The Colorado Rapids were like a bad tour guide the way they had FC Dallas lost for the first 40 minutes of Saturday’s MLS home opener at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
But the Rapids did locate a shot on goal for the first time in more than two games. Of course, it went for a goal — defender Keegan Rosenberry’s first since 2022 — in the sixth minute of a 3-3 draw with FC Dallas.
Whether it came with purpose or a touch of luck, he and the Rapids took it however they could get it.
“No, not even close,” Rosenberry said when asked if he meant to put the ball on target. “I don’t know if you could tell from the lack of celebration, but I kind of just laughed it off because it was one of those that wasn’t very purposeful. But they all count the same.”
But the team’s ability to create danger, as the next 35 minutes would evidence, was no fluke. Colorado rattled off more shots (10) and more shots on target (3) in the first half alone than in the two games before. And it was due in part to another new formation deployed by coach Chris Armas.
Call it a 4-4-2, call it a 4-3-3, call it mixing up who took up wide spaces. Oliver Larraz and Djordje Mihailovic occupied the wide slots often, but Cole Bassett would slide in to replace them in moments, allowing for either of the other two to go more forward.
New addition Josh Atencio filled certain spots as well, including dropping as a third center back in possession to create a numbers advantage to build from the back.
“You can see we can win the midfield. We’re pretty hard to get played through, we win the second balls, (get) interceptions and the three guys centrally cover lots of ground,” Armas said. “And then it puts Djordje higher and he, (Navarro) and (Cabral) feel like a narrow 4-3-3, so thatap the structure in attack.
In some moments, like the Rapids’ second goal in the 39th minute, Mihailovic was the left wing of a 4-3-3. Larraz found him out there in space, then Mihailovic floated a ball into the center, which Rafael Navarro high-pointed like a wide receiver to get a header on goal. Mihailovic was not credited with the assist due to a deflection on the pass.
With a cleaned-up mess and a patented Luciano Acosta give-and-go, Dallas made up the difference in just the last five minutes of the first half plus stoppage time.
“Better (tonight) is definitely the amount of chances we created,” Mihailovic said. “Not better is that we can’t score three goals at home and not win.”
The opening 40 minutes really seemed a waste when Dallas buried another second-chance chaotic mess in the 68th minute to take the lead. Four minutes later, Larraz found Navarro again for the Brazilian’s second goal of the night.
In the Rapids’ last three games against Dallas, Navarro has five goals and two braces.
For the first time this season, the Rapids will have a full week off before heading to Austin next Saturday.
