Rapids Earn 2-2 Draw on the Road at Houston
MLS Colorado Rapids

Rapids Earn 2-2 Draw on the Road at Houston

April 20, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, TX

The Big Picture

The Colorado Rapids (4-2-3, 15 pts.) earn a point on the road against Houston Dynamo FC (1-4-4, 7 pts.) at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday night. Djordje Mihailovic and Rafael Navarro both found the back of the net for Colorado for the second consecutive match, helping the club earn a tough point away from home. With the draw, the Rapids collected their eighth road point of the season, tying their 2013 and 2024 seasons as the third best start in their first five matches on the road.

Notable:

- M Djordje Mihailovic scored his fourth goal of the season and the 35th of his MLS career.

o Mihailovic has now converted seven penalties as a member of the Rapids, tying Jovan Kirovski for the third-most in MLS play in club history.

- F Rafael Navarro recorded his fifth goal of the season and the 21st of his MLS career.

o Navarro has now recorded a goal in back-to-back matches for the ninth time as a member of the Rapids.

o The Brazilian has now scored six goals in his seven appearances in the state of Texas (Houston Dynamo FC, FC Dallas, Austin FC).

- Navarro and Mihailovic have totaled 12 combined goals and assists through the first nine matches of the season.

- Colorado collected their eighth road point of the season, tying their 2013 and 2024 seasons as the third best start in their first five matches on the road.

Select postgame quotes transcribed below.

COLORADO RAPIDS HEAD COACH CHRIS ARMAS

On the match...

"If it's just about the result, it's one that hurts. We thought we did a lot on the night to show some grit, to come back, to go down. Rafa[el Navarro] and Djordje [Mihailovic] once again, get on the scoreboard, and yeah, we were pushing. We talk about being a team that, on the road, we don't change who we are and play differently just because we're on the road. I'm proud of the guys that they stepped hard tonight to do that, and again, in performances, we'd say that it's a good step in the right direction of performance and looking like us, and consistency."

On Rafael Navarro's performance in the match...

"Rafa is just such a winner. He runs for the team, he's obsessed with scoring goals, he does all the dirty work that's needed. He's going to score lots of goals this year. But he's so important for us as our most high, up the pitch, reference point. I love that he scores because this is what he loves most. His confidence then will remain high. Seeing it up close-his commitment to the team, commitment to the style of play and the game plan, commitment to running behind-I mean, he gave their back line some fits, and they put him in a real game. We're really happy with him."

On Djordje Mihailovic wearing the captain's armband for the past two matches...

"If I talk about Rafa being a reference point, so is Djordje. Late in the game, he's looking over and he's like, 'I'm good,' you know? He's pushing, digging deep. This is how you grow, to commit fully to it, to empty your tank, to suffer for the team. He did it to the very end, and it's why it hurts him so much. Now you can see how disappointed he was after, because we were really close to all the points, but I think the role that he steps into when he wears that captain's armband is good for him to challenge his leadership, to grow as a person and a player. When he's out there his teammates rely on him, and they're looking to him. So I think we look at his performances in that role, I'd say they're both strong and impressive."

COLORADO RAPIDS MIDFIELDER DJORDJE MIHAILOVIC

On the match...

"Before the game, we talked about consistency and how we play home or away and I think you look at the road games, apart from Vancouver, we've played a fairly similar style when we go on the road. This is very important for a successful team, that we don't lose our identity. If you look at the positives, we come to a team away that it's a difficult place for their own reasons, a team that is looking for wins themselves and a team that their style of play kind of sets up for how we like to defend and press, a team that likes possession. For 80 minutes out of the game, we do a very good job, especially in the first half, early on in the game, we create many chances that we don't put away. They get a goal right before halftime, that puts you in a mood going into halftime in the locker room like, 'What are we doing here?' But you see a response that shows the kind of team we are to put that behind us, a response that, frankly, I feel it hasn't, hasn't been shown a lot this season. We go down a goal, a difficult moment, that we stick together, stick to the plan, stick to who we are, and get goals from it. And yeah, we can sit and say that we lost two points on the table, but I think overall, it's a good performance from us. Of course, we're going to look at the way we concede goals, the way we can improve every day. But this game is now finished. We go home with a point that, yeah, it could have been more, but our focus now is next week in Seattle."

On his role as captain recently...

"These last two games are the first time I wear this and be the captain. Honestly, it's something that I've thought about before, if I was ever captain, but I don't change who I am. I'm glad that the coaches and the players have this, this kind of, I wouldn't say, respect, but they're willing to give me this role. I think, for me, it's figuring out how to say a pregame speech. I need to improve those. But yeah, it's a good honor. I need to talk to Keegan still about how he gives us his speeches."

On the fast-paced game and new formation...

"Yeah, it's a balance. I didn't see anything wrong, honestly, I don't know what it looked like from the outside, but in the game I thought it was a start exactly how we wanted. We create many chances that that we don't put away throughout the whole first half, not just the first 50 minutes. Of course, momentum changes. They settled in a bit, and probably after 20 minutes in the first half, they were able to keep the ball, I think spread us out a bit, look at and find open lanes to split us a bit. So I think we have to look back. This is second time we're in this formation, too. We just have to adjust a bit. And I think we're going to be alright."

- ColoradoRapids.com | @ColoradoRapids -

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