathuta), Josh Copeland (86’ Rogelio Garcia), Kimani Stewart-Baynes, Alex Harris, Bryce Jamison (77’ Landon Strohmeyer)
Unused substitutes: Kendall Starks, Chris Aquino, Jackson Pomeroy
Minnesota United FC 2: Kristers Bite, Nicholas Dang, Philip Tarnue, Andy Farris, Jakob Friedman (55’ Jabari Kibisu), Maxwell Harwood (74’ Calin Grulke, 88’ Hector Cruz), Luciano Pechota, Alisa Randell (74’ Issa Saidi), Marcus Caldeira [C], Lennox Moua (74’ Mo Bojang), Samuel Vigilante
Unused substitutes: Timothy Dennis, Keane Perkins, Jadan Bernard
Officials:
Referee: Laura Rodriguez; Assistants: Joe Suchoski, Jarred Mosher; Fourth Official: Bowen Taylor
