Colorado Rapids 2 – 1, Portland Timbers2 - 0
MLS NEXT Pro Match Week 24 | Wednesday, August 20, 2025
University of Denver Soccer Stadium, Denver, CO
The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (12-6-5, 42 pts.) extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches with a 1-0 win over Portland Timbers2 (6-10-5, 25 pts.). Sydney Wathuta scored the match’s lone goal, while goalkeeper Nico Hansen recorded the club’s sixth clean sheet of the season. With the victory, Rapids 2 remain in second place in the Western Conference with only five matches left in the MLS NEXT Pro regular season.
From the opening whistle, Colorado held a clear advantage in attacking opportunities. The club came out strong, creating numerous high-quality chances in the final third.
The Rapids 2 attacking front of Mamadou Billo Diop, Antony García, James Cameron, and Sydney Wathuta kept the Portland back line on their heels for much of the first half, but the visitors stood firm and limited Colorado’s chances.
The first half ended scoreless, but Rapids 2 remained on the front foot, finishing the period with 10 total shots compared to Portland’s none.
Portland came out of the halftime break with renewed energy and created their first real attacking opportunities of the match. Despite their efforts, Hansen and the Rapids 2 back line held strong to deny the breakthrough. That defensive solidity allowed Colorado to turn momentum into attacking chances of their own, eventually breaking the deadlock.
The decisive moment came down the left wing, where captain Malik Pinto worked the ball deep into the corner before finding Wathuta near the edge of the 18-yard box. The midfielder took a few touches before unleashing a shot into the side netting, giving his side the lead.
The strike was Wathuta’s sixth goal of the season in just his 13th appearance. Having returned to the Rapids 2 lineup for the first time since July 20, it also marked his second straight appearance with a goal.
From there, Colorado’s defense continued its impressive display to see out the result. The back line stifled the Timbers2 attack, securing the club’s sixth clean sheet of the season—tied for the second-most in MLS NEXT Pro.
Rapids 2 will now enjoy an 11-day break before returning to action on August 31 on the road against Sporting Kansas City II. Kickoff at Children’s Mercy Victory Field is set for 11:00 a.m. MT, with coverage available on MLSNEXTPro.com.
Scoring Summary:
COL – Sydney Wathuta (Malik Pinto) 69’
Notables:
- M Sydney Wathuta recorded his sixth goal of the season in his first appearance for Rapids 2 since July 20.
- Wathuta has now recorded goals in consecutive appearances and three goals in his last four appearances.
- M Malik Pinto recorded his third assist of the season on Wathuta’s goal.
- GK Nico Hansen made his first start for Rapids 2 since April 20 against North Texas SC.
- Colorado Rapids 2 recorded their sixth clean sheet of the season, marking the second-most in MLS NEXT Pro.
Post match Quote Transcriptions:
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY
On the match...
“Third match in in 10 days. I think there's a little bit of an effect shown from that, but that really adds to the pride I have in the guys’ performance. It's a big win, they all are, but it's a it's a big win because everything just wasn't falling. We were creating chances in the first half, and I think we felt that we were the better side. Sometimes that could bring on some anxiety. So in the first half, I'm really pushing the guys because I feel that we're better. I want them to get their reward. But I made sure they knew exactly why I was pushing. Told them at half, knowing, at least thinking, that we could score some goals in the game. You have to be prepared to win a one nil game, so be confident. It's not that I was hoping to win a one nil game, but we have to be prepared to want to win a one nil game. I think where it would be nice to go away with two and three goals and say it was a complete performance, it was a complete performance, and we had to win a one nil game. For me, that experience could prove to be valuable. So, a good win.”
On Sydney Wathuta’s performance
“I mean, that was a pretty nice goal he scored tonight. I told him it was bang on average, but I lied to him. It was awesome. There's always work to do, isn't there? Syd's ability to play on the ball and to create and to produce an end product is going to make everybody a better player. It's been a while since he's gone 90. He went 90 plus and against Cruz Azul. He falls just short of getting 90 tonight. But wonderful presence. For Syd it's like business as usual. I've told you guys sitting here before, I don't expect him to be a second team player for long. I'm driven by that, and so I'm reminding him of that. To speak frankly, it is my objective for him not to be here next year. So there's plenty to keep pushing for every day and every game.”
On the club’s current position of second in the West...
“I'm watching like everybody else, the results and then the points. For the longest time I have tried not to do that, but it's human nature, and we want to know exactly where we're at. But at this point, we have five games to go. We want to keep building, and we want to try to be at our best on that sixth game without looking past the next game. As a team, I'm sure the guys are doing the same, but we're not talking about standings. We have them posted. We don't hide it. We want guys to see, it's been a healthy form of pressure all year long. But seriously, there's a lot of moving pieces within our team, new players coming in to compete for something. So, I think there's always something on the line, something that guys want to prove. I'm really pleased with the fact that guys take each game for what it is, and that's the biggest game of the year. So hopefully we can keep doing that.”
