Photo credit: Pat Radigan / Footy at 5280
Rafael Navarro was in tears, spent 30 minutes postgame with fans after reported transfer to St. Louis nears completion
Don’t look now, but the Colorado Rapids are proving the concept.
Five straight clean sheets and wins at home since the World Cup break are the club’s most since 2004. Three straight Rocky Mountain Cups are a club record. Both occurred on Saturday night.
With a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake, the Rapids joined Supports’ Shield leaders Nashville SC as the only two teams in MLS to have won their last five home games in a row.
Youssef Maziz and Reggie Cannon combined on a corner for the game’s only goal in the 58th minute. Strikingly similar to the pair’s first connection two weeks ago against Sporting Kansas City, Cannon flew in at the back post to head down the game winner. It was the result of a late change made by set piece coach Rob Burch, who originally had Wayne Frederick in that position, but switched it to Cannon after some moments in training this week.
Real Salt Lake pushed late for a winner and forced a great save out of Adam Beaudry — which ended up being called back for offside — but Colorado stood tall once again.
“It shows a consistency that was potentially missing in the first part of the season, so I’m proud of the players. The work we did in training over the (World Cup) break is really paying off,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said. “We’re in a great place from a mentality perspective, really strong position from a physical perspective.”
It still hasn’t shown up on the road, judging by two scoreless losses away from Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since the break, but the Rapids have shot up to seventh place in the Western Conference and are just three points out of fourth place in a packed middle of the west.
The defensive fortitude of late — at least at home — has been a welcome surprise, especially after the club lost its best defender in Lucas Herrington to a record sale to the Premier League. Last time the club made a record deal to send away its best defender (Moïse Bombito in 2024), the team’s performance took a turn for the worst. That narrative has flipped under Wells.
“I think everyone is just such a good piece of cohesion within the back line. Regardless of who’s in that lineup, everyone’s stepping up to the plate,” Cannon said. “We have such good players and such good depth right now defensively that it doesn’t matter who’s on the pitch. I think we could throw a winger back there and we wouldn’t concede right now.”
Colorado held RSL to just four shots (none on target) and minimal touches inside the attacking box.
Rafael Navarro rumors heat up
Tom Bogert of The Athletic reported on Friday night that St. Louis CITY was nearing a deal to sign Rapids DP striker Rafael Navarro. The fee, which hasn’t yet been finalized, was reported to be around $12 million, which would be near a record deal between two MLS teams.
The transfer window ends before the Rapids play their next game next Saturday against the Columbus Crew. Navarro’s actions during and after the match indicated the Rocky Mountain Cup match was his last.
He was subbed off in the 90th minute, after which he embraced Matt Wells for 10 seconds that felt like an eternity. He went one by one down the line of coaching staff members and teammates doing the same thing. He clapped for the fans on his way off the pitch.
After the final whistle, the attention on the field and in the stands was almost solely on the 26-year-old Brazilian. He was in tears as he lifted the cup. While his team met for an on-field huddle after the celebrations, Navarro stayed back a couple minutes to clap for the C38 section again.
He joined the huddle, then when it broke, teammates flocked to surround him and drench him with water bottles. Almost everyone went to the locker room afterward, but Navarro hopped into the south stand to take pictures and sign autographs for an additional 30 minutes.
When asked about the effects mentally of a busy transfer window, teammate Paxten Aaronson brought up Navarro unprompted.
“I’m not sure of the situation with Rafa, but I can’t speak highly enough of that guy. I’ve played with top strikers all over the world — (Omar) Marmoush, (Randal) Kolo Muani — nobody I’ve played with has the same mentality and attitude that (Navarro) has in terms of pressing but then also getting back and scoring goals for the team,” Aaronson said. “It’s out of my control, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can only give full credit and full respect to him. He’s a massive player and massive friend of mine.”
Midfielder Hamzat Ojediran added: “Another one moving after (Alexis) Manyoma, so only Miguel Navarro remains now with me. So we keep going, that’s life, that’s football for you. You meet someone on the road and they’ve got to leave you at some point.”
