Photo credit: Pat Radigan / Footy at 5280
Colorado’s two new big-money signings make debut just a day after receiving work visas
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park is verifiably, undeniably, a fortress once again.
The Colorado Rapids won their sixth consecutive match at DSGP on Saturday night, beating old friend Dante Sealy and CF Montréal, 1-0. All six of those home wins since the World Cup break have been clean sheets, which set a club record.
Paxten Aaronson scored the game’s only goal from the penalty spot. Who would be trusted with those duties was an interesting prospect with the departure of Rafael Navarro, but Aaronson dealt with it well, sending Sebastian Breza the wrong way.
There was some gamesmanship littered in the moment. After rookie Donavan Phillip drew the penalty with a nasty move at the byline just inside the area, Darren Yapi held the ball first before Aaronson took it from him to take the spot kick. That’s not unusual, as Aaronson used to be the bait before Navarro swooped in for the ball.
But Sealy, the former Rapid who recently moved back to Montréal in a GAM trade, knew Aaronson preferred going to the left. He must have let Prince Owusu know, because he pointed that direction to guide Breza. Aaronson went right with a well-taken strike, marking the second time in his Rapids career that he’d scored in consecutive games after scoring against Austin FC on Wednesday.
Montréal had more chances than the Rapids would have liked, but Colorado once again weathered the storm and kept a clean sheet. Six straight home clean sheets is tied for the second-longest mark in MLS history, only behind the 2000 Kansas City Wizards, who recorded eight clean sheet wins in a row in MLS play.
For right back and captain Keegan Rosenberry, who started in Reggie Cannon’s place, the defense has evolved its adaptability since returning from the World Cup break.
“I think our ability to take what the game gives us and withstand difficult stretches (has improved). I think tonight you saw the first 20 minutes, we were very frustrated with their ability to control the game, had a lot of the ball and we didn’t feel like we could get into rhythm,” Rosenberry said. “…(Later on) We started to take control of the match, and I think that is maturity in general, figuring things out on the fly. … Our ability to take what the game gives us and adapt I think has grown a lot.”
24 hours after receiving their visas and flying back to Colorado from U.S. embassies in Canada, the new age of the Rapids’ attack made its first appearance. Both Morgan Whittaker and Sayed Abu Farkhi, two of the club’s three most expensive signings ever, subbed on in the 52nd minute having never trained fully with the team.
Both showed a snapshot of their abilities pretty quickly, even though it must have felt like being dropped in a pool for the first time having never learned to swim.
Rapids coach Matt Wells didn’t comment much on their actual performances, citing the lack of training and tactical integration, but he was pleasantly surprised at their availability. Both visas were processed in an amazingly short period of time.
Whittaker, however, had a couple of opportunities he would have liked to have back. The first was just a few minutes after subbing on, when he took a touch to the inside and had to adjust with another touch before rifling a shot low and just wide. Had he gotten the initial cut correct, chances are he’d get a better attempt off.
“Dealing with missing a chance like that will play in my mind until I play again. Obviously the manager here is really keen on helping me with things like that, but I think the way he plays is why I wanted to come here,” Whittaker said. “It showed tonight — I was on the pitch for 30 minutes, and you get loads of opportunities. I think hopefully by starting games, that’ll become more and more opportunities and hopefully more goals.”
In the 89th minute, he beat his defender toward the right and fired a tight-angle shot into the goalkeeper.
He created a chance for Hamzat Ojediran in between his two shots, chasing down a ball down the right flank. With a quick move to beat his defender, he found space to pass into at the top of the box. Ojediran flew in and struck it with power, but it was right at Breza. Wayne Frederick’s follow-up met the same fate.
