Rafael Navarro scored his team-leading 10th and 11th goals and assisted on another to lift the Colorado Rapids to a 3-1 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.
Darren Yapi added his seventh goal — and his fourth in his last four games — as the Rapids (10-11-6, 36 points) earned consecutive MLS wins for the first time since May 17 and 24.
The Rapids have now scored 12 goals in their last five MLS games, their highest-scoring stretch this season, while moving up one spot to seventh in the Western Conference.
Alexey Miranchuk scored his sixth goal of the season for Atlanta (4-12-10, 22 points), which saw its winless run stretch to 10 matches and remained winless on the road.
Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan got a hand on both Navarro goals — and probably should have stopped the second — while Miranchuk unintentionally blocked a near-certain second Atlanta goal by Tristan Muyumba later in the second half.
Navarro had been tied with Djordje Mihailovic with nine goals before the latter was dealt to Toronto FC in a cash trade earlier this month.
But after Yapi and Miranchuk traded first-half tallies, Navarro reached double digits after earning his own penalty kick opportunity after the break.
Navarro dribbled into the area in the 62nd minute, defended by Juan Berrocal. As Berrocal made a challenge, Navarro changed direction. The defender caught Navarro’s leg instead of the ball, and referee Victor Rivas had no choice but to point to the spot.
Navarro’s ensuing 64th-minute penalty overpowered Guzan, who had correctly guessed to his left.
Navarro added his second from open play seven minutes later.
After an attack down the right, Calvin Harris lost the ball at the edge of the penalty area under the weight of an Atlanta challenge.
As other Rapids players appealed for another penalty, Navarro reached the loose ball and hammered a powerful low shot at Guzan, who was in position to make the save but spilled the ball over the line.
Muyumba thought he had pulled a goal back for Atlanta in the 75th minute when he received a low cross on the back post with Colorado goalkeeper Zack Steffen stranded.
But his first-time effort clattered into the legs of Miranchuk with the goal otherwise open and then over the line for a goal kick.
–Field Level Media
