Doing Marcelo Balboa Proud: Rapids Beat Atlanta on Balboa Jersey Retirement Night

Commerce City, CO – The Colorado Rapids have done the legend Marcelo Balboa proud. They hosted Atlanta United and after the game retired Marcelo Balboa’s #17 afterwards. Darren Yapi did what his former academy coach emphasized when he was 13. Rafael Navarro played with flare. The midfield got stuck in and made runs forward to help the attack. Just like Celo did at Old Mile High.

The lineup was for Colorado was unchanged from Sunday at Minnesota. It was a 3-4-3 with Noah Cobb starting again on the back line, against his parent club Atlanta United. Sam Vines was on the left with Darren Yapi up top with Rafael Navarro.

For the visitors, expensive DPs Latte Lath was at center forward. Fan favorite Miguel Almiron was on the right wing in a 4-2-3-1.

The first half was an even affair. Atlanta had 62% of the ball, but were methodical at times on the ball. Colorado did well pressing but did not do it often. They looked for space to counter.

Navarro could have had a tap in four minutes in. In transition, Bassett found Vines and Vines crossed low to the back post. He couldn’t reach it.

Yapi made it 1-0 in the 18th minute. Colorado were knocking the ball around at the top of the box. Bassett found Navarro, who headed it towards goal and into space. Yapi anticipated it, got a step on his market, and finished first time. That was his 7th goal of the season.

Colorado’s lead was short lived. In the 20th, Aleksey Miranchuk cut inside and with no pressure slipped the ball into the far bottom corner. Zack Steffen was visibly upset with his midfielders.

Cobb grew into the half against his former teammates. He had several key defensive headers and sweeper clearances. The half ended 1-1.

Colorado started brightly in the second half. Two long balls to Calvin Harris set up great chances but he could not get a shot on goal either time. The first could have been a penalty if not for a well timed tackle by Enea Mihaj. This was a sign of things to come.

Navarro took matters into his own feet in the 62nd. He dribbled aggressively into the box, forcing contact from Juan Berrocal, earning a penalty. Navarro took it himself. He did his usually stutter run up and shot low and to his right. Brad Guzan guessed right, but didn’t get enough of the ball, as it bounced up and into the back of the net.

Navarro made it a brace in the 71st. Harris had a good give-and-go with Bassett at the top of the box. Harris was run into and went down. Atlanta seemed to stop playing, either mad at Harris potentially diving or anticipating the penalty. Navarro didn’t hesitate, smashing the loose ball towards goal. Guzan got a touch to it but it slipped through his fingers. On another night, Guzan saves that and the penalty and it’s still 3-1.

Navarro is now on 11 goals and 4 assists in MLS play. He’s the fourth Rapids player to get double digit goals in back-to-back seasons, first since Deshaun Brown.

Atlanta should have scored on the break in the 75th. They had numbers with Steffen off his line to cut down the angle. A pass fell to Tristan Muyumba who had a tap in but Miranchuk blocked the shot on the goal like. MLS had the xG at 88%.

Colorado saw out the game and it ended 3-1.

Marcelo Balboa Jersey Retirement:

We’ll start with the real story from the night. After the match, Marcelo Balboa had his #17 jersey retired. He spoke after the match and then there was a firework show. Before the game, the club unveiled Legends Corner, with a monument for both Balboa’s #17 and Pablo Mastroeni’s #25. The Balboa bicycle logo was also pitch side by the Rapids bench, in the grass.

We’ll let Celo and Rapids President Pádraigh Smith take it from here:

“Make no mistake about it. This man was the Colorado Rapids first designated player,” Smith said pregame. “This league is build on the shoulders of giants. It doesn’t exist without a small number of people. This club does not exist without Marcelo Balboa.”

““I will die being a happy man being with an organization for 30 plus years. I still wake up every morning dying to practice with the academy. I will be here as long as you allow me to be here.”

“I stand here very honored and humbled. I will continue to be an ambassador. Thank you so much for believing in our sport. The last thing I’ll leave you with is. Thank you. This night means the world to me, my family and my dad always said, when you’re going to do something, do it right. I’m guess I did it right,” Balboa said in his postgame speech.

Yapi and Navarro scoring runs continue:

Since Djordje Mihailović left the club, the Rapids have scored 7 goals in 3 games. Navarro and Yapi have accounted for all but one. Yapi has become an all-around quality forward who is big time in big moments. It’s Yapi Hour somewhere.

“Met when I was 12 years old. It was a happier moment for me given I’ve been coached by him. He was hard on me, man. It was a lot of tough love. It was huge for my development. Big shout out to Celo. The show goes on. That’s what our mentality was. Confidence is growing,” Yapi said of his being coached by Balboa and moving on from Mihailović.

Navarro drew a penalty, converted it, then was a poacher on the third. Both goals were a little lucky. But in the aftermath of the Mihailvoić drama, the most important thing was moving on from him and getting results. The team seems to have moved past it.

“The penalty wasn’t the way I wanted to take it. There was a relief in it going in. Initially it was a frustration,” Navarro said of his reaction to the penalty goal through a translator.

Colorado got luck with Guzan’s mistakes. The 40 year old had a FotMob rating of 3.6. Add in that Miranchuk and the Five Stripes must be kicking themselves.

Noah Cobb does well against his parent club. The 3-4-3 is working.

Cobb did well in his third straight start for the club. He was in a three-back. He’s grown into the team and in games. The 3-4-3 is working right now at dealing with teams that attack the channels. It’s given them another body up front in the press. Yapi has been able to be effective without being a true center forward. It’s working right now. Maybe that changes when the central midfield gets healthy.

“It was definitely weird, seeing them before the match on the other side. Once the game kicked off, it’s a normal game. I could care less. I have a lot of love for that club,” Cobb told Burgundy Wave.

“Chris and his staff have done an amazing job keeping the principals the same regardless of what formation we’re in. He’s done a really good job of simplifying the game for me.”

“He’s impressed me from his first training session. Big personality. Great communication skills. He feels at home and encouraged here. These games are always special when you can play against your former team, win, and play well. He’s finding his way here in Colorado. We’re thrilled to have him,” said Armas.

Colorado Rapids move on to play at LA Galaxy next Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT. Riqui Puig could be back and available.

Photo Credit: Matt Pollard and Spencer Baldwin

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