Colorado Rapids Clinch Semifinal Appearance With Win Over San Jose.

With the World Cup break on the horizon, the Colorado Rapids look to right the ship at home against San Jose in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal clash. San Jose entered this matchup after advancing through their first two tournament matches, but their streak ended last night. Yesterday’s match marks Colorado’s first U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal appearance since 2007, and with a win over San Jose, the Rapids find themselves in their first semifinal appearance in the competition since reaching the club’s run to the 1999 U.S. Open Cup Final.

Ultimately, the Rapids had a strong night, defeating San Jose 2 - 0. Key moments include Darren Yapi’s score in the minute 40’, opening the scoring with a header off a well-worked set piece. In extra time of the 1st half, Rafael Navarro followed up the Rapid’s initial score just before halftime to make it 2-0. The second half presented itself to be a much quieter effort offensively, as the Rapids shifted into a game management mode and defended their net extremely well, limiting San Jose’s chances. The defense for Colorado collectively kept a clean sheet, with a solid goalkeeping and backline formation shutting down San Jose’s attacks. 

This win sends Colorado to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals, the first time since 1999, which is a significant milestone for the club as a whole. Now the Rapids will resume normal regular season league play Saturday 5/23, as they welcome FC Dallas to Colorado for their last home game before the World Cup break.