Houston Dynamo FC fell 3-1 to the Colorado Rapids this evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
All four goals came in the first half, and all within a 13-minute span that saw Colorado jump out to a two-goal lead, Houston pull one back and Colorado extend the lead once more. The Dynamo pushed repeatedly for the second goal to get back into the game, but the Rapids kept numbers behind the ball throughout the final 45 minutes in order to see the game out.
Dynamo forward Christian Ramirez scored his first goal of the season in the 39th minute off of a cross from defender Adam Lundkvist. The Swedish left back found Ramirez just outside the box and Ramirez’s shot beat William Yarbrough at the far post.
Colorado took the lead in the 29th minute after forward Michael Barrios dribbled to the endline and found Sam Vines near the penalty spot. The defender’s first touch finish beat Dynamo goalkeeper Marko Marić at the near post.
The Rapids doubled their lead in the 36th minute after Barrios found forward Diego Rubio in the heart of the box. The Chilean international beat his defender to the ball and his header found the back of the net.
Ramirez’s goal pulled Houston back within striking distance and looked set to send the Dynamo into halftime down just one, but the Rapids answered just before intermission when midfielder Cole Bassett forced Marić to rush his clearance after a back pass. Bassett charged in on the Houston goalkeeper and jumped in front of the clearance to deflect the ball into the net.
Forward Mateo Bajamich made his Dynamo debut when he came on for forward Nico Lemoine in the 60th minute. The young 21-year-old Argentine joined Houston late in the 2020 season but was unable to make his debut prior to the end of the year due to travel delays related to the global pandemic. He was active during his 30-minute shift, creating a shooting opportunity for forward Maxi Urruti and combining well with his teammates to set up other scoring chances.
The Dynamo return to BBVA Stadium on Saturday, May 22 to host the Vancouver Whitecaps at 8 p.m. CDT.
