Commerce City, Colo. – The Colorado Rapids could not do it on a cold Wednesday night at DICK’s. It was a midweek MLS game against second-to-last Minnesota United. After three straight games of scoring first and not winning, Colorado desperately needed a win and a dominating performance. With rain all day, dark clouds descended on the stadium just before kickoff. The night ended in the unlikeliest of disasters.
It was the second leg of a three-game week for both sides. Keegan Rosenberry captained the side at right back. Darren Yapi was at center forward with Donavan Phillip to his left. Matt Wells otherwise had the home side as expected.
Former Rapid Anthony Markanich was unavailable with a concussion. Chance creator Joaquin Pereyra was on the bench.
The first 45 was uneventful. It looked similar to previous games in the summer against struggling teams. Minnesota were in a flat 4-4-2. They were compact and dealt with balls in the box well. Yapi and Morgan Whittaker were lively, looking to shoot first, pass later. Rosenberry did well overlapping with the former Middlesbrough man. Phillip had to come out temporarily for a head injury but he was ok.
The Loons had the first real chance of the game in the 35th. Tomás Chancalay got the ball on the doorstep, but Loïc Williams made an excellent block.
The half looked to finish a bore. But then in stoppage time Rosenberry delivered an excellent cross to an open Yapi who buried it first time. It was his first MLS goal since April 18 at Mile High. It was Rosenberry’s first goal contribution since Easter. The half ended 1-0.
The second half was nothing like the first. Colorado started in control, but a mistake levels the match. Whittaker sent a back pass to Hamzat Ojediran. Kelvin Yeboah intercepted the pass with his first touch setting up a breakaway. He beat goalkeeper Nico Hansen 1-v-1.
The game got sloppy and then off the rails in the 68th. Substitute Sayed Abu Farkhi jostled with United’s Michael Boxall. The two battled for the ball towards the sideline between the benches. They stumbled over each other. In the falling and getting back up, Abu Farkhi’s hand glanced across Boxall’s face, appearing to poke him in the eye. VAR had referee Victor Rivas go to the monitor. Abu Farkhi was given a red card for violent conduct. This after his red card on national team duty for a goal celebration.
Despite going down a man, Colorado found another goal from the unlikeliest of attackers. Substitute Georgi Minoungou crashed the net with fellow substitute Kosi Thompson crossing. The ball went off the keeper, then off Minoungou’s torso. It was Georgi’s first MLS goal of the year and first since the Open Cup match April 29.
Up 2-1, the Colorado Rapids again could not protect a lead. Yeboah chased down a ball toward the box on 83 minutes. Hansen came off his line to intercept. He didn’t get any of the ball. Yeboah sent a hopeful ball towards the box. Loïc Williams attempted to clear it, but slipped and the ball snuck in for an own goal.
Ibrahim Sadiq had the best chance for a third goal, with a hard shot from a sharp angle that was saved. The match ended 2-2.
Yapi and Georgi break their ducks:
We’ll start with the good news. Yapi and Minoungou needed these goals for themselves and the team. Great finish by Yapi. An aggressive performance where he went for goal regularly. He was not short of drive and confidence. With Abu Farkhi out Saturday, Colorado will need a center forward who’s goal confident. They have that in Yapi and Phillip.
“He was very good tonight. Outside of the goal, it’s great. He entered that territory of wanting the goal too much. We had a conversation last week, focus on the process, focus on the habits. Let go a little bit. IT’s great that that came for him,” Wells told Burgundy Wave of Yapi.
Massive props to Minoungou. Was the goal a fortuitous bounce? Yes. But he finally got a league goal in 2026. And to do that after being subbed on and then off on Saturday. What a way to bounce back. What a statement to the coaching staff. Hopefully his next goal is a shot from distance.
“This one means a lot because we were one man down and we needed something to give energy to the team. It’s a great feeling,” Minoungou said of his goal.
“For both of them to score gives us a huge boost going into the last five games. We need everybody, especially off the bench to come in and make an impact. It’s really good to have those two guys heat up,” added Aaronson.
Sayed Abu Farkhi red card, speech to the team:
Four appearances for Abu Farkhi, two starts. He has one shot on target, no goal contributions. He did score for Israel on international duty and then got a second yellow card in the celebration. It’s been a tough start for Abu Farkhi, even without the sending off in this match.
I see the logic of the red card. There’s contact to the face with the hand. It appears Boxall gets poked in the eye. There was a clear attempt to swipe/slap him. MLS has been consistent with this and tried to crack down on this. Don’t touch another guy’s face or head. If you do, it’s a red.
In a response to Burgundy Wave’s pool reporter question, the official called it a “deliberate striking action toward his opponent,” and “not part of a challenge for the ball, and his hand made contact with his opponent’s face.”
It’s the least contact for a slap of any kind I’ve seen. Can it be violent conduct if contact can be measured at the cellular level? If he doesn’t make contact with his eye, is it still a red? Is a nose boop a red? I digress.
In any case, Abu Farkhi addressed the team postgame, which is a good first reaction.
“It shows his care for the team: He stopped me from speaking when I first went into the dressing room. He spoke to the team, addressed me, the group, and apologized for the action. I like that because he’s taken responsibility,” said Wells.
“It’s a mistake along with many other mistakes tonight. I thought we responded quite well to it. Sayed’s not going to think anything more about it. We’re not going to let him do that. We’re going to need him,” added Rosenberry.
Whittaker wasn’t much better as a starter in this game. The two big signings this summer have been underwhelming. Take away Whittaker’s brace against Seattle, they’ve been average with the rest of the team. They need to be better. They haven’t been worth trading Rafael Navarro.
“Freak Show” Defending:
The two goals were some of the worst defending the team has had since the World Cup break. Whittaker’s back pass was misplaced. Hamzat doesn’t recognize what was going on. Well done by Yeboah after that. Then the own goal. Another howler for this defense. And for it to come from Williams, who’s been excellent since joining in the summer.
“I don’t even know how to describe the last goal. The last goal is a freak show,” said Wells.
“If you take away the two gift-wrapped goals, if you take away the immature decision in terms of the red card… it’s another really strong performance where we created quite a few chances. We didn’t give up much outside those moments. At some point in these games, we need to be decisive with points on the board.”
This is the fourth game in a row Colorado has scored first and not won. They have three home draws in that time. This team still has not gotten a point after conceding first. They have found different ways to blow leads. This is an underlying issue that still needs to be addressed.
“They’re all kind of different. A lot of times we just punch ourselves in the foot. If we get over the hump. It’s only a matter of time. Once we hone in on that, three points will arrive,” added Aaronson.
The out-of-town scoreboard was kind, again:
Despite taking three points from four games, Colorado are still 9th in the Western Conference. Of the teams clustered around them, only the LA teams won on Wednesday night. Colorado are five points above 9th place Portland Timbers, who they travel to on Saturday.
St. Louis and Vancouver are the only teams playing well in the Western Conference right now. There’s a cluster of seven meh teams in the middle. Colorado just drawing games has been them holding serve the last month.
Colorado at Portland is Saturday October 17. Kickoff is 8:30 p.m. MT.
“The game against Portland this weekend is a huge one, a decisive one in the season,” Aaronson said of Saturday.
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Spencer Baldwin 
Eamon Shaw 