Chris Armas and the Colorado Rapids have done it again.
Last year’s Leagues Cup semifinalists defeated four LIGA MX clubs en route to their third-place finish, and they’ve tapped into that magic to kick off their 2025 tournament.
Behind a second-half brace from forward Rafael Navarro, the Rapids earned a 2-1 win over Santos Laguna on Thursday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
“Our guys believe that last year wasn't a fluke and that we found ways to win,” the head coach said post-game.
“… We love these tournaments. You see what makes the tournament so special. So much respect for the Mexican teams – the coaches, the tactics, it’s such a challenge for us. It pushes us.”
Navarro brace
Colorado needed a comeback effort to begin Phase One, punching back after Jordan Carrillo’s 53rd-minute golazo opened the scoring. Navarro did his damage in the 62nd and 87th minutes, giving the Rapids an equalizer and then a game-winner against Los Guerreros.
The high stakes boiled over in second-half stoppage time, when Santos goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo was shown a red card after a scuffle between both teams. Shortly after, with three points within grasp, Armas raised his arms to encourage the home supporters.
“The clash is because both teams want it so bad,” Armas said. “I’m not sure what their coach has said. I only have respect for them. Maybe they misunderstood what I said. I did not go below the belt or anything.
“I got my crowd going a little bit, and that could be taken a certain way. But only respect for Santos. I thought they pushed us hard in the second half, and it could have went either way.”
Eyes on the prize
Last season, Colorado knocked off Club León, FC Juárez, Toluca and Club América during their incredible run.
Now, they’ll look for more points from two other LIGA MX opponents – Club Tijuana (Aug. 3) and Cruz Azul (Aug. 7) – if they’re to repeat their trip to the knockout rounds. Only the top four MLS teams reach the quarterfinals.
“I’m not going to start thinking it’s anything more than the one game and one at a time,” Armas said. “We have a lot of work to do. But I love the fashion in which we won and we stuck together.”
