The Colorado Rapids opened the scoring flood gates by tallying six second half goals to earn a 6-0 win over the Air Force Academy in a preseason exhibition on the team’s training field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday afternoon.
The first half saw the Rapids hold most of the possession, but with
limited scoring opportunities.
Air Force’s Alek Uransel drew two yellow cards following hard fouls
on Ross LaBauex in the 22nd and 28th minutes resulting in his ejection
from the match. Due to the friendly nature of the game, the Falcons were
able to replace Uransel with a substitute.
The Rapids had a chance to take a halftime lead in the 42nd minute
after earning a penalty kick, but Pat Noonan’s shot to the lower left
corner was saved, leaving the teams locked at 0-0 going into the break.
In the second half, Colorado showed their dominance early and
often, beginning with Noonan’s first goal in the 47th minute when he
tapped in a rebound off a saved shot from six yards out.
The Rapids built a 3-0 advantage with goals in the 62nd and 68th
minutes, as Rob Valentino headed in an Andy Lorei corner kick and Noonan
finished a Wells Thompson pass inside the box, respectively.
Newly acquired goalkeeper Ian Joyce preserved the clean sheet with a
diving save in the 70th minute from an Air Force header off a corner.
The Rapids then racked up three more goals in a five minute span,
with Noonan earning a hat trick for the match, and Lorei and Oscar
Murillo scoring their first goals of the preseason in the 71st and 75th
minutes respectively. Murillo from a Ciaran O’Brien corner kick and
Lorei with a tough angled shot from the left side from about 10 yards
out.
Scoring
COL-
Noonan (Lorei) 47
COL- Valentino (Lorei) 62
COL- Noonan
(Thompson) 68
COL- Murillo (O’Brien) 71
COL- Lorei (O’Brien) 75
COL-
Noonan (unassisted) 76
Colorado Rapids:
Ian Joyce, Rob Valentino, Mike Holody (Masaki Hemmi 46^), Oscar
Murillo, Richie Kotschau^, Ross LaBauex, Jeff Larentowicz (Wells
Thompson 46), Mehdi Ballouchy (Ciaran O’Brien 46), Colin Clark (Andy
Lorei 46), Andre Akpan, Pat Noonan.
^ Guest Player
