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MLS Colorado Rapids

Rapids Win to Set up Desert Diamond Cup Final Date with Real Salt Lake

February 26, 2015 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


Colorado Rapids registered their first proper win of preseason against FC Tucson on Wednesday and, with it, qualified for the final of the Desert Diamond Cup.

The only goal was scored with 10 minutes left, just as it started to seem as if Pablo Mastroeni's side would go rewarded for their energy and ingenuity on the night.

Gabriel Torres swung over a corner from the left and Axel Sjoberg escaped his marker to plant a header into the far corner.

Seattle and Sporting KC failed to win their last fixtures so the Rapids reached the final with five points from three games.

They will meet Real Salt Lake in a Rocky Mountain Cup-style encounter.

It will be Rapids' last competitive 90 minutes before the MLS season starts in March 7.

A little silverware would be the perfect send-off.

Before kick-off, Pablo Mastroeni decided to leave some of his key pre-season players on the bench. Lucas Pittinari and Marcelo Sarvas have been the midfield hub so far while Vicente Sanchez always adds guile. None were involved against the PDL side from Arizona.

Rapids had the better of the first half however they did not make the most of the numerous chances they created.

New DP Juan Ramirez was the best player on show in the opening stages. In the eighth minute, he fired wide from Dillon Powers' left-wing cutback. Five minutes before the break the Argentine showed all his abilities with a mazy run and shot that drew the best out of Tucson keeper Keegan Rogers.

In between those efforts, Deshorn Brown headed over and fired a couple of efforts wide. Rapids had dominated and created opportunities, however nothing sufficiently clear-cut.

And Tucson nearly produced a sucker-punch just before the interval when Zac MacMath made a smart save from Odaine Sinclair.

As ever there were changes at the break but, this time, Rapids kept control of the game.

Brown fired wide just past the hour and Powers drew a good save from keeper Keegan Rogers shortly afterwards when he tried to convert at the near post.

When, in the 76th minute, Torres saw his effort off cleared off the line and Dillon Serna clipped wide from the rebound you started to wonder if Rapids were just not going to score this evening.

Finally, 10 minutes from time, Rapids broke the deadlock when Sjoberg wriggled clear of his marker to head home from a Torres corner.

It was nothing less than Mastroeni's men deserved but they will have to be more clinical if they are to beat their old rivals and lift the Desert Diamond Cup on Saturday night.

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