The Big Picture
Colorado Rapids 2 (13-7-5, 45 pts.) see their eight-match unbeaten streak snapped following a 1-0 loss to Houston Dynamo 2 (8-11-6, 34 pts.) on Sunday. An own goal in the 12th minute was the match’s only scoring in Rapids 2’s first ever match at Jackson Field.
With only four matches remaining in the MLS NEXT Pro season for Rapids 2, Sunday’s match against Houston provided the club’s first opportunity of clinching a spot in this year’s playoffs. Colorado entered the day needing two or more points to clinch their spot in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro playoffs.
Right from the opening whistle, Rapids 2 were able to create a high-quality chance in the final third. Link up play from Sam Bassett and Sydney Wathuta at midfield just 30 seconds into the match led to a breakaway opportunity for Wathuta and Mamadou Billo Diop. Wathuta found Diop for a shot that found the back of the net, but in the end was called off after an offside call from the referee.
Houston quickly attempted to strike back after allowing some early shots and ramped up their attack. The visitors eventually earned a corner, leading to their first goal of the match that was credited as an own goal.
In the 35th minute, Diop received a ball over the top of the Houston back line and made his run. The forward was then taken down by an aggressive tackle from the defender, leading to the visitors being issued a red card.
There would be no scoring in the first half following the ejection, leading to the same 1-0 scoreline at the halftime break.
With a man advantage for the remainder of the match, the Rapids 2 attack began their attempts to try and find an equalizer but were unsuccessful.
Neither side was able to score in the second half, leading to a 1-0 victory for Houston.
Colorado will shift focus to their next match on the road against Tacoma Defiance on September 21. Kickoff at Starfire Sports Complex is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. with coverage available on MLSNEXTPro.com
Scoring Summary:
HOU – Mamadou Billo Diop (OG) 12’
Notables:
- GK Adam Beaudry made his first appearance for Rapids 2 since July 13.
- The goalkeeper was recently recalled from his loan with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC of the USL Championship.
- M Ali Fadal made his first appearance with the club since July 20.
Postgame Quote Transcriptions:
COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY
On the match...
“Tough game. We're disappointed. We know that we have more in us. Real credit to that Dynamo team. Their goalkeeper was awesome, and even when we weren't playing at our best, we created some nice chances, and he came up big. Yeah, we're disappointed. We're on a good run, but better the loss come now, perhaps than in a month. So, our job is to figure out a way to learn from this and keep moving forward. That may be a real challenge, but that's the job.”
On what to take from this match...
“Yeah, all of the above. It hurts like hell. We're doing an interview, and I'm listening to the opponent celebrate, but good for them. The game is supposed to elicit a lot of passion. I think you have to enter the field with that same passion. It takes every single player. We had a lot of guys that worked hard today, and as you say, were on their front foot, but I know what we're capable of. We fell short. It's not just a loss of loss, it's a loss and it's not the end of our season.”
On if he feels this team can make a deep playoff run...
“We can. We can win this league. If they ask that question then they're a fool. We can win this league, but we know that ultimately, it's the best team and the best collective. That's part of our club's way as it is, because we know we have enough individual talent, but every team has some fine individual talent. So, it's about bringing that talent together for the collective, and we've been doing that. So that's what makes today hurt, because we've been doing that. I used to say, in a league that's really set up to promote the individual, you need to be the best team, and today we weren't. That's why we give credit to Dynamo, but there's 100% of me that believes that we can win this league.”
