COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – It was all deadlocked at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, as the Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo battled to a 0-0 draw Saturday night.

With the teams’ splitting points, Houston stayed in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, while Colorado ended its two-game losing streak.

“We’ve got loads of work to do,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson told reporters postgame. “I was disappointed. I think we did enough to get three points tonight. But I also think three or four weeks ago we might have lost that game. We’ve strengthened up as a team.”

For opposing coach Wilmer Cabrera, it was a more positive assessment, having earned a point on the road.

“We played a very serious game,” said Cabrera. “We performed well and were solid defensively. It was a very good shape. In fairness, we could have won.”

The match marked the Rapids debut for new acquisition Giles Barnes, who joined Colorado from Liga MX side Club León on a six-month deal earlier this week.

“I thought he did well for his first game,” Hudson said of the Rapids’ new addition. “He’s come in and straight away, he’s had an impact on the group. He’s a big personality and a presence and we saw that on the pitch tonight. I was very pleased with his start.”

It also marked the first game for Houston midfielder Jared Watts against his former team since being traded to the Dynamo back in March. Watts missed the teams’ previous meeting, a 2-0 win by Houston last month due to injury.

Watts ended the match with one on-target effort on goal, but contributed to the shutout with four clearances and four ball recoveries.

“Defensively, our defenders wanted to track their runners and our midfielders and forwards wanted to put pressure on the ball,” explained Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis. “I think we did a pretty good job and limited their chances.”

Houston’s best opportunity to go in front came in the 22nd minute, when Memo Rodriguez had an open look on goal from just outside Colorado’s 18-yard box. But Rodriguez’s effort missed just inches above the crossbar.

Minutes later, Barnes made his first big impact on the game, dribbling on a breakaway and threading the ball through to Dominique Badji in the 26th minute, but Willis was able to make the save.

Barnes had another opportunity on goal in the 40th minute, but his headed effort couldn’t find the target.

All in all, the first half presented little offense, however, as both sides combined for a total of just seven shots (three on target) in the first half.

Both sides continued to battle for the go-ahead goal in the second half, producing a handful of chances.

In the 57th minute, Rapids defender Kortne Ford’s attempt on goal was blocked by Leonardo. A follow up effort by Badji moments later was high and wide of the mark.

The visitors also had a prime opportunity in the 61st minute, but the shot from outside the box by Houston midfielder Tomás Martínez was gather by Tim Howard. It marked the second of two saves in the match for the Rapids ‘keeper.

Houston again threatened on the counterattack in the 87th minute, but Mauro Manotas’ shot from distance following a failed clearance by Edgar Castillo was just inches wide of goal. Hudson was pleased with the Rapids’ centerbacks’ ability to contain Houston’s playmakers, including homegrown Kortne Ford.

“I love Kortne. I love him as a character, as a player,” Hudson said of Ford’s performance. “I think we’ve all seen games where [Alberth] Elis and [Mauro] Manotas destroy defenders, but at no time when Kortne was in those situations was I panicking.”

Despite the multiple attempts to end the deadlock, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Colorado will now head to the other side of the Rocky Mountains to face Real Salt Lake in the second leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry next Saturday, while Houston will prep to host a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against Sporting KC on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s been a difficult season for everyone and we want as a group to have a stronger second half [of the season],” said Hudson. “I think what’s important for us, given our recent history, is it’s a performance we can build on.”

The post In defensive battle, Houston Dynamo and Colorado Rapids split points in 0-0 draw appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Here is how to watch all Major League Soccer matches live in Week 18 on TV or streaming. You can follow along with our live scores and stats throughout the weekend as well.

Saturday, July 14

Sunday, July 15

The post Watch MLS on TV, live stream Week 20 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Every transfer window gives teams an opportunity to evaluate weaknesses and make tweaks, sometimes even big changes, in an effort to craft an ideal roster that will lead to success. That process is underway once more in Major League Soccer as the league’s summer transfer window opened Tuesday, and for the Colorado Rapids, it will serve as one more step toward the club’s new direction.

“I think it is going to take three or four windows to get everything we want and everything in place,” Rapids general manager Padraig Smith said days before the window opened. “That’s normal with as many changes as we’ve made. We’re really looking to change the culture and the way we play. I think it’s going to be important that we continue to put the right pieces in place.”

In early August of 2017, Smith and vice president of business operations Wayne Brant penned an op-ed article in the Denver Post entitled “The Rapids Way,” outlining their vision for the club’s path to MLS success.

Nearly a year later, the Rapids once again find themselves struggling at the bottom of the table. Under first-year head coach Anthony Hudson, Colorado sits just three points clear of last place in the West with 15 points earned through 18 games played this season.

Despite the poor start to 2018, Smith stands behind his head coach and remains steadfast in the club’s vision.

“It’s been very disappointing and very frustrating, to be honest,” Smith said. “I think there’s a lot more talent in this group than the results would necessarily indicate. One of the things we’re looking for is progress. We want to play a more entertaining brand of soccer. I think we’ve seen glimpses of that. I don’t think we’ve seen it consistently enough and that is frustrating.”

It’s been a bitter pill to swallow, but Smith stands fully behind Hudson, who he hired after a “global search” towards the end of the 2017 calendar year.

“Anthony is every bit as frustrated as I am with the results and it’s something we speak about on a daily basis,” said Smith. “We’d obviously like for the results to be better and come a bit quicker, both of us would, but at the same time we understand that this is a long term plan.”

Colorado’s results are, in fact, worse than they were at this point last season. In terms of offensive output, however, there’s been a slight uptick with 22 goals scored in 2018 compared to 19 goals tallied through 18 games in 2017.

That output still hasn’t been good enough, and is one of the primary issues Smith is looking to address during the summer transfer window, which opened Tuesday.

“Obviously, we’re looking for reinforcements I don’t think that comes as a shock to anybody,” he said. “We’re still not scoring enough goals. I don’t think we’re creative enough at the moment, and we can certainly improve in terms of transitioning the ball from the defense to the attack.”

While Colorado is looking to fill in its roster at multiple areas of the pitch, the club isn’t expected to fill its vacant Designated Player slot during the current transfer window.

“There’s a lot of different mechanisms to how you can bring players into MLS, so it’s about taking advantage of those to bring in the right players,” Smith said of the team’s process. “From our perspective, it takes time to recruit players at that DP level … We want to make sure we’re ahead of the curve doing all that due diligence, doing all the scouting and putting ourselves in a position to execute on that when the time comes.”

The lack of a third DP has been a point of frustration within the Rapids’ fan base, as has the perception that Smith’s roster-building strategy has been too Eurocentric. To the contrary, the Rapids GM said he’s been working to expand the team’s influence in other parts of the world in preparation for the current transfer window and beyond.

“The next key thing is building out that scouting network,” Smith explained. “I’m going to be making quite a few trips to South America, Europe and Central America to make sure we have good connections.”

With the Rapids set to play an upcoming friendly against storied Argentine club Boca Juniors later this month (July 24), Smith sees a sign to the positive that Colorado is making forays into other markets.

“We’ve actually had a relationship with Boca over the past couple of months,” he explained. “We’ve talked to them about players and some of the things they’re doing, so I think you can expect us to keep growing that relationship.”

In addition to his focus on the team’s on-field product, Smith has also been working hard at a transformation behind the scenes. Colorado also made several additions to its technical staff during the offseason.

“To bring in people the caliber of Fran Taylor, Ena Patel, Chad [Kolarcik] on the sports science side and the entire coaching staff, we’re highly encouraged by that,” Smith continued. “We’ve taken a slightly different approach, but we’ve brought in some talented, hard-working people that know what they’re doing.”

All of those now involved with the club want to turn things around. But, as Smith explained, it will require the continuation of a measured and methodical approach.

The post While frustration flares in Colorado, Rapids GM Padraig Smith looks toward roster reinforcement this summer appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Atlanta United remains atop the Pro Soccer USA Power Rankings, but there’s movement near the top following New York City FC’s 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City’s loss to Real Salt Lake and draw against Toronto FC.

Find out where your favorite team is ranked after Week 19 of the regular season.

The post MLS Power Rankings Week 19: Montreal, Real Salt Lake move up appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

After a first half defensive effort from Colorado which resulted in both sides entering halftime scoreless, Montreal Impact midfielder Saphir Taider scored two goals (55’,56’) in quick succession to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. Dominique Badji would respond with a goal for Colorado in the 78th minute, but Montreal walked away with the win Saturday night at Stade Saputo.

Here are three takeaways from the Colorado Rapids’ 2-1 loss to Montreal:

The Saphir Taider Experience

Despite his reputation for being a facilitator in the midfield, Impact fans have been wanting a bit more out of their Algerian Designated Player, who had just notched one goal and three assists in 17 starts heading into Saturday’s match.

But the match against Colorado was a coming out party of sorts for the 26-year-old, who bagged his first brace in MLS.

“It’s always nice to score goals, but it isn’t my strong suite, I’m not really a goal scorer,” Taider explained. “I like touching the ball and creating opportunities. Tonight, was different, but it was especially a good team effort that gave us the big three points.”

Full Impact

It was a dominating performance from Montreal, who outshot Colorado 21-2, including seven on-target efforts. Colorado failed to register a shot on goal for most of the game until Dominique Badji’s goal on a set piece opportunity in the 78th minute.

Montreal also bossed possession with nearly 70 percent of the ball to Colorado’s 30, as the Rapids once again bunkered for the third-straight road game, after earning their first road points of the season earlier in the week.

“I think coming in at half-time, there was no major danger,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson explained. “I think we started to grow into the game with the ball. And we wanted to do that in the second half even more – to have more possession. And when a couple of mistakes like that happen, it really puts you on the back foot and they have some very good players.”

On the opposing touchline, it was all about Rémi Garde prepping his players to avoid a “trap game” and continuing to stick with the high press.

“I found my players were very focused on the task at hand, and very focused on this game,” said the Impact head coach. “It wasn’t a mistake to have told them that this was a game that could’ve been difficult to handle. I’m very satisfied, and I find the group is becoming more mature. This game was a good test in that regard.”

Accountability, buddy.

In what has been one of the Rapids worst seasons both statistically and in terms of results, Anthony Hudson continues to make excuses for his team’s poor performances.

“I think we need to get over this week. We’ve probably spent more time in airports than on the training pitch,” Hudson told reporters postgame. “And we’ve barely trained. I think we trained our first session today really, the day of the game. It was tough for the lads this week. They’ve given everything today. And we just need to get back to normality next week and to our normal routine.”

Travel is the latest in Colorado’s growing list of excuses for 2018, which includes the rebuilding process, having a new culture and head coach and referees. Those are valid issues, but issues that every team in MLS deals with year in and year out.

Deflection isn’t new in the Anthony Hudson playbook. New Zealand fans will recall his complaints about travel, jet fighters and fireworks for their World Cup playoff against Peru.

In contrast, Rapids defender Danny Wilson, gave a take that included much more personal accountability.

“I think you always get what you deserve in football,” said Wilson. “We gave away sloppy goals, so we don’t deserve to win the game. You didn’t see them give us those opportunities. Maybe if we had we would’ve taken them but they saw the game better than we did. We didn’t carry much of a threat tonight like we did last weekend in Vancouver, but we’ll pick ourselves up and go again.”

The post Three Takeaways from Colorado’s 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

MONTREAL (AP) — Saphir Taider scored two goals only a minute apart early in the second half, and the Montreal Impact held on to beat the Colorado Rapids 2-1 Saturday night for their fourth straight win.
The Impact (8-11-0) have won five of their last six games to get back into the hunt for a playoff spot in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Substitute Dominique Badji scored for the Rapids (4-12-3), who lost a second game in a row and fell to 1-6-1 on the road.

The Impact found themselves against a opponent that played 10 men back, clogging the 18-yard box in front of designated player goalie Tim Howard. They tried high crosses, low crosses, dribbles from Ignacio Piatti on the left and Alejandro Silva on the right and lobs up the middle — each time being blocked by a blue and yellow-clad Rapids defender.

Fullback Daniel Lovitz danced in and shot over the bar early on and Piatti got off a curling shot in the 40th minute that went into Howard’s arms, the only one of nine first-half shots to get through while the Rapids had no attempts.
In the 55th minute, Silva recovered a ball and fed it to the right side, where Taider shot between Howard’s legs for a goal.

Two minutes later, a counterattack saw Silva feed Piatti on the left for a lob into the middle that the Algerian international fired in for his second of the game and third of the season.

A free kick in the 79th saw the ball go off defender Rod Fanni to Badji, who had replaced Yannick Boli in the 50th, alone on the doorstep for an emphatic blast into the net on his seventh goal of the season. The goal ended Evan Bush and the Impact’s shutout string at 420 minutes.

The post Saphir Taider scores 2, surging Montreal Impact beat Colorado Rapids 2-1 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

American Will Bruin was the star of the show on Fourth of July, scoring both goals for the visiting Seattle Sounders as the Colorado Rapids were defeated 2-1 Wednesday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Here are three takeaways from Colorado’s loss.

Good while it lasted

Colorado’s three-game unbeaten streak heading into Wednesday’s match was a welcome change to what has largely been a disappointing season for the Rapids in 2018.

After an eight-game losing streak all but decimated Colorado’s playoff standing, the seven points earned in three matches rekindled those playoff hopes as Colorado was just seven points below the playoff redline with two games in hand over most Western Conference teams.

“I think the guys, we’ve shown a professional attitude over the last three games,” Rapids midfielder Sam Nicholson said of the unbeaten run. “We got something out of the games where we needed to.”

But the loss to Seattle marked a further setback and bungling of a prime opportunity to make up ground against a Western Conference opponent on what is emphasized as one of the most important home games of the year for the club.

Yellow Submarine

The Rapids have been sunk by yellow cards this season, and it had a tangible effect on the team Wednesday as midfielder Jack Price faced his second suspension for yellow card accumulation this season. Price currently leads the league in yellow cards with seven on the year, and the Rapids have four players in the top five for yellow cards accumulated, including Price (7), Dominique Badji (5), Danny Wilson (5) and Edgar Castillo (5).

Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson attributed a great deal to Price’s absence as an underlying cause to the Rapids’ lack of possession in the first half and inability to control the game the way they wanted to.

“I think we got overrun in midfield, really,” Hudson said. “It was a poor start and too many of us were not at the level we need to be from the start. There’s nothing other than it was just a poor start to the game from us.”

As Colorado travel to face Montreal this weekend, they’ll similarly be without Castillo due to card accumulation. Castillo been one of the Rapids’ best talents on both ends, so an ability to adjust and deal with adversity will be vital.

Freedom Frei

Goalkeepers made the difference in this game, for better or worse. Colorado had only five shots on target against Seattle, including Nicholson’s first half equalizer. Despite conceding, Stefan Frei came up huge for the visitors with four saves and one punch of the ball away from danger, including a crucial save late on Shkëlzen Gashi’s effort in the 82nd which would have tied the game.

It was the inverse for Rapids Designated Player Tim Howard. Seattle had just two on-target efforts in the full 90 minutes and both found their way into Colorado’s net. On the second goal, Howard’s poor decision to kick the ball short to Gashi resulted in a quick turnover and the second goal for the Sounders.

Games like Howard’s 10 save effort last Sunday in a 1-0 win against Vancouver show his worth, but in the 2-1 Fourth of July loss, it showed why most front offices don’t opt to spend big dollars on an aging ‘keeper.

The post Three takeaways from the Colorado Rapids’ 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – For the second consecutive year, the Seattle Sounders brought the fireworks to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, as a Will Bruin brace resulted in the visitors taking home all three points against the Colorado Rapids in a 2-1 win on Wednesday night.

“It wasn’t a good night,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson told reporters postgame. “We started poorly and gave ourselves too much to do. We gave way soft goals.”

With a striking combination of Dominique Badji and Yannick Boli, Colorado was unable to generate much offensively – the striking duo only managing a shot apiece and one shot on target through the first half hour of play.

Seattle opened the scoring in the 19th minute as Bruin collected the through ball from Victor Rodriguez in traffic, slotting his shot past Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard to give the Sounders a 1-0 lead.

“We were just very slow to transition,” explained Rapids centerback Kortne Ford, who played his first 90 minutes since going down with a knee injury in early March. “It was a bit of an unfortunate deflection that kept him onside that he could put away.”

Rapids midfielder Shkëlzen Gashi came up with Colorado’s best opportunity to equalize in the first half with a booming shot from outside the 18-yard box in the 34th minute, but the effort was wide.

In the midfield, Colorado was missing the presence of Jack Price, who didn’t feature in the match due to suspension (yellow card accumulation).        

“I think it was a huge loss,” Hudson said of Price’s absence. “He’s so important. He’s been one of our best players all season. That’s what we lacked in the first part of the game – our ability to hold the ball. When you go behind, most games when we’ve needed people to step up, he’s been the one that drives the team and I think we lacked that tonight.”

Despite being out-possessed for much of the half, Colorado would eventually find the equalizer in the 40th minute when Edgar Castillo’s cross from the edge of the box found the head of Sam Nicholson, leveling the score at 1-1.

Seattle would take back the lead in the second half with another goal from Bruin. Following a restart from Tim Howard, Christian Roldan stripped the ball from Gashi, sending the pass through to Bruin who finished for the easy goal, giving Seattle a 2-1 advantage in the 59th minute.

“It was just a mental mistake on a number of us,” Ford said of the second goal from Seattle. “We’re not pointing fingers. We’ve got to be better a s group. We could have been tighter, we could have been higher. At the end of the day, we can’t make those mental mistakes, but credit to him.”

Despite a late push from Colorado which included late efforts from Gashi and Badji in the dying minutes, Seattle was able to hold on to the win.

“As the game wore on we tried to change as many things as we could to be as positive as we could,” Hudson said of the second half push. “I don’t know what else we could have done. We created some very good opportunities to score. We have to take one of those chances.”

The loss ended a three-game unbeaten streak for Colorado, which now sits just three points and one spot ahead of last placed San Jose in the Western Conference table. Colorado will now embark on a road trip to face Montreal this Saturday, while Seattle will embark for New England to face the Revolution.

The post Will Bruin brace leads Seattle Sounders to 2-1 Independence Day win over Colorado Rapids appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

Here is how to watch all Major League Soccer matches live in Week 19 on TV or streaming. You can follow along with our live scores and stats throughout the weekend as well.

Wednesday, July 4

Saturday, July 7

Sunday, July 8

The post Watch MLS on TV, live stream Week 19 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

It’s the Fourth of July which means a celebration of independence, fireworks, grilled meats and … power rankings!

That’s right, on this American holiday celebrate where your favorite Major League Soccer team is ranked after Week 18 of the regular season.

The post MLS Power Rankings Week 18: Atlanta remains on top, Portland moves up appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

The Colorado Rapids are on a three-game unbeaten run after grabbing three points Sunday night at BC Place in Vancouver. The Rapids (4-9-3, 15 points) won 1-0 off a Whitecaps (6-7-5, 23 points) own goal by Marcel de Jong in the 43rd minute. Colorado goalkeeper Tim Howard also collected 10 saves during the match, played in front of an announced crowd of 21,038. 

The own goal came after shots on goal from Colorado forwards Yannick Boli and Joe Mason. Boli first tried to tap in a cross, but the ball bounced off the crossbar. Mason followed up with a close-range rifle of a shot that pinged off Vancouver keeper Brian Rowe, who dove to stop the attempt, and ponged straight back into the net off an onrushing Mason.

Here's how we took the lead. Boli and Mason have great chances denied and it deflects off De Jong. We'll take it!

0-1 | #VANvCOL pic.twitter.com/zYkeXUzLZe

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) July 2, 2018

See full highlights in the video above. Relive the action through the photo gallery below. And review game stats here.

After a draw and two consecutive wins, the Rapids still are 10th in the Western Conference, three points above bottom-dwellers Seattle and San Jose. They travel to Montreal next week for a 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday matchup.

The Whitecaps are holding onto sixth place, the final playoff position, in the West. They next host the Chicago Fire at 10:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

First half: 1, Colorado, De Jong (own goal), 43rd minute.

Second half: None.

Goalies: Colorado, Tim Howard; Vancouver, Brian Rowe.

Yellow Cards: Price, Colorado, 16th; Castillo, Colorado, 33rd; Wilson, Colorado, 48th; Blomberg, Colorado, 80th; Wynne, Colorado, 82nd; De Jong, Vancouver, 93rd.

Referee: Nima Saghafi.

Assistant Referees: Eric Weisbrod, TJ Zablocki.

4th Official: Daniel Radford.

Lineups

Colorado: Tim Howard; Nana Boateng (Kortne Ford, 61st), Edgar Castillo, Axel Sjoberg, Tommy Smith, Danny Wilson, Deklan Wynne; Sam Nicholson, Jack Price; Yannick Boli (Jack McBean, 81st), Joe Mason (Johan Blomberg, 73rd).

Vancouver: Brian Rowe; Sean Franklin, Doneil Henry, Efrain Juarez, Kendall Waston (Jordon Mutch, 46th); Marcel De Jong, Felipe Martins, Brek Shea (Erik Hurtado, 74th); Alphonso Davies, Kei Kamara, Nicolas Mezquida (Anthony Blondell, 67th).

The post Highlights: Vancouver Whitecaps’ own goal hands Colorado Rapids 1-0 victory appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Stefan Aigner is no longer a member of the Colorado Rapids.

Aigner and the Rapids agreed to mutually terminate his three-and-a-half-year contract, the club announced Friday.

A highly-touted signing acquired from German club 1860 Munich, Aigner, 29, signed with the Rapids last July, making nine appearances (five starts) for Colorado in 2017, scoring two goals and chipping in an assist.

At more than $845,885 in compensation for 2018, Aigner was the fourth-highest paid player on the team.

But under current head coach Anthony Hudson, the midfielder had featured in just 11 minutes of action – with the manager citing a variety of reasons including preseason injury and a lack of fitness as reasons for Aigner’s absence from the lineup.

Hudson gave a lengthy interview two weeks ago with local Denver TV station 9News (KUSA) detailing his side of the situation with Aigner, but the midfielder had been made unavailable to reporters to get the other side of the story.

“I don’t know. It’s strange. I don’t know,” Hudson told Pro Soccer USA on what had changed with Aigner’s situation since being praised by Rapids GM Padraig Smith for his preseason training regimen with Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in the preseason.

“The bottom line is we want players here that will fight for the club, want to fight for the team and be here for the team,” Hudson continued. “I just don’t think that we’ve seen that.”

Following Wednesday night’s 2-0 elimination loss to Nashville SC in U.S. Open Cup play, the Rapids are now on a run of eight-straight losses across all competitions. Colorado is currently in Houston in preparation for Saturday night’s match against the Houston Dynamo.

The post Stefan Aigner, Colorado Rapids agree to mutually part ways appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

HOUSTON – Two first-half goals in a span of six minutes sealed the Houston Dynamo’s sixth win of the season — and third consecutive at home — as the Orange swiftly handled the Colorado Rapids 2-0 on Star Wars Night.

The game got off to a slow start for Houston (6-5-3, 21 points) and it’s just how head coach Wilmer Cabrera expected it to be. 

“We knew tonight was going to be a tough match with a team that is normally going to be deep, waiting with five in the back and two or three defensive midfielders and only one player up top,” Cabrera said. 

The game picked up steam in the 25th minute and it started when Andrew Wenger, who was making his return to the pitch after being a late-game scratch against New York City FC in late May, had to be replaced after feeling some tightness in his left calf. 

Replacing Wenger was Adam Lundqvist, and that’s when Houston put their game on hyperspeed and gave the announced 16,058 in attendance, some in Star Wars attire, much to cheer about. 

On Star Wars night, the Houston Dynamo defeated the dark side [Colorado Rapids] 2-0 to send their fans home happy to a galaxy far, far away. (Courtesy of Houston Dynamo)

With the Rapids sitting back, Houston pressured them high up the field and were rewarded for their efforts in the 30th minute. 

Tomás Martinez took the ball from Rapids midfielder Johan Bloomberg just outside the box and then proceeded to dance around Rapids defenders Deklan Wynne and Danny Wilson before ripping off a left-footed shot

Rapids ‘keeper Tim Howard made a kick-save, but unfortunately for him, the rebound went straight to Martinez, who shot it back for the game’s first goal. 

The goal was extra special for Martinez, who’s grandparents flew in from Argentina to see him play in tonight’s game. 

Five minutes after Martinez’s goal, and with La Naranja rolling, DaMarcus Beasley received a pass from Romell Quioto and got into the box but before the veteran defender could get to it, Bloomberg brought him down. The referee immediately pointed to the spot.

Mauro Manotas, who’s been on a scoring slump, calmly stepped up and converted the penalty to put Houston up 2-0. Aside from doubling up their lead, the goal also marks the 2oth game out of 24 that Houston scores two or more goals since Cabrera became the head coach. 

“Today was a game to close out the scoring slump that I had been having,” Manotas said. “Once they brought Beasley down I grabbed the ball with confidence and stepped up and hit it well.”

If the Dynamo were rolling after the first goal, after the second the Orange were “cruising” Cabrera said. But the fireworks were far from done in the first half.

Four minutes into stoppage time, Rapids forward Yannick Boli was shielding the ball from Dynamo centerback Leonardo when Boli raised his hands and slapped Leonardo in the face. The referee had no choice but to show Boli a straight red.

Despite having a man advantage for an entire half, La Naranja could not add to its lead, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Houston hit the woodwork twice and might have easily added a third goal if not for Tim Howard.

Houston settled for the 2-0 win and while it couldn’t add to its lead, Houston managed a clean sheet for the first time since its opening game win over Atlanta. For Dynamo ‘keeper Joe Willis, it’s his first of the year. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve kept a clean sheet so personally for me, it’s good for my confidence,” Willis said. “But for the team also, it’s good for us moving forward.”

Getting the clean sheet “is a turning point” for the Dynamo, Cabrera noted. He also said he hopes his team grasps that it can play good defense and close games out. 

With the FIFA break set to start, the next MLS regular-season game for the Dynamo is at Western Conference nemesis Sporting KC on June 23. But before that, Houston has a date with Minnesota United in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup on Monday, June 18.

The post Houston Dynamo blast Colorado Rapids 2-0 for third consecutive home win appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

A first-half goal from Dynamo midfielder Tomas Martinez in the 30th minute opened the scoring and a penalty from Mauro Manotas six minutes later opened up a 2-0 Houston lead against a bunkering Colorado as the Houston Dynamo defeated the Colorado Rapids at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday night.

Here are three takeaways from Houston’s 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids:

Historic lows now approaching league marks

As outlined last week following Colorado’s 2-1 loss to Vancouver, the Colorado Rapids’ winless streak is a historic one in terms of club record lows. It became official on Saturday as the Rapids reached an eight-game winless streak in league play – a club record.

With its latest loss, Colorado’s points per game total now stands at 0.62, still placing the team in danger of breaking the mark for worst ever campaign points total in club history (29) and the worst total in the post-MLS shootout era (33).

Colorado’s current eight-game winless streak places them in a fourth-place tie for longest all-time losing streaks in MLS (New England, 2014). 

These totals would also place Colorado among the top 10 worst teams in MLS history.

The positive? Colorado has an opportunity to avoid a club record winless streak (14) if it secures a win within the next five games.

Offense a legitimate problem for Colorado

Despite having not won a game for eight straight entering Saturday’s match with Houston, Anthony Hudson’s side could hang its hat on the fact that the team did show signs of an improved offense this season. Colorado had only been shutout in four games prior to Saturday – including one against RSL where Tim Howard was sent off, but the team held on for 80 minutes before conceding.

But in Saturday night’s match, Colorado was truly dominated, managing just two shots (one on target) in the 90 minutes. Including U.S. Open Cup play, it marked the second-straight shutout for Colorado, which has only managed a single shot on-target in over 180 minutes of play.

With top scorer Dominique Badji sidelined by suspension (yellow card accumulation), the frustration boiled over for lone striker Yannick Boli, who was sent off with a first half red card.

Badji will return Wednesday for Colorado’s home match against Chicago, but the Rapids need to find production from other sources.

Hairston an important cog

For all the futility present during Colorado’s eight games winless in league play, Rapids fans have a glimmer of hope in seeing top choice right wingback return to action in MLS play. Hairston managed 79 minutes of action before being subbed off in favor of Jack McBean, but racked up five recoveries, two defensive clearances and a block of DeMarcus Beasley’s shot in the 68th minute.

“I feel pretty good coming back, just trying to get as fit as possible,” Hairston said of his ongoing return from a knee injury. “Fitness is definitely an important piece to playing the way the coaching staff wants us to play, but I can’t say I played well with the team. I try to do whatever I can to push the team forward.”

On the loss, Hairston said, “I think this is a game I have to correct and help out the team as we move forward.”

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Here is how to watch all Major League Soccer matches live in Week 16 on TV or streaming. You can follow along with our live scores and stats throughout the weekend as well.

Wednesday, June 13

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COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Looking to avoid extending a club-record eight game losing streak, the Colorado Rapids finally stepped away with a point Wednesday night. They weathered a comeback effort from the Chicago Fire to earn a 2-2 draw at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“In the end, when it’s all said and done, I’m happy that we’ve stopped the bleeding,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson told reporters postgame. “That was really important because, psychologically we’ve got a little break now. We probably did enough, at the end, to get three points. We had some good chances at the end. We’re disappointed that we didn’t get three points but pleased that we’ve stopped that run.”

Rapids forward Dominique Badji opened the scoring in the 7th minute, collecting a throughball from Rapids defender Tommy Smith and sending a low shot past Fire goalkeeper Richard Sanchez to give Colorado the 1-0 lead.

Smith doubled the lead to 2-0 in the 15th minute, heading an effort into goal on a cross from Jack Price. It marked Smith’s goal for Colorado and his first in MLS.

“To be honest I didn’t see much out of it because it came out of the sun,” Smith said of the goal. “But I knew Pricey put it in a good area and I just had to get contact on it.”

Despite conceding the pair of early goals, Chicago fought back. Led by midfielder Aleksandar Katai, the visitors scored back-to-back goals to tie the match. In the 21st minute, Katai’s cross deflected off Rapids defender Danny Wilson into Colorado’s goal, cutting the lead to 2-1. Three minutes later, Katai’s curling shot from outside the box beat Tim Howard to tie the match at 2-2.

 “It was a very nice goal, but it’s not enough because we are going home with one point,” Katai said of the effort. “It would be nicer if we were going home with three points.”

Smith almost put Colorado back in front just before the half, but his headed effort off a Price free kick went wide of the mark.

“It was two goals of our own making,” Smith said of the first half defensive effort from Colorado. “They didn’t do much to carve us open, so we’re disappointed in those, but I think it was just important that we didn’t lose today.”

Both sides entered the half level in shots (5) and shots on target (2), but Chicago held the edge in possession with 56 percent of the ball in the stanza.

The Fire continued to control possession in the second half, but both sides had prime opportunities to go in front.

Brandt Bronico, Diego Campos, and Bastian Schweinsteiger all had opportunities on goal just before the 80th minute, but none could find the mark.

Chicago went down to 10 men in the 82nd minute when Johan Kappelhof was sent off with a second yellow due to dangerous play. The decision was made by head referee José Carlos Rivero with the assistance of the VAR.

In extra time, Rapids forward Joe Mason’s left footed shot from the center of the box was saved by Sanchez. An additional effort shortly after from Wilson was saved.

Despite the late pressure from Colorado, Chicago’s defense held as the visitors took home a road point.

“This is disappointment,” Fire head coach Veljko Paunović said following the result. “Disappointment for many reasons. This is not the image that we want and we’ve got to make changes in our attitude and in our behavior. Especially within the game.”

For the Rapids, however, it largely marked a feeling of relief following eight-straight losses in league play and nine-straight across all competitions.

“We’ve stopped the rut now,” said Rapids midfielder Jack Price. “It was embarrassing for the lads, for the staff. It wasn’t nice for the fans to go through that. Obviously, we’ve stopped that now so we need to build a bit of confidence. We’re looking forward to the next game now.”

Colorado will now face a 10-day break from league play before it resumes action at home against Minnesota United FC on June 23. The Fire will return to action next Wednesday on the road against Atlanta United in the U.S. Open Cup before traveling to Seattle to face the Sounders next Saturday.

The post Colorado Rapids snap 8-game losing streak with 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

A first half goal from Rapids striker Dominique Badji (7’) and a headed goal from Tommy Smith (15’) gave Colorado an early 2-0 lead, but the visiting Chicago Fire and midfielder Aleksandar Katai responded to score two goals in quick succession to tie the match at 2-2. Despite second half efforts from both sides, Colorado and Chicago both walked away with a point in a 2-2 draw at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Here are three takeaways from the Colorado Rapids’ 2-2 draw with Chicago:

They are who we thought they were

Colorado got off the snide a bit by ending the losing streak at eight games, or as Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson said numerous times during his postgame press conference, “We stopped the bleeding”.

But despite a more positive effort and response, Colorado still displayed some of the same issues and identity fans have seen all season.

Dominique Badji continues to be the team’s lone threat offensively – which could prove dire for the team’s offense if he’s absent from the lineup like he was last week against Houston.

Defensively, Colorado displayed an issue the team has had all season: the inability to hold a lead. It cost the team from taking all three points after going 2-0 in the first half, which was déjà vu for those who’d witnessed a similar collapse against Sporting Kansas City.

The Rapids may have ended the losing streak – but still need to manage a win in the next four games to avoid matching a club record winless streak (14). Yet despite all that is plaguing the team – the lineup of opponents in Minnesota United, Vancouver, Seattle and Montreal presents a prime opportunity to grab a win.

Tommy Smith finally gets on the scoresheet

The Rapids centerback had been working hard all season to score on a header off a set piece and on Wednesday night, the New Zealand international delivered with a header in the 15th minute.

“Yeah, we do a lot of work on the set piece and I’m just glad it’s come off for now and we’ve been close a lot of times,” Smith said of his goal. “Good finish in the end. Great ball from (Jack) Pricey and like you said it was a good start to the game.”

The goal marked the first for Smith in a Rapids uniform and his first in MLS. He wasn’t without opportunity, however, with 13 shots (four on-target) prior to scoring.

Smith’s header (along with his assist on Badji’s opening goal) was also important because it adds a different dynamic to Colorado’s attack, which has largely consisted of the one-man Dominique Badji Show.

Team goals have changed from playoffs to baby steps

Shortly after being hired by the Colorado Rapids, Anthony Hudson penned an open letter to fans as his introduction to the club’s fan base. In that letter, he outlined his intended goals for the team.

Per Hudson:

Six months later, those goals have changed and apologies have been issued to fans.

 “I think the first goal was to stop the run,” Hudson said on Wednesday. “Anything is possible because we’ve seen teams go on good runs and bad runs. We’re seeing that now with some very good teams going on bad runs: 5-6 games without a win. What we are is a team that’s very much in transition. We have to get our squad and our team settled and keep improving.

“If we can just keep improving the team, that’s the first goal,” he continued. “Beyond that, if we can put a run together, then we can look at that again and give ourselves belief. Anything is possible but we’re not looking at that now. I don’t it’s right for me to sit here after this run and say: playoffs. We need to improve the team, we need stability, we need to use the [transfer] window well. We need to keep improving.”

The post Three Takeaways from the Colorado Rapids 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Former Colorado Rapids midfielder Stefan Aigner has found a new club. The 30-year-old, whose contract was mutually terminated by Colorado less than two weeks ago, has signed with KFC Uerdingen 05 in the German third division, the club announced Monday.

Aigner played just 11 minutes this season in MLS under newly hired Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson, who cited numerous reasons for the German’s lack of playing time including fitness and a lack of commitment to the club.

Following his Rapids exit, numerous German clubs had rumored interest in Aigner, including his longtime club TSV 1860 Munich.

Despite his often publicly stated loyalty to his boyhood club, Aigner was reviled by some 1860 Munich fans for being the face of the club’s numerous relegations over the past few seasons in addition to his perceived mercenaryism after leaving the club for Eintracht Frankfurt in 2012 and Colorado last season. Nonetheless, a recent poll of 1860 Munich fans showed 77 percent support in favor of his return.

In the end, Aigner chose to sign with KFC Uerdingen 05, which he will join on a reported three-year deal.

“We are very happy that Stefan Aigner has decided in favor of KFC Uerdingen, and many clubs and his home club have been interested in him and have given everything,” said KFC Managing Director Nikolas Weinhart. “For us, this commitment is an important building block and will be ours certainly again decisively strengthen.”

KFC Uerdingen 05 will begin its 2018-19 campaign on July 27th and will compete head-to-head with 1860 Munich as one of three clubs recently promoted from the German Regionalliga (fourth division).

Following a 10-day break from league play, Colorado will resume action this Saturday against Minnesota United FC (9 p.m. EDT).

The post Former Colorado Rapids midfielder Stefan Aigner lands with new German club appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – For the first time in 11 tries, including U.S. Open Cup competition, the Colorado Rapids have won a match.

A stoppage time header from Tommy Smith at the death secured all three points for the host Saturday night, as Colorado defeated Minnesota United 3-2 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

“It’s been a tough period for everyone,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson said of snapping a 10-game winless streak across all competitions. “Most of all it’s been tough for the fans. It would’ve been quite easy, and we all would’ve understood if they would’ve turned and not backed us. The Fans kept backing the team to the final whistle and we’re quite fortunate to have fans like we have because they’ve been very patient with us.”

In the first half, Minnesota had the lion’s share of the early chances in the contest including an effort from Miguel Ibarra that was blocked by Tim Howard in the 9th minute. Ibarra would eventually beat Howard, as a low shot by teammate Darwin Quintero went between the Rapids keeper’s legs, with Ibarra following up to give the Loons a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute.

“I thought the game plan we had worked very, very well,” Minnesota United head coach Adrian Heath said. “We had the ball and kept possession. At times, we were a bit elaborate and I think we could’ve been a bit more positive in the final third. In the first half, we had several [1-v-1 opportunities] on the counter attack.”

Colorado had a response, however, as Rapids striker Dominique Badji seemingly found an equalizer in the 30th minute, but a foul by Badji nullified what looked like a game tying goal.

At the end of 45 minutes, Colorado and Minnesota were level in shots (7), but the visitors had five shots on target to none for Colorado, including the goal.

“We didn’t start very well, so we had to adjust that at halftime,” Hudson said of the effort. “The lads responded really well.”

Colorado would find an equalizer early in the second half, as defender Edgar Castillo’s right footed shot from the top of the box went top shelf past Minnesota goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth to knot the game at 1-1 in the 50th minute.

“In our situation, it would’ve been easy just to accept our fate because that’s the way it’s been,” Hudson said. “But we kept going.”

Six minutes later, the Rapids nearly took the lead, but Jack McBean’s shot inside the six pinged off the post.

Instead, the Loons would put their noses in front again as Minnesota midfielder Christian Ramirez found the back of the net, receiving the pass from Ibarra out wide. Ramirez’s goal gave the Loons a 2-1 lead in the 65th minute.

Colorado responded again as substitute Joe Mason found the ball on a Rapids’ counter attack. Mason’s chipped effort found its way past Shuttleworth to knot the game up again at 2-2 in the 74th minute.

Moments after the goal, Ibarra was ejected from the match with red card for violent conduct. Behind the play, Ibarra was seen striking Rapids defender Danny Wilson, which referee Hilario Grajeda confirmed with the VAR.

“When you go a man down and they score a goal, it takes away your synergy,” Heath said of the decision. “It was a tough one to take.”

With the man advantage, Colorado would again push to take the lead – its best opportunity coming in the 88th minute off a Shkëlzen Gashi free kick. But Wilson’s low shot following the set piece bounced off of Shuttleworth and out of danger.

Colorado continued to push into stoppage time. On the final corner kick of the game, Gashi’s corner found Smith, whose goal would give the Rapids the lead for good.

“I’m pleased because we’ve been so close so many times,” Hudson said of the goal. “I’m pleased with Tommy’s reaction. He’s a strong character. He’s a big character. I was pleased that he got his reward and the goal in the end was for the whole team. It really was tonight a team performance.”

Up next, Colorado face Vancouver at BC Place Sunday, while Minnesota will return home to face FC Dallas on Friday night. 

The post Tommy Smith header gives Colorado first win in 11 tries, Rapids edge Minnesota 3-2 appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.

It hasn’t been pretty for the Colorado Rapids during Anthony Hudson’s debut campaign as head coach. After 15 games, the Rapids have a tough hill to climb with just 12 points, 11 points back of the sixth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

On the back of Saturday’s 3-2 comeback win over Minnesota United — which gave Colorado its first win in 11 games played across all competitions— Pro Soccer USA takes a look at the biggest surprises of the Colorado Rapids’ season so far.

New coach, new players, new system. Same poor results.

It’s been better over the past two weeks as Colorado has earned four points in its past two matches, but with just 12 points amassed in 15 games played thus far, playoffs are still a tall order for the 2018 version of the Rapids. Just a point out of last place in the Western Conference and two points from being the worst team in MLS, the focus for Colorado has shifted to incremental improvement and avoiding league and franchise marks for futility.

Bottom of the table isn’t an unfamiliar feeling in Commerce City, give the Rapids track record since winning the MLS Cup in 2010. But with a new head coach, a rebuild of more than half of its roster and a publicly stated goal to “do better”, these results have been equally disappointing as they are surprising.

Colorado has only recently snapped a 10-game winless streak which included a franchise-record eight-losses in a row and nine losses across all competitions including an early exit from the U.S. Open Cup tournament where Colorado was defeated 2-0 by first year USL side Nashville SC. 

As one Rapids fan on Reddit put it, “I came in just wanting to be better than last year and got the worst in Rapids history.”

The Stefan Aigner situation

Entering the 2018 season, Colorado Rapids fans were rife with enthusiasm on what German playmaker Stefan Aigner could do for the club with a full preseason. Why wouldn’t they be?

It was a signing that the front office promoted as a coup. Aigner was a player with Bundesliga experience obtained for what at the time seemed like a great value. Once he took the field in 2017, he provided an offensive spark the team was lacking with two goals and an assist in nine starts.

He was continually praised in the offseason and preseason, training with Bundesliga club Hoffenheim for preseason fitness and obtaining his green card to relieve the Rapids from having to apply another international roster spot. In a vacuum, it looked like a player committed to the cause.

But a preseason injury and green card travel led to Aigner being left off the team sheet early in the campaign, according to Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson. Aigner’s absence continued and frustrations boiled over with a heated exchange between the midfielder and head coach at an open practice in April.

Eventually, Hudson addressed the Aigner situation publicly, but the other side of the story from Aigner’s point of view wouldn’t come to light. Eventually, Aigner and the Rapids agreed to part ways and the player returned home to sign with another German club.

No one could have foreseen that less than a year after his highly touted signing, that Stefan Aigner would no longer be a part of the Colorado Rapids organization.

The continued rise of Dominique Badji

Plenty of Rapids fans will claim this isn’t a “surprise”, citing the fact that Colorado’s Senegalese striker led the team in scoring last season. But that mindset isn’t necessarily appreciative of what Badji is accomplishing and how rare it is.

For one, Badji has improved each season since joining the club as a fourth-round draft pick in 2015. This kind of consistency is rare, particularly for young MLS players with potential. Young players can show flashes of brilliance, but continued improvement over the course of four seasons is commendable. One needn’t look further than Colorado draft picks Deshorn Brown and Dillon Powers to see how promising careers can often take turns to different directions.

It should also be considered surprising because, on paper, even the front office didn’t expect this kind of production from Badji, who has six goals in 13 games played this season. In the offseason, Colorado made very public moves to sign strikers Jack McBean and Joe Mason in addition to drafting Niki Jackson. The Rapids search for a striker continued with the signing of PSG academy product Yannick Boli.

Despite the increased competition, Badji has risen to the task, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the team’s offensive production thus far – and he’s doing it with a new coach in a new system against defenses that are now keen on his scoring ability.

If it’s not surprising, it’s at the very least, impressive.

The post Colorado Rapids: Biggest surprises so far through MLS season appeared first on Pro Soccer USA.