HOUSTON, TX (September 9, 2017) – The Colorado Rapids have finally won a road game in 2017. They defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 at BBVA Compass Stadium. Dominque Badji scored off a Stefan Aigner assist in stoppage time to win it. It was the first match for either team since Hurricane Harvey struck the mainland of the United States.
Houston Starting XI (4-3-3): Tyler Deric — A.J. DeLaGarza, Adolfo Machado, Philippe Senderos, DaMarcus Beasley — Juan Cabezas, Ricardo Clark (C), Alex — Alberth Elis, Erick Torres, Mauro Manotas
Colorado Starting XI (4-4-1-1): Tim Howard (C) — Eric Miller, Kortne Ford, Axel Sjoberg, Mekeil Williams — Marlon Hairston, Jared Watts, Michael Azira, Joshua Gatt — Mohammed Saeid, Dominique Badji
Colorado Rapids Get First Road Win Of Stefan Aigner Assist 1-0 At Houston
The Dynamo came out possessing the ball well and looking to attack. The club (and the fanbase) were dealing with a lot of emotions in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and they looked to use that as motivation. Albert Elis and Erick Torres led the attack for the home side, shooting early and often. Most of their opportunities came on restarts.
Their best chance came in the 38th minute when Elis got a header towards Howard that was just feet over the bar on a recycled ball off a corner. The half first ended 0-0.
The game got stretched in the second half. Houston continued to push for the opening goal with Romell Quioto and Tomas Martinez getting the best of the chances. The Rapids backline and Howard stood tall though.
Colorado continued to lean on the counter attack, using the speed of Hairston and Badji on turnovers to create chances. The opening goal finally came in the third minute of stoppage time. Hairston got the ball off a deflected shot then ran on the counter towards the Dynamo goal. The ball ultimately found substitute Stefan Aigner, who sent a harmless ball into the box. Badji beat DeMarcus Beasley to the ball and beat Deric to take the lead.
It was the first assist for Aigner in his first appearance in MLS. Houston could not score in the final minutes and the match ended 1-0.
Scoring Summary:
90’+3′ Colorado – Dominique Badji, assisted by Stefan Aigner
Last Word:
Obviously this game was played with a lot of emotion and there was more than just three points on the minds of both teams. This was an ugly but very effective win for the Rapids, ala the 2016 team. They didn’t see much of the ball, but they limited the quality chances for the opponents. When they got chances, they made them count. It’s about time Colorado won a road game, and they couldn’t have done it in a more Rapids way.
On the other side, this is a tough loss for Houston. This was their first home loss all year (only Sporting KC and Toronto FC remain undefeated at home). They had a chance to lift the spirits of a city, and unfortunately they came up short. The chance creation was there, but Elis and Torres could not make them count. Perhaps the gravity of the situation just got to them. Regardless, the club is now just two points above the red line. They have won just one of their last six games.
