The Colorado Rapids needed an offensive spark to get the team’s attack going while away from home.
On Sunday, Michael Barrios was it. The leading goalscorer from the 2021 season broke his 20-game goal drought against New York City FC, but the defending MLS Cup champions found the equalizer four minutes later as it finished 1-1 at Yankee Stadium.
Colorado (5-6-4, 19 points) got a hard-earned first point on the road for the first time since March, having lost its previous four away matches.
“To be successful in this league you have to get results on the road,” Rapids head coach Robin Fraser said following the game. “Where we are where we are, we have to fight, we have to grind. This was a really good example of the group rolling up their sleeves and working really hard, against a very, very good team with very, very good players.”
For Barrios, it was his first goal dating back to October 10th, 2021 against Minnesota United as he finished with eight in the last campaign. This year, he has four assists and is now off and running, it can be a key benchmark moving forward.
In the 68th minute, Barrios got by Alexander Callens and drove 15 yards before he fired a low just beyond the 18-yard box to beat goalkeeper Sean Johnson. The veteran goalkeeper, a hopeful for the USMNT World Cup squad, was beaten for the first time in six games.
“Without a doubt attacking players gain confidence from scoring,” Fraser said. “… For Mikey, he’s been really dangerous creating chances all year and getting chances for himself. For him to take that one as well as he did and finish as well as he did, I really think that it’s gonna be great for his confidence.
Shaking off the rust, it was Colorado’s first league game since May 28th against Nashville SC due to the international break, though most starters played a pair of Rapids 2 games to stay fresh.
The best chance of the first half came in the 36th minute. On an NYCFC counterattack, Talles Magno found Taty Castellanos and with little space hit a shot that clanked off the underside of the crossbar but stayed out. A potential penalty for NYCFC was also ruled inconclusive by VAR and it was 0-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Jack Price was replaced by Jonathan Lewis as the captain felt a tweak and the staff didn’t want to risk further injury. After coming under more pressure to start the half, the opener came nearly out of thin air as Colorado managed two shots in the first 45 minutes, none of which were on target.
On the goal, Barrios needed only a half-step to beat his man before he was in on goal and coolly finished from distance. The game opened up after the goal despite playing on the narrow pitch in MLS, just 110 by 68 yards.
The defending MLS Cup champions needed only four minutes to mount an equalizer. Maximiliano Moralez found a pocket of space and swung in a ball to Magno, who also found a pocket of space between a pair of Rapids’ defenders, Danny Wilson and substitute Steven Beitashour. Off the cross, he chested it down and hit a stunning half-volley into the top left corner of the net past William Yarbrough.
Neither team was able to create truly dangerous chances from there and it finished 1-1. Colorado has still yet to win away from home in 2022, but the point and result felt deserved, according to Fraser.
The Rapids were without talisman and leading goalscorer Diego Rubio, as he was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Next week Colorado will be without Lalas Abubakar or Bryan Acosta, who both received yellow cards and will miss a conference clash.
Colorado will travel to Portland to face the Timbers at 8:30 p.m. MDT Saturday at Providence Park.
