Postgame Note: Rapids Break Club Attendance Record in 2-3 Loss to Miami
MLS Colorado Rapids

Postgame Note: Rapids Break Club Attendance Record in 2-3 Loss to Miami

Published on April 18, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


Notable Notes:

Today's record-breaking match saw a total attendance of 75,284, marking the second-highest attendance in MLS history.

F Rafael Navarro recorded his sixth goal of the season and the 34th of his MLS career with the Rapids.

The Brazilian now ranks second in MLS in total goals scored this season.

The Designated Player ranks first in total goal contributions in MLS this season with 10 (6g, 4a).

All ten of Navarro's goal contributions have come within his last six appearances.

F Darren Yapi recorded his third goal of the season and the 13th of his MLS career.

M Josh Atencio logged assists on both Rapids goals.

The midfielder has now recorded three goal contributions in his last three appearances.

M Wayne Frederick recorded his fourth assist of the season.

The midfielder has now recorded three assists in his last two appearances.

Frederick has recorded four goal contributions in his last four matches (1g, 3a)

Georgi Minoungou made his first start for the Rapids

Goal Summary:

Minute Team Player Assist

18' Miami L. Messi (PK) N/A

45'+5 Miami G. Berterame M. Silvetti, R. De Paul

58' Rapids R. Navarro W. Frederick, J. Atencio

62' Rapids D. Yapi L. Herrington, J. Atencio

79' Miami L. Messi R. De Paul, Y. Bright

Disciplinary Summary:

Minute Team Player Result

18' COL J. Atencio YC

22' MIA R. De Paul YC

29' MIA Micael YC

64' COL W. Frederick YC

76' COL L. Herrington YC

86' MIA T. Segovia YC

87' MIA T. Segovia YC/RC

Lineups:

Colorado Rapids: GK Zack Steffen (C); D Kosi Thompson, Lucas Herrington, Rob Holding, Jackson Travis; M Paxten Aaronson (83' Dante Sealy), Hamzat Ojediran (61' Darren Yapi), Josh Atencio (90' Alex Harris), Wayne Frederick; F Rafael Navarro, Georgie Minoungou

Unused substitutes: Nico Hansen, Keegan Rosenberry, Alexis Manyoma, Ian Murphy, Noah Cobb, Kimani Stewart-Baynes

Inter Miami CF: GK Dayne St. Clair; Gonzalo Lujan (70' Daniel Pinter), Micael dos Santos, Maximiliano Flacon, Facundo Mura; M Rodrigo De Paul, Lionel Messi (C), Yannick Bright; F Talasco Segovia (90' Alex Shaw), German Berterame (90'+6 Cesar Ezequiel Abadia-Reda), Mateo Silvetti (70' Noah Allen)

Unused substitutes: Roco Rios-Novo, Luis Suarez, Ian Fray, Tadeo Allende, David Ruiz

Officials:

Referee: Jon Freemon; Assistants: Logan Brown, Ryan Graves; Fourth Official: Ricardo Fierro; VAR: Edvin Juresevic; AVAR: Mika Kampmeinert

COLORADO RAPIDS POST GAME QUOTE SHEET

COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH MATT WELLS

On the team's performance...

"Well, there was one team on the pitch. There's one team on the pitch. I thought we were outstanding from start to finish. Nothing but pride for the performance, and it's travesty that we didn't win the game. Of course, there'll be moments in the goals that we need to analyze and improve, but that's not the headline, that's not the story today. Proud that we're changing the status quo, and we were the dominant team on the pitch today, that's the thing that makes me happiest. That's exactly what I just said to the guys."

On the difference between the first half and second half...

"There definitely was a difference. The whole game is one game, and the work we did in the first half was instrumental in how tired Miami were in the second half. I thought our process in the build up was outstanding all game. We attacked a little bit more in the deep space in the second half where [Darren] Yapi scored from but then also led to their third goal as well. From start to finish I thought the build up, the personality, the courage the guys played with was outstanding."

On progress of the team...

"I think tonight was the closest. Tonight was special. I don't know whether I was watching a different game, but tonight was special. What the guys just produced out there, how dominant we were in the game. I thought Miami had no solutions other than time wasting. In the second half, all they did was kick the ball over Jackson's [Travis] head for throw-ins and then try to slow the game down. That, for me, is the biggest source of pride; that we're changing the status quo in this division, that the Colorado Rapids can be the dominant team on the football pitch, they can be the protagonists out there. Really, really pleased from that respect. Of course, we'll stick to our same process, analyze the game, look where we improve, and then try and be an even better outfit come Wednesday night in Los Angeles."

On the message to the team...

"I said after the game that more important than any three points or any performance is you're doing something bigger than that. You're changing the status quo in the MLS, you're putting the new fan respect on Colorado and the badge. I don't think we're there yet, you can see that from the officiating tonight. I still don't think we quite get the respect that we deserve on the pitch. But all I've said to them is that their end of the bargain is to keep performing like that. Keep performing like that, keep improving, and over time, I think we'll start to be a really feared and respected team in this division, which is only why I'm here, which is more than any three points we could have got today."

On Georgi Minoungou and Kosi Thompson's performance...

"That's why we brought them to the club, to contribute to the team, and they both had strong performances. I think Georgi [Minoungou] probably would have come off a little bit earlier. From a physical perspective that would've probably been the right thing, but within the context of the game he was having so many positive actions that it would have been impossible to take him off. I think if I had I might have got booed out of the stadium by the fans, so it wasn't the right thing. I left him out there and obviously we intended to finish the game with an extremely attacking lineup out on the pitch, and unfortunately, it wasn't enough to force the equalizer and then potentially a winner, which is what we were aiming for today, obviously. We had strong performances from both those guys."

On The Officiating...

"I haven't seen their penalty back, so I don't know. I certainly don't think it met the threshold of any sort of clear and obvious error. All I want is consistency in the game. If you're going to officiate in that way, then I definitely think we should have, could have, had at least two penalties, because it's the same level of contact as to what was awarded for Miami. I think there were some interesting decisions all night. My bigger gripe at halftime with the referee was more around their time wasting and how much time they were taking out of the game. I was just asking for a little bit better game management from the referee in terms of speeding them up and maybe even a consequence of a yellow card for the fourth or fifth time they want to time-waste. I don't like time wasted. I think the fans are here to watch a spectacle, they don't want to watch the ball out of play and teams slowing games down. There's a responsibility on the referee and the officiating team to uphold that. That was just one area I didn't feel was quite up to the standard this evening. But it's not the story of the game, it's not why we lost the game."

On Rafael Navarro's Goal, Performance...

"I was intrigued today coming here, to see the level of the performance. I knew the game plan we put into place, I know what the players are capable of, I know what we're capable of as a team. But you're never quite certain in front of an unknown quantity, 76,000 fans. I think everyone in the dressing room has not played in such a great atmosphere before, on such a big stage where you know everyone's watching this game. That's one of the things I said to them afterwards, proud for how they handled the occasion, how they rose to the occasion. Even that gives me confidence that if we get to the playoffs in the MLS Cup final, that we'll do exactly the same there. And I thought Rafa [Rafael Navarro] was a really strong performance. Changed his role a little bit at halftime. Obviously, first half, Paxten [Aaronson] was playing from the right wing, but inside, in the pocket, and Rafa was running more on the channels. I felt we missed a little bit of Rafa's build up play as a number 10. Changed it half time, kept Paxton wide and dropped Rafa into the pocket, and then, obviously, his goal came from that, and then brought [Darren]Yapi on to make the inside runs, and his goal came from that. So there was a lot of stuff, there was so much good stuff today. We're frustrated in there because we wanted to win the game, but I said to the guys that I'm much happier now than when we beat Houston 6-2. That's so much better today, what we produced on the pitch in terms of a level of performance. We can't be outcome driven, we lost the game, so we're frustrated and disappointed. What we did today was in many respects, very, very impressive so we'll hold on to that feeling."

On Subbing Dante Sealy for Paxten Aaronson...

"First half, because we tweaked things to what we normally do, just try to exploit the spaces. I wanted Wayne [Frederick] and Paxten [Aaronson] playing as lower number 10s. Pax was right winger, but sort of a false right winger coming inside. And then Rafa [Rafael Navarro] was going to be the one to exploit the channels, but Miami was solving that by their left back going quite close to Kosi [Thompson], so I knew they'd probably work around that at halftime. So if we kept Paxten wide in the second half, and then fullback still wanted to jump forward, then Pax would be in. And if you drop Rafa in, the only way they can solve it is their left center back has to follow him down. And then as long as we attack the space behind him with our winger, then we'll have opportunities. The more I looked at the second half, the space was there. But obviously, profile a player, [Darren] Yapi is probably a little bit more suited to making those runs and making the finish than Paxten is. So that was the logic behind that change. I always wanted to get Dante [Sealy] into the game. He's a top attacker, so it was just a case. Then I was planning to bring off Georgi [Minoungou], but like I said, he was having so many good actions, I didn't want to do that, and then the context of the score line, we had to leave him on. So then it was just a case of, how do we get Dante onto the pitch? And then the final throw of the dice was drop...let's not play with two sixes. Let's play with one six and get Alex Harris in as another number 10. Probably the only bit of the game I was frustrated with was the injury time. I didn't think we managed that well enough against ten men. The game became quite stodgy and sterile, and their time wasting triumphed over our football in that final seven minutes, so that was frustrating."

On looking ahead to the next two games:

"Someone asked me yesterday about who would be the underdogs on the pitch today and they've [Miami] taken three points away, so they'll be happy with that. Certainly from an underdog perspective, I saw one team pressing the game, dominating the ball, and one team wasting time and playing long balls off the pitch. That will always make me happy, because I know if we sustain that over time and improve over time and recruit over time, within that model, then we are going to be a top team. Even within your question, when you say, 'oh, we're going to play the two top teams in the West,' instantly my brain said we're the best team in the West, which I know is not correct, because we have to prove it over a sustained period of time. We can't just accept playing excellent, eye-catching football and pressing really well and having a good tactical structure. I know we have to marry that with consistent results over time and proving that we are a big team from a results perspective as well. But it is a long journey from that respect. I said to the players afterwards, and I said to them before the game, the last thing I want to do today is take three points being the submissive team. I do not want to come here and play in a low block and have 3 percent of the ball and make the whole day about [Lionel] Messi and maybe we score for a set play and we win the game. Because although that would mean we leave with three points, anyone with a rational football mind would see that over the course of time, that is not going to lead to lifting trophies. Whereas [today] I saw a team that performed like a big team with a proper mentality, with huge personality, no one shirked anything, everyone had courage to play. Our pressing was relentless from start to finish. I can't wait to see the physical outputs of the game. That makes me frustrated that we didn't win, because the guys deserved a lot more, but it gives me massive hope that if we keep building and stick on this path, stick on this process, then we won't be long before you asking me a question about us being the top team around Vancouver and LAFC, so that's the ambition."

COLORADO RAPIDS FORWARD DARREN YAPI

On what he hopes a neutral soccer fan would take away from today...

"We showed good heart and I think from start to finish, we controlled the game. We had most of the ball. First half, other than the penalty that they [referees] gave and the little mistake that we made, we played amazing football in the first half, which led to the second half being even more dominant. For a second, they didn't know what to do and they were booting the ball and giving us the ball back and we kept pressuring them. All they need is a special moment in the game to try to go up and that's what happened."

On how Head Coach Matt Wells' system is working eight weeks in...

"We're in a good spot, obviously shown today. Miami is one of the best teams in the league and for us to play that kind of football against them shows our potential and that the sky's the limit for us. You've also seen it just this season, how dominant we are at home, how dominant we are away, like at Kansas. Those games are being shown to you guys and showing our progress that we're making this year. We're just in a really good spot. This week we have just played Miami, and we have LAFC and Vancouver next. These are good tests for us and we're going to show you guys the type of dominant football we can play."

On how it felt to score in front of all the fans, especially being a Homegrown...

"It felt all right. I wanted to come out with the win, but again, it was just good to see us putting them under pressure and then for me to put that away. Obviously, it's a special moment being from here in front of, hopefully, a lot of new fans. It was fun and I'm just mostly focused on LAFC at the moment."

On what's working right for the team and what's needing work...

"Again, we showed real character with the ball, real bravery with the ball today. I feel like you guys have seen, not just this game, but so many other games where we're so dominant with the ball. You guys saw last week against Houston what we did and how we were able to break them down and then score six. We just have to stick to our process and we're going to be a very, very scary team."

On his mindset of playing at home against a player like Messi...

"Honestly, if we want to go to where we want, which is the MLS cup, these things can't intimidate us. We obviously know [Lionel] Messi is the best player of this past generation. If we want to win the MLS Cup, we're going to have to play against thousands of people, against top players. If that was going to intimidate us, we don't deserve to be in the MLS Cup. We showed again, with the ball and with our pressing, that we deserve to be on our way to the MLS Cup."

On how it has been playing with Georgi Minoungou and Kosi Thompson...

"It's good to have guys come in and [have] more depth because it's going to keep a healthy environment for us. And Georgi [Minoungou], we know you guys have seen him in Seattle and how dangerous he is one-v-one and how he can create chances out of nothing, to have him on the team is huge. Kosi [Thompson] as well, you guys saw last week, a brace. He's an aggressive defender and can get up the field as well, so having those two guys is huge and is only going to make us better."

On what it means to be a versatile player...

"This pre-season I just had to figure things out. Obviously, you guys know I can play along the front three and I just wanted to show that I have the level to just play here consistently, and that's what I take pride in. I try to work hard as much as I can, just to be able to showcase what I can do and no matter what position I play, I want to go ahead and do it to try and win. That's just the type of player I am. I just want to win and wherever coach wants to play me, I'm ready for it and I want to do a great job doing it."

On what Head Coach Matt Wells' message was going into halftime and the second half...

"I wasn't inside for halftime; I was warming up. He had a sense that [Miami] were under pressure and Rafa [Navarro] scored before I came on, so I even felt it once I came on that they were under pressure. From there, he knew that balls in behind or just our football possession, another chance is going to come, so I have to be ready and I have to take it."

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