Rapids and FC Dallas split points in wild 3-3 MLS home opener
In an explosive six goal game, the Colorado Rapids (0-2-0) and FC Dallas (1-1-0) drew 3-3 including two goals from striker Rafael Navarro and two assists from midfielder Oliver Larraz. The Colorado offense finally got a shot on goal after having two straight games without one.
The Burgundy Boys came out of the gates hot. In the 6th minute, Larraz had a run up the left side of the pitch, he cut in and played a through ball to Colorado’s captain Keegan Rosenberry.
The captain looked as if he would cross the ball into the box, but instead the ball went for a goal. Rosenberry’s shot curved past the outstretched arms of the Dallas keeper into the top right corner of the net. The goal was his first since September 2022.
“I don't know if you could tell from the lack of celebration, I kind of just laughed it off because it was one of those that wasn't very purposeful,” Rosenberry said after the game. “It was meant to be kind of a tackle cross, so for it to come off enough to catch the goalie off guard was lucky to say the least.”
Two minutes later, Rapids midfielder Cole Bassett crossed the ball from the right side of the pitch to forward Kevin Cabral. He almost headed it in from far out, but the ball was a few yards too wide for the far side of the net.
In the 16th minute, Colorado midfielder Djordje Mihahailovic won a free kick close to the goal. Mihailovic, a free kick specialist, took a shot and aimed for the top right corner. The ball was deflected by Dallas’ line, but was still close enough to challenge the keeper.
The Toros’ first chance came when Dallas right back Shaquell Moore played a ball into the box that found striker Petar Musa. The Croatian headed the ball straight into the hands of Colorado’s goalkeeper Zack Steffen, who easily corralled it.
Through 20 minutes, the Rapids were dominating the game. The Colorado defense was smothering Dallas and the Rapids offense was constantly applying pressure.
Colorado doubled their lead in the 39th minute after Mihailovic received the ball up the left side of the pitch. The midfielder ran the ball all the way to the end line, before playing a dangerous cross toward the near post. The ball found Navarro, who tapped the ball into the net for the Rapids' second goal of the night.
Dallas answered three minutes later when the ball found Pedrinho off a deflected Anderson Julio shot. The winger took his time and blasted the ball into the top right bin past Zack Steffen.
Three minutes later, former league MVP Luciano Acosta ran a beautiful give-and-go with Musa up close to the top of the box. Luciano ended up with the ball at the penalty spot with no one around him and calmly chipped the ball over Steffen for the equalizing goal. Within three minutes, the Rapids had blown a two-goal lead.
After an eventful first half, the second half started off rather slow.
It took til the 56th minute for Colorado to get their first scoring chance. The newest Burgundy Boy Josh Atencio took the ball from Musa who was stumbling, and played a long ball to Cabral who was all alone in enemy territory. Luckily for Dallas, the ball was too long and ended up rolling out of the field of play.
Dallas would take their first lead of the game in the 68th minute after Julio crossed in a ball from the right side of the pitch in front of Steffen. The ball took numerous deflections before Musa knocked the ball into the back of the net. The Toros had scored three unanswered goals after the Rapids’ fast start.
The Dallas lead lasted four minutes as Mihailovic would find Larraz at the top left of the box.
After receiving the ball, the playmaker made a run toward the end line. Upon reaching the line, the midfielder passed the ball in front of the goal to find Navarro for his second score of the game, marking his fifth goal in three games against Dallas.
“He’s a striker, and he scores,” Mihailovic said. “To have a striker to get maybe 20 goals will probably put us really high in the standings.”
Seven minutes after the Colorado equalizer, the Toros reclaimed the lead after substitute Logan Farrington slotted a ball past the Rapids’ shot-stopper into the bottom right corner of the goal. The goal was ultimately called offside, so the game once again stood level.
The rest of the game saw both teams scramble to get the winning goal, but neither team could find it.
“I mean obviously this is a game that we want to win, but we were focusing on the offensive side of things and I think we showed tonight that this team has that,” Larraz said after the game. “The seasons long. This team is a healthy team. We put those two things together [and] I think we’re going to really mature into the team that we want to be.”
The Rapids will begin a two game travel stretch against Austin on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. MT. The game can be streamed on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
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