One game in 100 words: If you enjoy rooting for the underdog, this match was fantastic to watch. The Rapids entered this contest against FC Dallas, one of the strongest squads in Major League Soccer so far, with an 18-game winless streak. Beside some glaring defensive errors from the Toros, Colorado came out of the gate with a finishing mentality. Despite losing the possession battle, Pablo Maestroni’s side netted four of their six shots on net, and for any outfit capable of that high percentage scoring, beating top dogs of MLS become easy. On the defensive end, the Rapids showed a huge improvement from their 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution last week.
Goals
Colorado: Badji 2', Powers 43', Torres 70', Serna 85'
Dallas: None
Three moments that mattered
2’ — Badji off to blistering beginning — Midfielder Dillon Powers made a slow turn and zipped a quick cross toward the five-yard box after getting possession from a short through ball. Dominique Badji was making a strong run forward and muscled off defender Zach Loyd to tap-in Powers delivery, which bounced once to skip past the d-men. This quick score put the Rapids ahead earlier than expected and gave them a boost of confidence in their attacking abilities.
43’ — Powers converts second — It was an above average individual effort and lackluster defending by the Toros that allowed this goal to occur. Powers grabbed a pass just inside the penalty area and advanced further into the box. With little-to-no opposition from Dallas’ center backs, the Texas native essentially walked himself into great shooting position and uncorked a bullet that eluded goalkeeper Chris Seitz.
85’ — Serna adds to insurmountable lead — Fighting for goals. Opportunistic. Those words describe the final two goals that basically sealed three points for the Rapids. The final score from Serna was a thing of beauty, as the youngster initially won the ball at midfield with a bold tackle before receiving the consequent layoff. Stepping up from deep outside the box, Serna let a shot loose that winded into the upper corner of the net—an magnificent strike that encapsulated Colorado’s triumphs in this game.
Lineups
Dallas: Chris Seitz; Je-Vaughn Watson, Zach Loyd, Walker Zimmerman, Moises Hernandez (Atiba Harris HT); Victor Ulloa, Michel (Kyle Bekker HT), Ryan Hollingshead (Michael Barrios 75’), Tesho Akindele, Fabian Castillo; Blas Perez
Colorado: Clint Irwin; James Riley, Bobby Burling, Drew Moore, Michael Harrington; Lucas Pittinari, Marcelo Sarvas, Gabriel Torres, Dillon Powers (Dillon Serna 81’), Juan Ramirez (Nick LaBrocca 72’); Dominique Badji (Vicente Sanchez 89’)