Tacoma Defiance – 1, Colorado Rapids 2 – 4
MLS NEXT Pro Match Week 29 | Sunday, September 21, 2025
Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, WA
The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (14-7-5, 48 pts.) defeated Tacoma Defiance (8-14-4, 30 pts.) on the road with a 4-1 victory at Starfire Sports Complex on Sunday night. Four different goal scorers would mark their names on the score sheet for the evening to give Rapids 2 three points on the night and eliminate Tacoma Defiance from the 2025 postseason.
The first half of the match against Tacoma asked Colorado to come up big on the back line with the home side applying early pressure. The first shot on target came in the eighth minute with goalkeeper Adam Beaudry making his first save on a free kick attempt.
Tacoma held the majority of possession in the first 20 minutes, but it would be Rapids 2’s leading goal scorer Mamadou Billo Diop who would put the first goal on the score board.
First team midfielder Wayne Frederick dribbled the ball towards goal on the right flank and was pulled down in the box to earn a penalty kick. Diop stood over the spot and placed a shot into the bottom right corner, which was parried away by goalkeeper Noah Newman. Diop collected the rebound and rocketed it in the back of the net for his 13th goal of the season. The striker has now scored 10 goals in his last 10 appearances and is tied for the fifth-most goals in the league so far this season.
As the minutes ticked down, Tacoma would continue to fight for the equalizer. However, goalkeeper Beaudry would continue to lock it down between the sticks, making a massive diving save in stoppage time to give the Rapids a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The second half got off to a fortuitous start for Tacoma with the home team forcing an own goal off of the Colorado defense to level the score in the 51st minute.
The half would continue with the two sides trading chances, but Beaudry continued to put his body on the line to defend the Rapids’ goal. The goalkeeper ended the night with six saves for a single-game high this season.
In the 75th minute, super substitute Antony García would step on the pitch to replace midfielder Ali Fadal. Just six minutes later, García would find the back of the net for the team’s game-winning goal.
The play started in the midfield with Sydney Wathuta picking up his head to find García on a run into the final third. The Honduran would carry the ball a few paces before releasing a shot on Newman who had stepped far off his line. The goal would mark García’s third of the season and would ultimately earn Rapids 2 its fourth win in its last five matches.
The scoring wouldn’t stop there as Colorado still had two efforts left in them on the night. The first would come off the foot of Alex Harris who found the back of the net in the 90th minute off an assist from fellow first teamer Sam Bassett. The Homegrown’s assist would bring him to six on the season, leading Rapids 2 in the playmaking category with only two regular season matches remaining.
The fourth and final goal of the night would come in stoppage time from defender James Cameron. Captain Daouda Amadou found space in the midfield to slot a through ball between defenders to the foot of Cameron. The Canadian would juke a defender and release a shot to the near post to give him his fourth goal in his last six appearances.
The four-goal performances boosted Colorado to 48 goals on the season, placing them just one goal behind The Town FC for the third-most goals in the Western Conference.
Colorado will return home next week to face MNUFC2 in their final regular season home match on Saturday, Sept. 27. Kickoff at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. with coverage available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Scoring Summary:
COL– Mamadou Billo Diop (PK) 32’
TAC – Charlie Harper (OG) 50’
COL – Antony García (Sydney Wathuta) 81’
COL – Alex Harris (Sam Bassett) 90’
COL – James Cameron (Daouda Amadou) 90+2’
Notables:
- F Mamadou Billo Diop scored his 13th goal of the season off a penalty kick in tonight’s match against Tacoma Defiance.
- The striker has scored 10 goals in his last 10 appearances for Rapids 2.
- Diop is now tied for the fifth-most goals in the league so far this season.
- F Antony García recorded his third goal of the 2025 season and scored the game-winning goal in tonight’s match.
- F Alex Harris brought his Rapids 2 goal total to five goals for the 2025 season after scoring in the 90th minute.
- D James Cameron scored his fourth goal of the season in stoppage time of the second half.
- Cameron has now scored four goals in his last six appearances for Rapids 2.
- F Sydney Wathuta added his third assist of the season on García’s game-winning goal.
- Wathuta brings his season total to nine goal contributions (six goals, three assists).
- M Sam Bassett recorded an assist on Harris’ 90th minute goal.
- Bassett now leads Rapids 2 in assists with six on the season.
- M Daouda Amadou added his first assist of the season for Colorado on Cameron’s stoppage time goal.
- GK Adam Beaudry earned his 16th win in goal for Rapids 2.
- Beaudry now leads Rapids 2 in all-time wins, surpassing former Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez for the club record.
