VAR Don’t Lie: Colorado Rapids win 1-0 at Austin FC

AUSTIN, Texas – Sometimes you make your own luck and ride it like a Texas cowboy to three points. On Saturday night, the Colorado Rapids defense had two penalties called against them. They found a way to a clean sheet and a win. Djordje Mihalović returned to Austin and Q2 Stadium where he hurt his ankle on Decision Day last year. It was a cathartic night for the Burgundy Boys where the ball and the ref did not lie.

There was a shake up for the Rapids at the back. Chris Armas rolled out the 4-3-3 like last week. Andreas Maxsø returned at center back. Reggie Cannon was out with a groin injury. Ian Murphy moved over to left back. Rapids 2 rookie Anderson Rosa made his fourth and final MLS call-up.

For Verde, USMNT forward Brandon Vazquez was up top. Next to him was record signing Myrto Uzuni, who made his first start for the club. Former Rapid attacker Diego Rubio was on the bench.

The first half was energetic. Both teams were aggressive and direct in the first 30 minutes. Colorado were direct and central with the three-man midfield and Djordje Mihailović pulling the strings. Verde went for crosses and headers. The 11 first half crosses challenged the visitors.

Colorado made it 1-0 in the 18th minute. Oli Larraz found Mihailović in space in midfield. The Olympian delivered a perfectly weighted ball to a sprinting Rafael Navarro, who chipped goalkeeper Brad Stuver.

Austin nearly equalized in the 20th and 43rd. First Uzuni beat Steffen to a header inside the six yard box on a redirected header. The ball went off the post and Steffen collected. In the 43rd, he got a free header that Steffen got a touch to. The ball went off the crossbar and out. The half ended 0-0.

The second half was minutes of Austin attacks punctuated by momentary chances for Colorado. Just three minutes in, Dani Pereira passed the ball right to Navarro, who couldn’t capitalize. He shot from the top of the box wide.

Austin nearly drew a penalty in the 51st. Uzuni and Chido Awaziem battled in the box with Uzuni establishing position in the box. Both players went down. The foul was called. VAR called referee Marcos de Oliveira to the monitor. Uzuni was found to be offside in the build up, bailing out Chido.

The match left Cole Bassett snake bitten offensively. He should have drawn a tactical foul on a counter attack in the 67th. He would have gotten an open shot in the box set up by Mihailović. Then in the 73rd, Djordje found him in a crowded box for a back heeled shot that was wide.

Two minutes into stoppage time, Austin thought they had a lifeline. Rubio had subbed on. He went for a loose ball just inside the box. He and Wayne Frederick II met the ball at almost the exact same time. The ball went away from goal. Rubio went tumbling to ground. The referee called a PK. After several minutes, VAR took him to the monitor. The penalty was overturned with Frederick getting to the ball first. If anything, Rubio put the studs on Wayne.

Colorado saw out the extended stoppage time to win 1-0. They are now unbeaten to start the MLS season with five points from three games and four goals scored.

“Big three points for us on the road. Most importantly, we play every match as the protagonist. We go after it. The energy has to be there. We’re developing an ability to ramp it up,” Armas said in his opening statement.

Three goals for Navarro, Djordje Decision Day Revenge:

Just one goal and three shots on target. Still, it was a good day for the offensive players on the Rapids. Navarro now has three goals in two games. Mihailović said after the Dallas match that a 20 goal season was possible for him. He’s well on his way.

This game had to feel good for Mihailović. He got an assist after not getting credit for one last week. He played well and rolled his sleeves up. And to do it in his first game back at the stadium where he got injured last year. Cathartic.

“I definitely thought about coming back here for the first time since that injury. I put that behind me. I felt good after the goal. You can’t hesitate in those moments,” Djordje said, reflecting on the play that got him injured compared to the sequence of the goal tonight.

Elsewhere, the Denver De Bruyne Oli Larraz had another great shift. He and Josh Atencio are running things in midfield. They’re covering round and making smooth passes. With Bassett off to a slow start offensively, others are rising to the occasion.

“Oliver fits so well into what we do here. His ability to play between lines allows us to be vertical. That first goal, it’s a good goal. He’s a big part of that. It was a strong night for that midfield trio,” Armas said of Larraz.

The defense survives VAR’d PKs, posts, and Diego Rubio:

The defense had a lot to deal with in this game. Six shots from Brandon Vazquez. A shot off the post. Another deflected onto the crossbar. Two PK shouts, both overturned by VAR. The second one coming against Rubio was chef’s kiss. VAR don’t lie.

The whole team dealt with all the crosses well on the night. Steffen made a play on both shots that hit the woodwork. VAR got it right in overturning both penalties. Maxsø looked fine in his first minutes of the year. Big props to Ian Murphy, being forced to play left back and go up against Osman Bukari. The players in front helped out as well. What a response to giving up three goals to Dallas last week.

“Another fairly strong performance on the road. Clean sheet. We tried to be the aggressors. In so many ways it was mature. VAR gets the calls right. It creates some drama. We thought (Frederick) got all ball in real time,” said Armas.

“Ian Murphy, he’s a good player. He’s versatile. We’re light at full back. He stepped into a tough one. Tuned in. Up for that matchup (with Osman Bukari). We’ve talked about being more stingy defensively. That back line lived up to it tonight.”

“Defending low crosses. We know the game would go this way if we got the lead. It took 11 of us, plus the guys coming off the bench, to finish the game off. It’s the second time we’re playing in this structure,” Mihalović closed with.

Colorado are back in action next Saturday next Saturday at San Jose 8:30 p.m. MT.

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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