The Rapids coughed up a two-goal lead late on Saturday night to settle for a 3-3 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Noche Latina at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“Right now, I’m not even going to say we dropped two points,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said. “It really feels like we dropped three points, which doesn’t make sense because we got one point this evening. But that’s the feeling.”
The first of the six goals came in the 28th minute. Rapids defender Loïc Williams found midfielder Paxten Aaronson out wide. With time and space, Aaronson picked out Rapids newcomer Morgan Whittaker in the box, who struck a first-time shot into the bottom corner. It was the first goal for the Rapids’ newcomer.
“When you move to a new club, you want to get the first goal, and I think when that happens, you automatically see the nerves settle and you can build into the game,” Whittaker said.Seattle joined the party in the 49th minute. Colorado conceded a free kick on the edge of the Rapids’ box. Seattle midfielder Albert Rusnak whipped in a good ball, and midfielder Christian Roldan found the flick-on header that nestled into the far post. Colorado has had a lot of success on set pieces in recent weeks, but a set piece bit them against Seattle. It was also the first goal the Rapids have conceded at home in more than six MLS matches.
The Rapids responded perfectly and scored on their own set piece in the 56th minute. Whittaker took the corner and found Williams. The defender’s header found the hands of Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, but he spilled it to Rapids forward Donavan Philip, who scored his first MLS goal.
“One of those moments where I’ve been waiting for this my entire life,” Philip said. “I saw the ball bounce in front of me. I took the touch. I saw the keeper on the ground the whole goal, and I just got to put this in the net. And then after it hit the back of the net, the relief I felt was like it was off my back because I know it was a long time coming, was manifesting.”
In the 76th minute, Aaronson again had space out wide after Whittaker drove the ball forward and found him. Aaronson found Whittaker again in the box. The Englishman had a good first touch, and a better second touch as he lashed a shot off the crossbar and in. Whittaker now had two goals, and Aaronson had four goal contributions in his last three games.
“He’s a source of happiness, joy, and hope and belief tonight, based on what I knew already,” Wells said of Whittaker after the game. “But then you see him produce those moments of magic out there, seeing him. He’s got wonderful technique. He’s got great flexibility.”
Seattle found the back of the net twice in the next three minutes. The first goal was ruled offside on the field, and VAR quickly agreed. The second goal counted and occurred just minutes after the Rapids’ third. In the 79th minute, new Seattle forward Dejan Joveljić found space on the top of the Rapids’ box. Any space is too much space for a player of his caliber, and he made the Rapids pay with a spectacular strike that found the top corner. Seattle didn’t have to wait long to get right back into the match.
The final goal of the night came in the third minute of stoppage time. Even-newer Seattle Sounder Caden Clark found more space on the top of the Rapids box. His shot wasn’t as pretty, but it was as effective as Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen couldn’t get down and across fast enough.
“I thought we were really poor once we went to 3-1 for an unrecognizable performance,” Wells said. “We stopped running. We stopped pressing. We sank deeper and deeper, and then we combined that with not having the requisite bravery with the ball, so then you’re in a terrible position because every time you do recover the ball, you don’t play. You just turn the ball back over, and then you’re not aggressive in your defending, your pressing, or your work.
“So then what happens? You end up sinking deeper and deeper. You’re susceptible. No coincidence to me from the sideline.”
Statistically, this game had another disappointing 1-0 win for the Rapids all over it. Colorado had more expected goals, at 1.65. Seattle didn’t break one expected goal (0.95).
While three goals is a good haul for a Rapids side that hasn’t been scoring loads recently, Colorado may feel like it should have made it four and gotten all three points. In the 58th minute, Rapids newcomer Sayed Abu Farkhi was on the end of a Whittaker-deflected shot. Abu Farkhi was a few yards from the net, but his header hit the crossbar instead of the back of the net. A great night for one of the new signings could have been great for both, but Abu Farkhi will have to wait for his first in Colorado still.
Colorado will head to California to face the LA Galaxy on Saturday, Sept. 26th at 8:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
