A Full Timeline of the Colorado Rapids Postponed Game Against Vancouver

COMMERCE CITY – The Colorado Rapids were supposed to play Vancouver Whitecaps last night. It was Pride Night. Moments after the national anthems were over, the Public Address Announcer came on the speaker to say kickoff was delayed due to a severe weather warning. That was at 7:36 PM MT. Four hours and eight minutes later, the game was postponed. Here’s a full timeline of the one of the most bizarre nights I’ve had at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park. For a night where no soccer was played, it was eventful.

Prior to the match, there were concerns about the weather. Several rainstorm cells were going to move through Commerce City and intensify on the plains of Eastern Colorado. Hail and lightning were possible. I’ve covered this team since 2016. For the first time ever, I ride shared to the game.

7:36 PM: The game is postponed just a minute or two before the scheduled kickoff. Rapids Comms confirms to BW that there will be at least a 30 minute delay. The inclement weather policy was in effect. Thirty minutes with no lightning detected within an 8-mile radius of the stadium and play can begin.

“I didn’t have a clue. We were doing the handshake before the game. I went to turn around, and I realized I was the only one who turned around. Everyone must not have told me”, Sam Nicholson told Burgundy Wave.

“Everyone was just confused.

7:48 PM: Former MLSSoccer.com writer and current 9News weather man Chris Bianchi makes it clear the storm cell isn’t moving on for the next hour or two. Periodic lightning strikes occur every few minutes for the next hour.

8:45 PM: Colorado Rapids make it clear they are trying to have the game played tonight. There were several moving parts between both clubs and MLS communicating back and forth. Vancouver is playing on the road at LAFC this weekend, so their travel was a variable. Sources indicated to Burgundy Wave that if the game were not played tonight, they’d likely reschedule rather than try to play the next day.

8:48 PM: ITS RAININ SIDEWAYS

9:04 PM: The stadium lights at DSGP go out. The PA Announcer states that they are experiencing electrical difficulties. Emergency generators will provide power until the regular power is restored.

“The gaffer kept coming in every couple of minutes to ‘stay focused’. I was like ‘ok, I’ll try’. It was a long time to try and stay focused and keep our legs going”, said Nicholson.

9:13 PM: The first of at least three incidents of fans running on the pitch takes place. They run into the northside goal. Spectators yell goal. They run off the field before security is able to make contact with them. The PA Announcer reminds fans to stay off the field and that it is technically trespassing.

9:16 PM: The lights come back on. The corners of the pitch are visibly flooding. If a game is played tonight, the pitch will be soft and potentially hazardous. Furthermore, it would damage the pitch ahead of Saturday’s game against LA Galaxy.

9:38 PM: The approximate time the match should have ended had it started on time and had no delays.

9:53 PM: A Rapids spokesperson states that if the game will need to begin by 11 PM to comply with local ordinance. Noise and the stadium lighting are both a concern in the late hours of the night. The club record for the latest a home game ever finished was July 4, 2019 against New England Revolution. That match was delayed for a combined three hours and 34 minutes. The fulltime whistle came at 12:18 AM MT. Had the game started at 11 PM, it would have broken that record. Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth confirmed to BW they were staying and wanted that record. Anyone still at DSGP was there for Type 2 fun at this point.

9:54 PM: The hail has arrived. While apple sized hail (3-6″ diameter) was speculated by at least one outlet, the hail at no point appeared to be close to that size. Hail damage to vehicles in the parking lot later that night appeared to be minimal at a glance.

10:45 PM: The approximate time post game media availability would have ended and I would have gone home.

11:01 PM: Lightning and thunder have continued regularly for the last hour. The rain has not stopped. No update had been provided as to whether the game was called off.

11:11 PM: Undoubtedly the heaviest rain of the night starts. Sections of grass, mostly out of bounce, where visibly waterlogged.

11:25 PM: I take two laps around the concourse to see how many people are still here, because I had nothing better to do. Both laps, I counted around 120 individuals, including Dale’s Bar on the south side and the various nooks and crannies on the north side. With approximately a third of those people being staff, I feel comfortable saying there were less than 100 ticketed spectators still in the stadium at this time.

11:34 PM: Various staff start clearing sideline paraphernalia, bench equipment, corner flags, and net accessories.

11:41 PM: Captain and goalkeeper William Yarbrough is seen in the NE corner of the stadium, in full kit, interacting with the few fans still present. Legend.

11:42 PM: The game is officially postponed and to be rescheduled for a future date. Of course the first home game of the year where it’s warm enough for short sleeves, the game is postponed and the weather is terrible.

“It was strange. It maybe went on a bit too long with the waiting (for it to be postponed). From what I could see, it wasn’t going to stop. It was crazy. The weather was insane”, Nicholson said with an ironic laugh and a smile.

11:55 PM: I exist the stadium. This is probably the third latest I have stayed at DSGP the night of a match. Yes, that 4th of July game in 2019 is my personal record. I think I got home at 2 AM for that game.

12:24 AM: Arrived home safe, but wet. Pat Radigan had some Mario Cart moments giving me a lift home. Legend.

When will this Colorado Rapids postponed game be rescheduled for?

It’s a good question. There’s no room in the schedule until at least the week of July 17, right before Leagues Cup. Both teams play Saturday July 15. Vancouver’s Leagues Cup group stage games are on Friday July 21 and Saturday July 29. The Rapids play Sunday July 23 and Monday July 31.

No way they’re playing midweek to then start Leagues Cup on short rest.

Both teams return to MLS play Saturday August 20. The weekends of August 5 and 12 would be open assuming neither team makes it out of the group. It’d be risky to play that by ear and plan last minute, especially if one team advances. Both teams do play the last game of their group, so if they’re both eliminated before they play their final games, August 12 should be plausible.

Both teams have an open weekend September 9-10 and October 14-15 if they’re willing to play over an international break. If they want to play on a Wednesday, August 23, as well as September 6, 13, and 17 are open. So are October 11 and 18.

My money’s on Saturday September 9, 7:30 PM MT. See you there, Bad Weather Rapids Sickos.

Photo Credit: Pat Radigan, Footy 5280.

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