Jonathan Lewis Handball Sees Rapids Draw Home Opener

COMMERCE CITY – One has to wonder if DICK’S Sporting Goods Park is haunted.  During the past few seasons,  it appears that bad karma settles into this soccer specific venue, and the home team often takes it on the chin, in the solar plexus or both. 

Once again the Colorado Rapids experienced an unlucky outcome in the closing minutes of their first home game of the 2024 campaign against Nashville SC. 

The Rapids were jinxed in the 89th minute when a ball, destined for clearance, found Jonathan Lewis’ bicep inside the 18 yard box. At that point in the back and forth match, the Rapids were clutching onto a 1-0 lead. 

Nashville was awarded a penalty kick, and a cool, calm and collective, Teal Bunbury, easily punched his shot past up to that moment Rapids’ Hero-of-the-Match, Zack Steffan. 

The gritty game finished up 1-1 in the 96th minute. The sound of the third long whistle broke the hearts of many faithful who came out to cheer on the new and improved Rapids. 

While packing up my gear, I overheard fans behind my back say, “This place is haunted. How many times do we have to watch this team’s balloon pop in the closing minutes? Here we go, again.”

That Jonathan Lewis handball certainly makes it feel that way.

The stinging draw came to a rather tired Nashville side that arrived to Denver’s rarefied air and strong easterly gusts. Nashville also showed up to play with only two-days of rest, and less three of their more threatened attacking players.

“I’m sure everyone understands, when you’re missing Hany, Sam, and Randall in the group, there’s an awful lot that’s missing,” said a relieved Nashville’s skipper and former Rapids’ head coach, Gary Smith during his short presser. “I think the guys did a terrific job in the end to get something out of this.”

Smith coached the Rapids from 2008 to 2011. In 2010, he managed a lionhearted group that finished in seventh place, then roared through the playoffs as a member of the MLS Eastern Conference to win the MLS Cup championship over FC Dallas in chilly Toronto, Canada, just four day before Thanksgiving.

In the 47th minute of the 0-0 match, an aggressive Colorado caught Nashville off guard. Rapids winger Calvin Harris whipped a cross from the west sideline into the box. The ball appeared to be heading towards a charging Cole Bassett, however, it found Nashville’s Shaq Moore instead. The big man gifted the Burgundy Boys and the rambunctious crowd an own goal.

During his upbeat conference with the local media, Rapids head coach, Chris Armas stated, “The good thing is that at half-time, we talked about getting into different spaces, which the own-goal comes from.”

He continued, “We’re trying to get into certain crossing zones, certain areas of the pitch where in the first half we were too wide for those counter-crosses as we say. So, in the second half, we tried to change that with underlaps with Sam Vines, we tried to attack certain places and we did that.”

In total, the Rapids got off eight shots, of which only two were on target. Colorado narrowly out possessed Nashville’s radiant yellow squad, 51% to 49%.

Armas wrapped up by frankly saying, “We asked specifically for our attacking structure behind the ball and this helped create a lot of chances on the night. Not a ton of chances, but a few really good ones that maybe could have been different.” 

Hopefully, those good chances will find the back of the net next week, when feisty MLS champion and former Rapids’ captain, Pablo Mastroeni, leads Real Salt City into DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. 

Fans have heard that the goals are coming before, the question is whether bewitched DICK’S will cut the Rapids a break, and a flood of goals will pour across the goal line sooner than later.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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