Darren Yapi scored his first career brace to lift the visiting Colorado Rapids to a 2-1 victory at Minnesota United on Sunday.
Yapi’s fifth and sixth goals of the season came 10 minutes apart in the second half for Colorado (9-11-6, 33 points), which snapped a nine-match road league winless streak.
It was perfect timing for a good game from the 20-year-old, coming in the first league match after Colorado dealt joint team scoring leader Djordje Mihailovic to Toronto for a fee worth up to $9 million.
Zack Steffen made nine saves for the Rapids, who moved up two places to eighth in the Western Conference standings in the scrap for nine conference playoff places.
Tani Oluwaseyi cut Minnesota’s late deficit in half with his 10th league goal after also scoring three times in Leagues Cup play.
But the third-place Loons (12-6-8, 44 points) have now lost back-to-back games in all competitions.
Minnesota outshot Colorado 9-4 during the first half but rarely seriously worked Steffen.
Colorado grew into the game after the break and had already created a couple quality opportunities before Yapi broke through for his brace.
In the 60th minute, Yapi ran onto Sam Vines’ long outlet ball down the left, then cut in on his right foot and guided a low finish beyond Dayne St. Clair into the bottom left corner.
In the 70th, he was a late-arriving runner as the Rapids pushed numbers forward on the counter, receiving Rafael Navarro’s cross-field pass and this time finishing with more power past St. Clair from the right side of the box.
Oluwaseyi pulled Minnesota’s goal back in the 73rd minute after the Loons attacked down the left, finishing off Joseph Rosales’ cross from near the penalty spot.
Minnesota continued to apply pressure from there but lacked composure.
Oluwaseyi wasted another effort after getting behind Colorado’s back line, failing to hit the target. On another promising foray down the right, Rosales tried to cut the ball onto his stronger left foot, which allowed his shot attempt to be blocked.
–Field Level Media
