Minnesota vs Colorado ends 2-2 after late own goal
Key takeaways
- Minnesota and Colorado drew 2-2 on October 14 after four goals, a red card, and a late own goal.
- Kelvin Yeboah scored his 16th goal of the season for Minnesota, a new career high.
- Colorado led twice but could not hold on, and now visits Portland on October 17.
On October 14, Minnesota United and the Colorado Rapids drew 2-2. A draw is a tie game. No team won. The game had four goals, a red card, and a late own goal.
The game took place in Commerce City, Colorado. It was played at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park. It was a Wednesday night game in MLS.
MLS stands for Major League Soccer. It is the top pro soccer league in North America.
Fans call Minnesota United the Loons. Colorado fans call their team the Rapids. Both teams wanted a win.
Both teams left with one point. The result left both teams with work to do.
What happened
It was the second game in a busy week for both teams. The first half had few clear chances. Colorado held the ball more.
Minnesota stayed compact and defended well. Minnesota had a good chance in the 35th minute. Tomas Chancalay got the ball near the goal.
Loïc Williams blocked the shot.
Colorado scored first. Darren Yapi scored in first-half stoppage time. Stoppage time is extra time at the end of a half.
Aaronson started the move. He turned with the ball just outside the box. He slipped a pass wide to Rosenberry.
Rosenberry then sent in the cross. Yapi met it with a low shot. The ball went into the right side of the net.
It was Yapi's fourth goal of the season. It was Rosenberry's first assist of the season. Paxten Aaronson also got an assist on the play.
It was his 10th assist of the season. That total led the club.
Minnesota tied the game in the 52nd minute. Kelvin Yeboah stole a backward pass. He ran toward the goal.
He beat goalkeeper Nico Hansen with a rolling shot. The score was 1-1.
It was Yeboah's 16th goal of the season. That total is a new career high for him. He is 26 years old.
He has scored or assisted in nine straight games. In that span, he has eight goals and three assists.
Colorado then lost a player. Sayed Abu Farkhi came on as a substitute in the 60th minute. He replaced Rosenberry.
In the 68th minute, he was sent off. A red card means a player must leave the game. His team must play with one fewer player.
Abu Farkhi and Boxall battled for the ball near the sideline. They stumbled over each other. As they got up, his hand hit Boxall in the face.
VAR checked the play. VAR is video review. Officials watch replays before a big call.
They ruled that Abu Farkhi struck Michael Boxall in the face. They said it was not part of a play for the ball. Colorado played a man down for the rest of the game.
Colorado made changes after the red card. The team reshuffled its lineup. The goal was to stay solid with 10 men.
Still, Colorado scored again. Kosi Thompson sent a ball across the goal. It hit the Minnesota goalkeeper.
Georgi Minoungou used his body to push it over the line. It was his first MLS goal for the Rapids. Colorado led 2-1 in the 74th minute.
Minnesota tied the game again in the 83rd minute. Yeboah played a low ball in front of the goal. Hansen came off his line to stop it.
He did not reach the ball. Loïc Williams tried to clear it. He slipped and misplayed the ball.
It went off his leg and into his own net.
An own goal is a goal scored into your own net. It counts for the other team. Colorado had one more late chance for a third goal.
A hard shot from a sharp angle was saved. The game ended 2-2. Neither team found a winner.
Why it matters
Colorado led twice and still did not win. It was the fourth straight game in which Colorado scored first and did not win. The team keeps dropping points from strong spots.
A point is what a team gets for a draw. A win gives three points.
But the draw kept one good run alive. Colorado is now unbeaten in nine straight home games. A home game is a game played in your own stadium.
The home fans have not seen a loss in that run.
The result kept Colorado in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Western Conference is one of two groups in MLS. Colorado has 38 points from 11 wins, 13 losses, and five draws.
Minnesota sits in 14th place in the West. The team has 31 points from seven wins, 12 losses, and 10 draws.
Minnesota has not won in its last eight games. Five of those games were losses. The team needs wins soon.
A draw on the road helps, but only a little. Minnesota must cut out the errors. The first goal came from a bad backward pass.
The second came from a slip.
Yeboah is the bright spot for Minnesota. He keeps scoring in almost every game. His form gives the team a chance in each match.
But one scorer cannot fix a defense alone. The team needs more help around him.
The red card also matters. Colorado played with 10 men for more than 20 minutes. Ten men means one fewer player than the other team.
The team still scored while short-handed. That shows fight. But it also shows a lack of control.
A needless red card makes every game harder.
After the game, Abu Farkhi spoke to the team. He took responsibility for the red card. That is what Colorado coach Matt Wells said.
It was a first step to move on.
The home run matters for the playoff race. Home games give Colorado a real edge. The team must now take that form on the road.
Portland will be a hard test.
Other MLS games had late drama too. San Diego FC and Houston drew 3-3 in another wild finish. Orlando City found a late equalizer against Toronto in a similar story.
Fans can also read about how the LA Galaxy beat Portland 2-0.
What happens next
Colorado plays next on Saturday, October 17. The team travels to face the Portland Timbers. The game starts at 8:30 in the evening, Mountain Time. It will be played at Providence Park.
Abu Farkhi will miss the Portland game. He is out after the red card. Colorado will need Yapi or Donavan Phillip to lead the line on Saturday.
Yapi looks ready for that role. A win at Portland would help Colorado hold ninth place.
Minnesota plays at home on Saturday. The team hosts St. Louis.
A home game gives Minnesota a chance to end the winless run. The fans will want a win.
Both teams need points. Colorado wants to hold its playoff spot. The playoffs are the end-of-season games that decide the champion.
Minnesota wants to climb the table. The table is the list of teams by points.
This game will be remembered for its wild finish. A red card, a first goal, and an own goal shaped the night. Both teams now turn to Saturday.
The next games will show what each team learned.
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