Rapids Draw at Dallas as Rafael Navarro Opens Account

FRISCO, Texas – On Saturday night, the Colorado Rapids headed to Toyota Stadium to play FC Dallas. It was their final road game of they year. This match was originally supposed to be played on Wednesday, October 4, but was postponed due to weather.

Interim coach Chris Little once again rotated the squad. Ralph Priso was in a double pivot with Conor Ronan. Sebastian Anderson got a start and went 90 minutes, for the second time in three games. Jonathan Lewis got his first start with the first team since June 24. Danny Wilson started in a back four with Moïse Bombito on international duty with Canada.

Dallas had more of the ball and more chances in the first half, but were not dangerous from the run of play. Ronan cleared a ball off the line on a corner minutes in. That was after Priso got a yellow card, but he managed well after that.

Colorado opened the scoring in the 25th minute against the run of play. Cole Bassett went direct on a free kick from 25 yards out. The shot went off the crossbar and Rafael Navarro was there to tap it in. It was his first goal with the Rapids, in his ninth MLS appearance.

Calvin Harris should have made it 0-2 in the 35th minute on a breakaway set up by Ronan but Maarten Paes made a great save off his line.

Dallas equalized before halftime, fittingly on a free kick. 22 Under 22 winner Alan Velasco curled a ball into the bottom near corner in the 37th. Paul Arriola could have made it 2-1 before halftime in transition but he made poor contact on a ball to the back post.

Kévin Cabral was the only substitute of the night for the visitors (66′ for Lewis) and had several chances to find a winner. There was a crazy sequence in the 72nd that saw Andrew Gutman play him in for a breakaway. His first shot was right at the goalkeeper. Navarro’s follow up was blocked. Gutman had two follow up chances, one that hit the post and another that was a bicycle kick.

Minutes later, Jesús Ferreira hit the outside of the post. The teams went end-to-end as the match ended 1-1.

Squad Rotation Mostly Worked:

Little tinkered with the lineup and mostly worked. Anderson again did not look out of place at right back. Priso was not a liability in midfield and played it cool after a second minute yellow card.

Lewis looked rusty with his first start in almost four months. It’s been a tough year for him with injuries and just one goal in league play. Wilson is a known quantity at center back at this point. He was good on the ball when needed. There were a few concerning moments in transition when his lack of speed showed. What the future looks like for Lewis and Wilson given their ages and the coaching search is a good question.

Rafael Navarro Opens Account:

The Rapids loaned DP striker needed this goal so bad. He’s put in good shifts. His hold up play, pressing, and physically have been good. He’s created his own shots. He just has not been given enough service and hasn’t done enough with his opportunities.

“I was extremely happy to score. As a forward, it bothers me to have gone this long without scoring, so I was extremely happy to get the goal. I want to thank all my teammates and the coaching staff for believing in me and helping me, even though I was going through this phase without scoring. They were all still believing, so I was very happy to score,” Navarro said postgame through a translator.

Hopefully this is the spark Navarro needs to finish the season this Saturday and be ready to hit the ground running (and scoring) in 2024.

Spoiler, Disrespect, And Playoff Implications:

“Are we hear to play spoilers? Is there anything to play for? That’s an insult to the players, the clubs. We have personal pride in being where we are. We have a responsibility to our fans. We use that as motivation. We need to finish our season strongly. I hope our supporters have seen our spirit, our fight. That’s really been improving. What a better opportunity than to finish the season against our rival, against Salt Lake.”

Good answer by Little to whether the team wants to play spoiler or has nothing left to play for.

This draw was tough for FCD’s playoff hopes. A win would have seen them clinch. They now go on the road to LA Galaxy on Decision Day. Elsewhere, San Jose has a favorable game at home against Austin. SKC and Minnesota play each other. If a team wins that game, Dallas will need a result to make the playoffs.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken.

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