Who Needs Djordje? Yapi Hour in Minnesota! – Rapids vs Minnesota Recap

Saint Paul, Minnesota– Colorado snuck into Minnesota and snuck out with all three points on the back of a Darren Yapi brace. The homegrown’s two goals were just enough to cancel out a Tani Oluwaseyi goal and get the 2-1 win in Saint Paul. The Rapids gave Minnesota their first back-to-back loss of the season, and got their first away win since March.

Colorado experimented with their lineup, opting to start the match with a mirror of the Minnesota formation. Armas went with a 5-2-3 formation, with Noah Cobb coming in for Ted Ku-DiPietro in the usual eleven. The look aimed to slow down a fast Minnesota attack based around transition moments.

Minnesota did not rotate, despite playing a Leagues Cup match just days before with a very similar lineup. They continued to use their preferred 5-2-3, headlined by Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah.

Colorado had another early start; this time, the good work went unrewarded for Rafa Navarro. The Brazilian won the ball off a bad Minnesota giveaway, and Rafa drove at the backline. The striker opts to take a shot rather than play it out wide to Oli Larraz. The shot was tame and was the lone shot on target for Colorado in the first half.

Minnesota had most of the control and chances in the first half, forcing a few saves from Steffen and a few blocks from the Rapids’ backline. But Colorado’s game plan worked well in the first half. Minnesota was unable to break down a well-disciplined Rapids’ backline. The Loons could not play in their usual transition-based style, and this helped Colorado get to halftime even on the scoreboard at 0-0.

The game opened up in the second half, with both teams having dangerous moments in the first 15 minutes. But it was Colorado who broke the deadlock. Sam Vines played Darren Yapi through on the left flank, and the homegrown attacker did the rest. Yapi drove at the Minnesota backline and cut inside, unleashing a shot in the far bottom corner. Dayne St. Clair had no chance, and Colorado took the surprise lead in the 60th minute.

It would only get better for Darren Yapi and the Rapids, as ten minutes later, Colorado broke on the counter. Rafa Navarro leads the charge and plays Darren Yapi through on net, and the homegrown blasts it into the bottom corner. Despite having just one shot on target in the first half, Colorado found themselves up by two on the road. The game plan was working to perfection.

The two-goal lead did not last long for the Burgundy Boys, as Rosales found space behind the Rapids backline. Noah Cobb went to the ground, could not get the ball, and allowed Rosales to find Tani Oluwaseyi for the easy finish. Colorado was pinned back just moments after adding to their lead. This has been a theme for the Rapids, with the team conceding in a similar fashion against New England and Cruz Azul. Colorado had to settle for a draw in both of those games, and now they had 17 minutes plus stoppage time to see out the win.

Unlike Cruz Azul and New England, the Rapids’ defense stood tall and saw out the result. It was the first time this season that Minnesota lost two games back-to-back, let alone the first time the Loons lost twice in the span of a month. “We come to win. And the guys are up for it. So we don’t play it safe, home or away, and it’s always about attacking football and being proactive. And we did that tonight in a different structure. They’re an impressive group, the way they stick together,” Chris Armas said after the match.

Getting the Tactics Right

Chris Armas had to get the tactics right going into Minnesota. He took a big swing with a five-back system that the team has rarely used under Armas. “We wanted to come to Minnesota and try to surprise them and negate what they do. We matched up. Played a three in the back, and on the road, we leak too many goals, and we want to try something different. We thought this would challenge them in a lot of ways. We thought it could negate what they do and what they’re with. The boys were up for that. We created chances in transition, some really, really big moments,” Chris Armas told the media. The five-back system ended up working, forcing Minnesota to try to break down a low block rather than play in a transition style they are more accustomed to.

Chris Armas opted to use only two of his five available substitutions, and when asked after the game, Armas told Burgundy Wave, “I know how capable and how far these guys can go, more than they know. So I know the look on their face. At the end of the game, we’re talking about Sydney Wathuta. We’re talking about Sam Bassett, Alex Harris, Wayne Frederick, coming in, fresh legs. But we knew we had a big, big challenge of set pieces to defend.”

“So the big reason to not take off a Yapi at the end, who had tired legs and different guys, is set pieces. And I think we got that right.” Colorado has only used all five of their substitutions three times in their last 12 games. This time, Chris Armas got it right, only using two of his available five subs, and still being able to get all three points in Minnesota.

Yapi Hour in Minnesota!

This was the first MLS match without Djordje Mihailović for Colorado. Despite the loss of their star playmaker, it was a homegrown striker who stepped up and snatched all three points for the Rapids. Darren Yapi scored his first brace as a professional, and it was enough for the 2-1 win.

It was a big blow for the team to hear that their star player had been traded midway through the season. For Darren Yapi, it was difficult, but he knows how important it is to keep going as a group. “You lose a big player like Djordje, you know, it isn’t always helpful. But I think right then and there, we knew that guys needed to step up. And that’s it at the end of the day, we can’t just sit back and say, Oh, we lost Djordje, it’s over. We have to just keep going and take these games,” Yapi told the media.

Chris Armas was appreciative and full of praise for the young striker. Armas said, “It’s a great night for him. Our attackers love scoring goals. So to dig deep, a night that wasn’t easy, tough matchup, big center backs, big physical battle to be the difference on the night with the goals was tremendous. And defensively, he really stuck to his plan and did his role in that front three that we played with. So it was a good night.” Without Djordje, Yapi could find himself getting more and more minutes, and he will look to continue to make the most of them.

Noah Cobb’s First MLS Start

In a night of firsts for both Minnesota and Darren Yapi, it was Noah Cobb who got his first MLS start for Colorado, going the full ninety and being a crucial part of the backline that kept Minnesota at bay. Chris Armas told the media, “First MLS start. We thought he was excellent against Cruz Azul, and we thought he had another really strong performance on the night. The thing we love most about Noah is that he’s never hiding out there. He’s really up to the challenge all night long.”

“I thought he was good in the air. He stepped in, he met the demands of the match plan, and he’s just got himself going. So for a young player to pick up running, I think it’s a really good night for a strong performance,” Armas said. For Noah Cobb, it is two straight ninety-minute performances for Colorado, and his first win as a Burgundy Boy. In the stead of Chidozie Awaziem leaving, Cobb may have more minutes coming up for him in the Rapids’ backline.

Rafa Shines Amidst Transfer Rumors

In a week of turnover for Colorado, it was reported that Rafa Navarro may join Djordje in leaving the club. Brazilian club Fluminese was reported to be interested in the striker. Amidst these rumors, Rafa has put his head down and continued to work.

Chris Armas is appreciative of Rafa, telling the media after the match, “He’s an incredible striker. [He is] the most selfless team player, runs for the team, scores goals, just so dangerous. Fits into what we do. He’s so valuable, and he knows how important he is. He’s not just an amazing, amazing player, he’s a tremendous human being. He is the example of what we want to be here at the Colorado Rapids as a player in person.”

Darren Yapi has been a partner alongside Rafa for most of his minutes with the team. That partnership has been fortuitous for the Rapids, and Darren Yapi is aware of how good of a player Rafa is. Yapi told the media, “[Rafa is] someone I look up to. He’s a great striker, and I mean, just trying to find ways to work for him and with him. So if I have to do that extra bit for him to be successful and to score goals. You know, I’m always going to do it because, you know, that’s this guy’s a great player, and this is someone I looked up to.” Rafa assisted the game-winner for Darren Yapi, and without Djordje, this partnership may become just what Colorado needs.

Colorado Rapids will return home to face Atlanta United on August 16th at 7:30 pm Mountain Time.

Photo Credit: Colorado Rapids

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