Commerce City, Colo.- For a rivalry to be a rivalry, it needs contempt. Ten years since their last meeting, Colorado Rapids and Colorado Springs Switchbacks met in the Round of 16 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Despite previous cordial history between the clubs and fans, this game was a riot. Competing chants with 400 Switchbacks fans. Bench players taunting opponents in their technical area. The I-25 Derby was a controversial slugfest. It started with the Black and Blue controlling the ball. It ended with Nico Hansen penalty tensions.
Matt Wells rotated a bit but put out a lineup that could start an MLS game. Nico Hansen was in goal. Noah Cobb started at center back over Rob Holding. Reggie Cannon made his first start since his Achilles injury March 7 vs LA Galaxy. Alexis Manyoma started over Dante Sealy. Rafael Navarro was captain.
For Switchbacks, former Rapids 2 winger Yosuke Hanya started on the wing. Live wire Sadam Masereka was on the other wing. Khori Bennett was up top. Switchbacks lifer Matthew Mahoney was captain at center back.
The first half was a GAME. Rapids had 57% of the ball, but it was Switchbacks who created the pressure in possession. Hanya was energetic on the ball. Rapids did well in transition, especially when Rafa was involved. The Brazilian had a chance in the 4th minute on a run sneaking in behind. The shot was off target.
He made up for it in the 25th. Navarro took a touch around a defender then slipped it to Manyoma. It was a race to the loose ball. Manyoma beat a defender and the keeper to score firs time.
The visitors had several good looks on free kicks, equalizing in the 34th. The cross went near corner and took a few deflections. Garven Metusala tapped the loose ball to Brennan Creek who smashed it past Hansen.
Wells made two changes at half. Cannon and Hamzat Ojediran were on yellow cards. Kosi Thompson and Georgi Minoungou came on. Ojediran was a bit lucky to not get a second card at the end of the half.
The second half was tighter. Switchbacks were more compact and had half chances in transition.. Rapids were better with the ball and got numbers further forward. Minoungou was a good facilitator off the bench. Miguel Navarro had a great look off the kickoff but his shot was saved. Rapids got frustrated as the half went on. The build up wasn’t effective. Hansen had a brain fart on the ball. They were out of sync.
Hanya nearly went Diego Maradona on the Rapids defense in the 71st. He won an outlet ball off a Rapids free kick. He tried to dribble three defenders. There was a heavy touch and Thomspon got ball side and won a free kick. Hanya could have been carded for the push.
Those two would go at it again in the 77th. Hanya got ball side on another clearance. Thomspon went through the back of Hanya and took out his leg. Referee Rosendo Mendoza gave him a straight red. During the prolonged stoppage, Ali Fadal subbed on for his Rapids debut for the injured Darren Yapi.
To the Rapids credit, they had the best chance at a winner after the sending off. In stoppage time, Minougou had chance on the door step off a free kick that was saved by Herrera’s arm. Regular time ended 1-1.
Extra time was leggy from both sides. There were outlet balls for both sides that wingers weren’t able to chase down. Switchbacks had the better start. Juan Tejada nearly had a tap in in the 102nd after Rob Holding and Frederick weren’t able to clear a ball into the six yard box. Navarro had a chance in behind at the end of the first half, but went out for a corner.
Both teams were out of subs with heavy legs. If penalties were to be avoided, it was going to be through individual brilliance.
Rapids got it in the 115th minute. Building out of the back, Hansen punted it to midfield. Navarro headed the ball on, unchallenged. It ended in a Minoungou breakaway. He turned on the afterburners and scored. The home side was ready to win it but in the 119th minute, the referee called a penalty. Atencio blocked an Aidan Rocha cross. The play was ruled a handball but replay was ambiguous. Could it have gone off his ribs?
In any case, Minoungou’s goal was cancelled out as Khori Bennett converted the penalty. It was his 9th goal in 10 games. The match headed to penalties.
In penalties, Hansen saved a weak shot from Samuel Williams in the top of the third round. It went to the bottom of the fifth with Switchbacks needing a stop. Minoungou hit the left post and the rebound avoided Christian Herrera. Patrick Burner and Atencio both missed their pens in the sixth. In the seventh, Hansen made the save on Jonas Fjeldberg. On the 14th penalty, captain Keegan Rosenberry beat Herrera bottom left.
The match ended 2-2 (5-4). For the first time since 2006, Colorado Rapids are through to the Open Cup quarterfinals. A trophy is three wins away. The draw is Thursday at 9:30 a.m. MT.
The I-25 Derby officially has bad blood:
I came into this game thinking the fans and the clubs liked each other. We officially got beef. Every controversial penalty call got the Switchbacks fans in the northeast corner and C38 in 117 riled up. Competing chants of “refs you suck” vs “you can’t do that.” Switchbacks fans at one point chanted “C-O-S!” and “U-S-L!” It was a mixed crowd that dogpiled into the south end for penalties.
The match went back and forth. On another night, Switchbacks win it. Even if it was the wrong call, the handball to force penalties made the narrative and the night better. We have a question supporters of both fans will argue about till the next matchup. Rapids won in the end, so ball don’t lie?
Rapids goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe got a yellow card for dissent. He then gave the ref a thumbs up. After Bennett made it 2-2, members of the Switchbacks bench ran into the Rapids technical area to talk trash. No cards were given for that. The penalties made the night all the more cinematic.
“I love it… They score last minute to equalize from the penalty, their whole bench runs through our bench. Tempers flare. For me, that is football… The last thing I would never want is my team to be is lifeless… It was a fantastic advert for this competition… As prematurely gray as I’m going to go on the back of this game, I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Wells said.
Let’s talk about some individual performances:
My brain is mush. Here’s a bunch of players who did well. Navarro had two assists and was a dog. No short run up on his penalty either, which was nice. Herrington did well defensively and took his penalty well. Alexis Manyoma scored a great goal and he hasn’t gotten many minutes. Ali Fadal did not look out of place in his debut in a tight match. Hansen saved 2 of 7 penalties, off one session to prep and limited film on Switchbacks players outside of Bennett.
For Switchbacks, Bennett was excellent on both spot kicks. Hanya brought the bite and the sauce against his former club. Herrera could have had three PK saves.
“When we went down to 10 men, we went to another level in terms of commitment. Still had quality moments. We should have won the game (without penalties)… We have to do the necessary dirty stuff to win games because our football warrants that.. We can suffer together… The way the guys did that tonight with 10 men, that’s probably my biggest source of excitement,” Wells said.
“It was a long one. I don’t have too much recollection of it,” Hansen said of penalties. “There’s a lot of guys where you don’t have any info so you just have to go with your gut feeling.”
“Couldn’t be prouder to a man. Going punch for punch with a very good MLS team,” said Switchbacks head coach Alan McCann. “No surprise at all in terms of commitment. That character. You know they’re going to die out on the pitch, do everything you can. I’m gutted for them.”
So about the officiating:
“I would like to think if we had VAR, that would get overturned… I feel like the stakes are too high (to not have it)… I did miss it tonight,” said Wells.
I don’t think there’s a definitive angle on the Atencio handball. I was surprised it was given. So was Wells. There were a few tactical yellows in the first half. The match was allowed to turn into a rock fight as it went on. Thompson’s foul was a red card for me and Wells said an assistant thought it was fair.
Removing the uncertainty about penalty, the officiating didn’t determine the game. It was a heated cup competition between local teams who were up for it. Let the boys get stuck in. According to Transfermarkt, this is his first year officiating MLS, having been assigned six matches.
BW can confirm VAR will be in place from the quarterfinals onward.
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Spencer Baldwin 
Brendan Ploen 