Rapids drop Fourth of July match against Sporting KC

Colorado Rapids 1-2 Sporting Kansas City

COMMERCE CITY, CO–It was the annual Fourth of July match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, but the Rapids attack was not explosive enough to defeat Sporting Kansas City. The visitors went out 2-1 winners despite being outshot 25-5 and 9-2 in shots on target. Both of Sporting’s shots on target hit the target.

The first of those came in the fourth minute, Rapids keeper Nic Hansen’s attempt to play the ball out of the back went wrong as it was intercepted by Erik Thommy, who fed Dejan Joveljic for an easy score. The Rapids pressed for an equalizer, and had a great chance to get one in the 31st minute when they were awarded a penalty after Djordje Mihailovic was tripped in the box by John Pulskamp. However, Mihailovic would strike the spot kick off the post and the score remained 1-0. Mihailovic would shoot one off the post again in first half stoppage time.

Photo: LA Brothers

It wouldn’t stay 1-0 for much longer, but it would be because Thommy doubled the lead in the 53rd minute with a solo effort going into the box. After being repeatedly denied by Pulskamp, the Rapids were awarded another penalty in the 87th minute when Ian James took down Darren Yapi in the box. This time, Rafael Navarro would score from the spot.

However, that was as close as the Rapids would get as they dropped their third league home match in their last four. Sporting move to tenth in the Western Conference table, just three points adrift of ninth-place Austin–who themselves are level on points with the eighth-place Rapids.

The Rapids will travel to LAFC on Wednesday night for a league match (6:30pm MT, Apple TV) while Sporting KC will host Seattle on Saturday (7:30pm CT, Apple TV).

Photos by LA Brothers