Colorado Rapids 2 Feel Ready For Playoff Intensity After Beating Whitecaps 2

Commerce City, CO – Colorado Rapids 2 head coach Erik Bushey knows that intensity and focus can take you a long way in MLS NEXT Pro. R2 hosted Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Sunday afternoon in the first round of the NEXT Pro playoffs. Intensity and two “set pieces” won the day in a scrappy close playoff match.

Bushey’s lineup was nearly as expected. Sydney Wathuta was on the bench due to an injury. Douda Amadou was captain in midfield next to Sam Bassett. Alex Harris and Billo Diop led the attack.

Vancouver had the better start with several chances with Colorado pinned in. It was Rapids 2 who scored first however. Harris won a 50/50 ball in midfield. Colorado went in transition. Antony García went for a half volley and buried it. It was 1-0 in the 7th minute.

In the 14th, Mark O’Neill scored on a broken play. A cross from the end line wasn’t dealt with. It bounced around in the box. The center back spun and shot, finding the back of the net.

R2 appeared to take the lead four minutes into halftime. Bassett got forward and tried to find Diop at the penalty spot. A defender got a touch, playing it to the Senegalese forward who scored first time. The goal was eventually ruled off with Diop being ruled as offside on the initial pass by Bassett.

The teams traded open looks and chippy fouls. Wathuta subbed on for the goalscorer García in the 64th. He brought quality on the ball, physicality, and intensity. R2’s transition play would win the day.

Diop too a throw quickly in the 72nd. James Cameron got on his horse. He ran down the ball and squared it to Harris for a goal. Then in the 86th, Wathuta bodied a defender to win a throw in. He hurled it Josh Copeland in stride. Copeland had a great dribble to buy time. Diop made a great run to occupy defenders. It set up Copeland to find Bassett for a calm finish to make it 3-1.

The Caps made it interesting. Right at the start of stoppage time, O’Neill scored on a set piece to make it 3-2. Vancouver had a hit post moments later but could not find an equalizer. R2 won the match 3-2.

Post Game Press Conference Takeaways:

After the match, Bushey emphasized the team’s renewed intensity in the second half:

“It’s part of our mantra, intensity. We spoke midweek. We were going to win the battle of intensity. It took us time. We’re better for it.” He added, “The throw in is another set piece for us. We treat it as a set piece. We want the up temp game.”

The defense dealt with the Whitecaps’ crosses well, other than the O’Neill goals. The intensity there was good. The team didn’t let the energy or morale drop because of the disallowed Diop goal.

“We were upset. Collectively, we all felt that energy. We were still positive that we were going to get another one or two goals. We were bummed. We remained positive. We scored minutes right after so we really kept it on them,” Cameron told Burgundy Wave.

This match had meaning for Cameron. The Vancouver native never got picked up by the Whitecaps. He wasn’t salty but it felt good to beat their second team.

NEXT Pro will have the highest seeded teams choose their opponents for the next round. The higher seeded St. Louis and The Town play later today. That will decide who and were R2 play in the Conference Semifinals.

“It’s definitely a different dynamic, looking at the ‘pick your opponent thing.’ It all comes down to the work we put in ourselves, no matter who we play. It’s rather the work we’ve done,” Harris said.

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