Colorado Rapids 2 (3-17-7, 18 pts.) fell 1-0 in the final moments against Austin FC II (18-3-6, 62 pts.) on Sunday night.
Looking for connections across the field in the first half, Rapids 2 tested Austin FC II from distance with several attempts, but each effort sailed just above the crossbar as both sides searched for an opening. In the opening part of the match, Kimani Stewart-Baynes broke free through the heart of the field, battling a defender as he raced toward goal, poking a shot towards the near post but the effort narrowly missed the mark.
As the half progressed, Rapids 2 turned up the pressure, pressing high and looking to force mistakes from the hosts. Colorado created promising moments and kept Austin on its heels, but the final touch remained out of reach. Neither side could open the scoring before the whistle, sending the match into halftime scoreless at 0-0.
Goalkeeper Bryan Dowd came up big by making several key stops to keep Austin FC II off the scoresheet. Before halftime, Dowd rose to the occasion on a left-footed blast from inside the box, punching the effort up and over the crossbar before answering the call again early in the second half to deny Austin from a dangerous set piece.
Rapids 2 held off Austin throughout the second half, keeping them at bay as the two sides traded chances. However, the hosts would slip through the cracks and take a late lead in the second minute of stoppage time. Despite a determined late push, Colorado couldn’t find the equalizer and fell 1-0.
Rapids 2 will return home for their final game of the season to take on North Texas SC on September 20. Kickoff at University of Denver Soccer Stadium in Denver, Colorado is set for 3:00 p.m. MT, with coverage available on OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Lineups:
Colorado Rapids 2: Bryan Dowd, Josh Copeland, Vincent Rinaldi (83’ Charlie Harper), Grant Gilmore, Jonathan De La Fuente [C], Sebastian Siegler (88’ Kai Thomas), Luis García (67’ Jordan Camacho), Kimani Stewart-Baynes (46’ Hamdoin Altayeb), Rogelio Garcia, Nathan Tchoumba, Edgar Heredia (67’ Chris Aquino)
Unused substitutes: Zack Campagnolo, Niccolo Del Carmen
Austin FC II: Charlie Farrar, Riley Dean Thomas (64’ Dren Dobruna), Evan Watt [C], Jules Bery, Patrick Cayelli, Adrián González, Marcel Ruszel (37’ Luke Chamberlain), Christian Ayala (78’ Nathan Anaya), Erick Feliciano, Diego Abarca (78’ Patrick Gryczewski), Stefan Dobrijevic (64’ Ibrahima Sall)
Unused substitutes: Vlad Dănciuțiu, Erik Lauta, Vona Dievbiere
Officials:
Referee: Laith Dahhan; Assistants: Eric Aplis, Carson Thomas; Fourth Official: Olvin Oliva
