Rapids fans have plenty of good memories from BMO Field, where they saw their club win MLS Cup in 2010. But there would be no storybook ending in Toronto on Tuesday as the Reds eliminated Colorado from the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League tournament on the strength of a scoreless draw.
Toronto FC entered the contest with a 2-0 lead in aggregate score after their road victory last week at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The deficit forced Colorado to push numbers forward late in the match, desperate to find the goals that would prolong their tournament hopes. That opened up opportunities for Toronto on the counter attack.
Rapids goalkeeper Zac MacMath kept Colorado’s hopes alive with a pair of huge saves late in the game — the biggest coming when he punched away a knuckling free kick from former MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco in the 67th minute and then when he parried away a free header by Toronto’s Drew Moor in the 83rd minute. MacMath finished with three saves.
“I thought we were the better team tonight for much of the match,” Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson told reporters after the game. “And I’m incredibly proud of the players and the work they’ve put in up to this point. We’re a club that has undergone a substantial overhaul this offseason, so for us to come in, put some of the pieces together and play the way we did for the first 50-60 minutes of this match is very promising.”
Colorado played without their regular captain Tim Howard, who was available off the bench. Rapids spokesman Ryan Madden said the move was made to get MacMath some minutes in goal. Defender Tommy Smith wore the captain’s armband for Colorado.
Defending MLS Cup champion Toronto controlled possession 59 percent of the match and out shot Colorado 16-11, but it was Colorado that put more shots on frame 4-3.
Colorado’s best chance of the game came in the 41st minute when striker Dominique Badji’s shot from outside the box clanged off the post. Badji’s opportunity came during a furious 15-minute stretch when the Rapids looked dangerous in the attack to close out the first half.
Toronto’s best chances of the first half came near the half-hour mark when defender Justin Morrow and Giovinco put shots just off the mark, three minutes apart.
Colorado’s best chances in the second half came three minutes apart just before the hour mark when shots from distance by midfielder Enzo Martinez and Badji were saved by Toronto keeper Alex Bono.
With the victory, the Reds advanced to the quarterfinals.
Colorado’s next match will be its MLS regular season opener March 10 at New England.
“We’ve said from the beginning that because of all the new faces, we were going to have to treat these games as part of our preseason preparations,” Hudson said. “We’ve done that, and we’re better for it. Our focus now is, and has been from the start, on our opener in New England.”
Footnote. Midfielder Johan Blomberg, defender Danny Wilson and striker Niki Jackson made their Rapids’ debuts.
