Rapids Rise to Third with Win over Timbers

Colorado Rapids 2-1 Portland Timbers

COMMERCE CITY, CO–Colorado continues to rise up the Western Conference table. They also had to rise above the Timbers to get a 2-1 win at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The win, their third straight, lifts the Rapids to third in the Western Conference table ahead of Real Salt Lake based on wins. The Timbers drop to eighth in the West, though six points clear above the playoff line.

The Rapids got on the board first in the 14th minute as a ball got through tight space in the penalty area to Jonathan Lewis and Lewis poked it past Maxime Crepeau. Ten minutes later, Portland equalized as David Ayala headed in a corner with a flick-on from Kamal Miller.

The Rapids were the more likely of the two sides to get the go-ahead goal, and they got it in the 71st minute as Rafael Navarro, who had come close to scoring twice earlier in the half, headed in a free kick from Djordje Mihailovic.

One down note from the match was that the Rapids were reduced to ten men late as Darren Yapi was sent off for knocking down Dario Zuparic well off the ball late into stoppage time. The ruling was upheld by VAR.

Both teams play again on Wednesday. Colorado travels to Sporting Kansas City (6:30pm MT, Apple TV) while Portland hosts LA Galaxy (7:30pm PT, Apple TV).

For more of Linda Brothers’s photos from the night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, please click on the link to her gallery.