The Colorado Rapids (9-7-4, 31 points) defeated CF Montréal (4-8-7, 19 points) at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night. Calvin Harris scored twice in the first half, while Rafael Navarro and Djordje Mihailovic added goals to help the club win for the third time in a row.
The Rapids, looking for their third win in a week, faced a CF Montréal team that had gone unbeaten in its previous five games.
The game began with both teams sharing control in the early stages. The visitors were unable to create any high-quality chances in the final third owing to a strong start from the Colorado defence line. On the opposite end, the Rapids created numerous opportunities in front of the Montréal net, ultimately contributing to their breakthrough in the 28th minute.
After drawing a corner kick, midfielder Djordje Mihailovic whipped in the set piece, finding Calvin Harris’ head. The custodian saved the midfielder’s first attempt, but the ball rebounded nicely for another header, which he buried into the open goal.
That was only the beginning for Harris, who would score again later in the first half. In the last stages of the first half, the Rapids launched an attempt with the ball at Rafael Navarro’s feet. The attacker made a short pass to Mihailovic, who promptly fired a through ball to a running Harris.
The winger made no mistake, finishing slickly into the bottom left corner for his second of the game.
In the last stages of the first half, the Rapids launched an attempt with the ball at Rafael Navarro’s feet. The attacker made a short pass to Mihailovic, who promptly fired a through ball to a running Harris. The winger made no mistake, finishing slickly into the bottom left corner for his second of the game.
Harris scored his first MLS brace, bringing his season total to four goals. He became the fourth Rapids player to score twice in a game this season, following Navarro, Mihailovic, and Kévin Cabral in 2024.
That was all the scoring in the opening 45 minutes, with more to come from both teams in the second half. Montréal began to press harder after halftime, despite being two goals down.
The visitors controlled possession for around 10 minutes, resulting in their first goal of the game. Sunusi Ibrahim took advantage of a rebound opportunity by playing a centre ball directly in front of the goal, resulting in a clearance attempt by Lalas Abubakar that went into his own net.
Despite surrendering, Colorado did not slow down in their pursuit of three points. The team maintained its outstanding defensive play until the last minutes of the game, when the attack closed things off.
A Montréal handball in the box in the 87th minute provided Colorado with another good opportunity to score, and Mihailovic stepped up to take advantage. The midfielder fired a low and quick shot that gave the custodian no chance and put the Rapids ahead 3-1.
Mihailovic has now scored in two consecutive games, totaling four goals and two assists. It was his ninth goal of the season, tying his single-season MLS career high. The Rapids would score again just two minutes later to complete a three-game winning run.
Mihailovic led the play down the right flank, where he found midfielder Cole Bassett, who passed up a shot for an additional pass to Navarro, who finished to put the Rapids up 4-1.
Navarro’s goal was his eleventh of the season, extending his total to eight goals and one assist in his last ten games.
That was it for a goal-filled night at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, as Colorado earned its ninth point in the Western Conference rankings in just eight days. The team has already scored 38 goals in MLS this season, ranking second in the Western Conference and third overall.
Colorado will seek to extend its winning streak on the road against LAFC on Saturday night. Kickoff at BMO Stadium is scheduled at 8:30 p.m. MT. (Apple TV—MLS Season Pass; Altitude Sports Radio 950AM).
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