The Colorado Rapids earned a hard fought 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers last night. This match had a lot riding on it, with the Western Conference play-off bids heating up. This match also served as a bit of revenge for the Rapids, having been out scored by Portland 8-1 on aggregate over their last 2 meetings. Goals from Jonathan Lewis and Rafael Navarro help guide the Rapids to all 3 points.
Positives: Colorado very effectively utilized their wide play to attack the Timbers. Rapids wingers’ Jonathan Lewis and Calvin Harris very often found themselves in great positions to play a dangerous ball into the box, giving Portland a very hard time trying to defend that style of play. Another thing that went well was the Rapids’ possession play. Colorado out possessed Portland 56%-44% and moved the ball around so well with an 85% pass completion rate. Throughout the entire second half Colorado dominated the Timbers, and found their winning goal thanks to the persistence of the Burgundy Boys.
Negatives: While there isn’t a lot to knit-pick about our performance last night, there are a few things that will need some work. Man marking in the box on the defensive side for the Rapids was a big weakness last night, and Portland found themselves having great opportunities to score. Their only goal of the match came from an unmarked man in the box getting an easy tap in to level the match. The Rapid also got caught out in transition a lot, Portland were able to find splitting balls and start up a quick counter attack, but thankfully they didn’t bring their shooting boots.
Stand out Players: Defensive-Midfielder, Connor Ronan, earned MOTM (Man of the Match) honors last night with his impressive display both going offensively and defensively. However, one guy who needs more recognition is Left-Back, Jackson Travis. He was a key part in the Rapids’ deadly wide play, and was very hard for Portland to stop last night, causing them numerous issues.
Next Match: vs Sporting Kansas City (Away)