PARK CITY, Utah - The Colorado Rapids Reserves came out on fire scoring two goals in the first four minutes in a 2-1 win against the Real Salt Lake Reserves.
From the opening whistle the Rapids Reserves controlled the ball. After a series of passes Jose Cancela lifted a ball behind the Real defense to an onrushing Colin Clark. The Fort Collins native took the ball down with his chest then ripped a shot into the upper left corner of the net.
Just two minutes later Colorado doubled its lead. Clark played a ball into the center of the field to Denver South grad Conor Casey who in turn found Nick LaBrocca on the right. LaBrocca then found the side netting on the far post for his first goal of his career with the Rapids.
In the 16th minute Omar Cummings had an opportunity to grab his first goal in his first reserve game but Nick Rimando denied him with a diving save.
Just one minute later, Cummings cut the ball back to Casey in the Real penalty area but the shot was deflected out for a corner kick.
The Rapids Reserves kept the pressure up throughout the first half and hit the woodwork twice more before the halftime whistle. In the 33rd minute Casey had a shot bounce off the leg of a Real defender and the far post. Cancela had a shot carom off the crossbar in the 44th minute.
Salt Lake came within a goal in the 64th minute. Luis Tejada found Chris Lancos, who two minutes earlier was lucky to not get ejected for a foul on Cancela, in the middle of the pitch. Lancos' shot from 25 yards out went into the back of the net.
Chris Wingert nearly reinstated the Rapids two goal lead with a header off a corner kick but it went just wide of the goal.
Colorado played the final eight minutes of the game with ten men after Dan Gargan received his second yellow card.
The Rapids Reserves next play Sunday, May 6 at 10 a.m. when they take on the Houston Dynamo Reserves on the Rapids Training Field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Scoring Summary:
COL - Clark (Cancela) 2
COL - LaBrocca (Casey, Clark) 4
RSL - Lancos (Tejada) 64
Colorado Rapids Reserves - Zach Thornton, Jordan Harvey, Chris Wingert, Stephen Keel, Dan Gargan, Nick LaBrocca (Galen Thompson 77), Daniel Wasson, Jose Cancela (Kosuke Kimura 71), Colin Clark (John DiRaimondo 60), Omar Cummings, Conor Casey (Nico Colaluca 60)
Substitute Not Used: Justin Hughes
Real Salt Lake Reserves - Nick Rimando, Jamie Watson, Dustin Kirby, Nik Besagno, Steve Curfman,
Chris Lancos, Christian Jimenez (Luis Tejada 60), Duke Hashimoto, Kyle Brown, Chris Brown, Atiba Harris
Substitute Not Used: Kyle Reynish
Misconduct Summary:
RSL - Besagno (Caution) 25
RSL - Harris (Caution) 29
RSL - Jimenez (Caution) 56
COL - Casey (Caution) 58
RSL - Lancos (Caution) 62
COL - Gargan (Caution) 62
RSL - Tejada (Caution) 69
COL - Gargan (Ejection) 82
