Commerce City, Colo.- Survive and advance. Into the hat. Sometimes that’s the mindset. On Tuesday night, the Colorado Rapids were a step slower. The hosted USL League One contender Union Omaha. It was a tougher game than Saturday.
Matt Wells made seven changes from the squad that walloped Houston. The lineup was as follows: Nico Hansen; Keegan Rosenberry, Rob Holding, Noah Cobb; Jackson Travis, Paxten Aaronson, Hamzat Ojediran, Alexis Manyoma, Darren Yapi, and Dante Sealy. Travis was in midfield next to Ojediran. It was a back four with Navarro on the left. Aaronson was central.
For Union, Brent Kallman was in midfield. Former Rapids 2 center back was not in the squad having just come back from foot surgery.
This game went how you’d expect. Colorado had most of the ball, 73% in the first half. Omaha had 11 men behind the ball and limited space in behind. They tried to create on the counter.
The visitors could have scored 40 seconds in. Ryan Jiba pounced on a loose ball, eventually finding Adrian Billhardt. It could have bene a tap in but he missed the near post. Colorado settled down after that. Yapi tried to find space and made some mistakes. On 21 minutes, Sealy buried a shot at the edge of the box after Rosenberry won the ball on a press.
Omaha could have scored in the 43rd in transition off a corner in the 43rd. Travis had his pocket picked. Pato Faz squared it to Diego Gutiérrez but Hansen made a great save. The half ended 1-0.
The second half was a lot of nothing from the run of play. Omaha had more of the ball. Colorado had a good defensive work rate. There were a lot of hard unnecessary fouls. Aaronson took a few knocks but was ok. Yapi and Sealy both had looks. Colorado had a set piece that got directed off the post. Wells subbed on Georgi Minoungou and Rafael Navarro, signaling he didn’t think the game was done. Alex Harris had a 1-v-1 with goalkeeper Rashid Nuhu, but the keeper stopped it. It looked to be offside.
Nathan Tchoumba subbed on in the 86th minute, on a shot term call up from Rapids 2. At 15 years, 4 months, 21 days, he is the youngest player to debut for the Rapids first team, surpassing Sebastian Anderson.
The match ended 1-0. Colorado advance to the Round of 16. Their next match is an MLS regular season game April 18 vs Inter Miami at 2:30 p.m. MT.
On another night, is this a Cupset?
Omaha had the two best chances of the game, both in the first half. Shots were 8-8, 6-2 on target Rapids. Union had 43% possession in the second half.
“Our objective was to progress and that’s the most pleasing aspect of this evening, along with a clean sheet, and Tchoumba making his debut,” Wells told Burgundy Wave.
“Can we be proud in terms of our mentality, our approach to the game and taking the opponent seriously? Definitely yes. I thought we were a little bit passive all across the front line, in terms of when we had 1-v-1 opportunities.”
“They were playing very physical. Keegan and Nico weren’t saying nice things to them. I can’t speak too much to the ref. That’s what the Cup brings. This game for them was a final,” Sealy added.
They also matched Colorado in chippy tackles. There were those late fouls on Aaronson. Hansen stood up to an attacker during a stoppage and the Omaha player flopped, causing a gathering. There’s a magic and a different energy to the Open Cup. Sometimes it turns into this.
Dante Sealy goal to open his Rapids account:
Sealy has to feel good, getting his first goal and having it be decisive. He’s done good work between the boxes to help the team win. He’s had games where he creates for others. Three assists through 7 MLS games isn’t bad. He’s been fine but this goal breaks his duck.
“I doesn’t actually mean anything to me. But I know it will mean a lot to him. I see massive potential in him. The lack of a goal to this point had started to weigh on him. He doesn’t have to worry about that. The goal came. Focus on the process. Focus on the habits and the goals are only an outcome,” Wells said of Sealy.
“I’m still slowly integrating into the team. Me and the other front guys have integrated pretty well. I’m excited to keep that the grind,” said the player.
Now it’s just a matter if he can focus on the process and all the little things. Let the goal contributions come rather than be so focused on the boxscore.
More experimental tactics:
Wells had the team mostly in a 4-3-3. The two left backs were on the left, interchanging. Travis was tucked inside next to Ojediran for stretches. Navarro did well getting back and defending. After Wayne Frederick II played at left back, this was another out-of-the-box tactical wrinkle. It took some work to prepare it. It worked, albeit against a third division team.
“It was about trying to be creative with Jackson. Spent all week showing him some clips of Philipp Lahm… He was just in midfield and trying to use the rotations between him and Miguel,” Wells said.
Nathan Tchounba debut:
Nathan Tchoumba was born three days after the Rapids won MLS Cup in 2010. 6’3″, has had moments with R2. He’s already on a pre-MLS Homegrown contract. It speaks volumes that Wells trusted him in this situation.
“He definitely warranted the opportunity… Having him in the squad was definitely something I wanted to do. It’s really exciting for the club… We can always identify with that… I’m very confident in him as a young man with his support network that this will only be a real positive. It’s a signal of intention to the rest of the club, the rest of the guys in the academy,” said Wells.
Lastly, shout out to Colorado Springs Switchbacks. They hosted Sporting KC and beat them 3-0. SKC did have a man sent off. The Boys in Black are now into the Round of 16 for the first time in club history. They could very well draw the Rapids.
See More: Rapids vs Omaha Photo Gallery
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Spencer Baldwin 
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