The soccer gods repaid the Colorado Rapids for blowing a three-goal lead at New England a few weeks ago.
Colorado made up the same deficit in what was shaping up to be a disaster for a Rapids team coming off an impressive win at home against Vancouver. At Lumen Field on Wednesday night, they turned a 3-0 Seattle Sounders lead into a 3-all draw.
A point from a venue that’s long haunted the Rapids — Colorado has lost 16 of 21 matches at Seattle — could prove crucial down the stretch of the regular season. With the result, the Rapids are still clinging to a playoff spot, though they’ve played more games than any team in the Western Conference. A loss would have placed them below the postseason threshold.
That makes four points in what on paper is the toughest stretch of the season: a bad loss at LAFC, a shocking 3-0 win against West second-place Vancouver and the draw at Seattle. Colorado’s next match is at Eastern Conference leader Philadelphia.
It took a monstrous comeback Wednesday night, the Rapids’ first from down three goals in regular-season history. It was also the first time Seattle had ever led by three goals at home and failed to win.
“It’s a night that we can feel really proud of the team because they showed a lot of character and heart and grit to come on the road with a mindset to win,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said. “Take the couple of goals that were tough ones to swallow, those put us up against it. … I think there’s a lot of people out there who probably counted us out (after the third Sounders goal), but to see a team stick together, to see guys step up, I thought were big moments.”
Obed Vargas scored off a deflection, and Albert Rusnak caught Rapids keeper Zack Steffen off his line to give Seattle a 2-0 lead at halftime. Then Rusnak struck again in the 47th minute, sneaking a shot to the left corner from about 20 yards.
The Rapids’ lifeline came in the 50th minute, then was copied and pasted three minutes later. Rapids forward Rafael Navarro drew two penalties back to back on consecutive attacks. Djordje Mihailovic scored the first to move into third all-time in Rapids penalty goals with eight.
Having just faced a penalty situation, Mihailovic smartly deferred to midfielder Cole Bassett for the second try, both to avoid an unnecessary mental battle with Sounders keeper Andrew Thomas and to potentially give Bassett his first goal in four months. The Littleton native delivered with a rocket to the top netting for his second of the year and 30th career goal for the Rapids.
“You just love seeing the ball hit the back of the net. And I just needed that feeling again,” Bassett said. “I consider myself a goal-scoring midfielder, so I need to be scoring goals. I’ve got to give credit to Djordje and (Navarro) for giving me that one. … For them to both give it to me because they know I haven’t had as many this year, I think, was big, and it shows the character of this team and the togetherness we’re starting to build here. Hopefully, it can spark a few more.”
Darren Yapi scored the equalizer in the 75th minute, just five minutes after subbing into the match. He got the ball at the top of the box, dribbled and snaked through two defenders — albeit with a lucky bounce off a shin — and fired it to the opposite lower corner. It was the 20-year-old Denver native’s fourth goal of his breakout 2025 season.
While the youngster isn’t a high-volume scorer like Navarro or Mihailovic, he’s taken opportunities head-on and often produced in the biggest moments. This season alone, he’s scored a winner against St. Louis and a go-ahead goal in an eventual win against San Diego FC. Last year, he scored game-winners at the death in a Leagues Cup elimination game and at Dallas as a late sub.
“(Yapi’s) goals keep getting better. I mean, that was probably my favorite one, just his composure in the box to be able to maneuver the ball until he gets his angle. It’s huge for us right now,” Bassett said.
“He has waited for his time, then the second he steps on the field, I think that shows his true character, to be able to stay ready, be ready and show that he deserves to play solid minutes and start for us or come in off the bench and have that sort of moment. For me, as a leader on the team, I look at that as a true moment of growth in him.”
The Rapids will take a 10-day break before hitting the road to face the Philadelphia Union.
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