Loic Williams scored the winning goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time on a cross from Paxten Aaronson to lift the Colorado Rapids to a 1-0 victory over San Diego FC on Wednesday in Commerce City, Colo.
Aaronson curled a cross from near the corner flag that found Williams, whose bouncing shot from close range slipped inside the near post for his first MLS goal.
Returning to MLS action after a 60-day World Cup break, neither team generated much offense, netting only two shots on goal apiece.
The Rapids (6-9-1, 19 points) had two goals disallowed for offside. Georgi Minoungou’s goal was waved off in the 41st minute, and Colorado had another nullified in the 68th when Dante Sealy’s header was negated because Reggie Cannon was offside.
Colorado goalkeeper Nico Hansen earned two saves, while San Diego goalkeeper CJ dos Santos recorded one.
In the 31st minute, Rafael Navarro carried the ball in from midfield and found space just outside the box to send a shot wide right of the target. Neither team established a sustained attack in the first half, and the Rapids registered the lone shot on goal when Sealy tested dos Santos in the ninth minute.
Williams and Cannon were issued first-half yellow cards, while Christopher McVey was also cautioned for San Diego FC (4-7-5, 17 points) in the 19th minute. Three more yellows were earned after halftime.
The Rapids threatened early in the second half. Sealy beat a defender with a nifty step-through along the sideline before finding Navarro, who slid past a defender and fired a right-footed shot inside the penalty area that was off target.
San Diego’s first shot on goal came in the 64th minute when Onni Valakari’s chip shot from inside the box was deflected away by Hansen.
San Diego kept up its pressure. In the 69th minute, Hansen went down to his knees to save a shot from Marcus Ingvartsen. The rebound ricocheted to Valakari, whose follow-up bounced wide.
–Field Level Media
