Amid the confusion, Rafael Navarro delivered a dagger.
Make it two, as the Brazilian striker scored a second-half brace against Atlanta United for a 3-1 Colorado Rapids win Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. It’s the second-straight MLS win for the Rapids since the departure of star midfielder Djordje Mihailovic for Toronto.
Navarro earned and scored a penalty in the 64th minute, then doubled his tally in the 71st. Calvin Harris dribbled inside the penalty area and was taken down, then as Rapids players pleaded for a penalty and Atlanta defenders looked to the referee to deny it, Navarro drove a ball past keeper Brad Guzan’s feet.
“As an attacker, you always have to believe the ball is going to come to you and you’ve got to always stay switched on,” Navarro said through Rapids translator Andre Hilf. “Everybody else switched off and was looking at Calvin. As a striker, you have to pay attention and take the opportunity when it presents itself.”
The Rapids’ opener saw Navarro provide an assist to Darren Yapi, who continued his hot run of form with another goal after scoring twice at Minnesota. In the 18th minute, Cole Bassett connected with Navarro, who put a good header into a dangerous spot for Yapi to score with one touch of the bounce.
Navarro made some Rapids history with the double. His first of the night, No. 26 of his Rapids career, cemented him as a club top-10 career scorer. No. 27 tied him for ninth with Wolde Harris.
“(Navarro) is relentless. I’ve been around a few good ones, but he’s one of the best in terms of his desire to score goals and his desire to win and commit to the team,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said. “It’s uncommon in this sport. I’m thrilled for him (about the milestone) because he’s at his happiest when he scores, and if we win, even better. I think our league is lucky to have a guy like him.”
Colorado returned to the 3-4-3 formation that beat Minnesota a week ago, which seems likely to stay given how it puts most players in their best positions. The biggest beneficiaries of the change have been Sam Vines, who can now play a bigger attacking role, and Yapi, who still slots into a central role, but can also make waves on the wing.
New signing Rafael Santos, a left back the Rapids acquired from Orlando City late this week, made the bench but did not debut. Sydney Wathuta, a Rapids 2 standout who played well in the club’s final Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, made his MLS debut as a late sub in his final call-up of the season from the MLS NEXT Pro team.
With the win and an Austin FC draw to FC Dallas, the Rapids jumped to seventh in the Western Conference. A Portland Timbers loss to FC Cincinnati brings the Rapids just a point off of sixth in the conference. The Rapids, who sat in 10th when Mihailovic left, have seven games to go in the regular season.
Mihailovic, who shattered records in just more than a year and a half with the club, was not a problem when it came to results. But dealing with the departure and moving forward, with the sort of belief only a coach like Armas could inspire, has seemed to bring the team closer together.
“I think our mentality was that the business is tough sometimes, some players come and go, but the show goes on and we have to focus on every next game,” Yapi said. “Confidence is growing every time you win. We’re going to learn what we need to learn from this game and keep it pushing.”
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