COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — With snow surrounding the pitch, the Colorado Rapids welcomed Western Conference opponent the LA Galaxy to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park for a chilly matchup, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 7.
As the Galaxy returned to the Mile High City for the 100th all-time meeting between the two clubs across all competitions, the Rapids faced early changes to their starting lineup but ultimately secured a 4-1 win, dominating in the second half.
The club announced earlier in the week that starting senior goalkeeper Zack Steffen would be out for the match due to a shoulder injury that occurred during practice on Thursday. The team has not announced any further details or a timeline for his return.
Steffen, who underwent surgery on his right knee during the summer of 2025 before returning to play later that season, has been significant to the team’s success this year. He recorded 85 touches and six saves across the Rapids’ first two matches and made an early save within the first three minutes of last week’s match against the Portland Timbers.
Due to the absence, backup goalkeeper Nicolas “Nico” Defreitas-Hansen stepped into the starting role. Additional MLS Next Pro goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo was called up from the club’s MLS NEXT Pro side as a substitute on his first “short-term agreement.”
Hansen was faced with an early and consistent LA pressure throughout the match. Producing a total of four saves in total, including a concerning in-box collusion in the final minute of the first half. The collusion ultimately resulted in a yellow card for Galaxy right wing Gabriel Pec.
Hansen and the Colorado defense delivered an impressive performance, holding the Galaxy to a single goal throughout the match.
“They help give me confidence – the players, the coaching staff,” Hansen said. “I just express myself and do my thing and today I was able to do that. We all looked out for each other today on the pitch and that was good.”
Hansen highly credited center-backs Lucas Herrington and Rob Holding for their dedication to their defensive roles and helping to secure the match’s outcome. Both achieved high passing percentages, upward of 92% , and large amounts of passes, with Holding completing 88 passes and Herrington 81.
“You know they’re going to help me out when the time comes,” Hansen said.
With defense measures in place, halfway through the first, Colorado Rapids left wing Darren Yapi scored the first point of the match and singular point of the first half. His shot, to the lower right zone, was unable to be saved by Galaxy goalkeeper Novak Micovic and allowed the Rapids to begin their lead.
The shot was assisted by Paxten Aaronson and a secondary assist by Hamzat Ojediran. The goal marked Yapi’s first of the season and the club’s third overall.
Yapi, a name the Rapids community knows well, was the youngest player ever to sign with the club, only 16-years-old when signing a homegrown player contract in March of 2021. Yapi briefly attended Denver East High School and joined the Rapids Youth Academy during the 2016-17 season with U-12s.
Although the Galaxy remained scoreless for the first half, forward João Klauss, who currently leads the club with three goals this season, secured his fourth in the 55th minute with a header from the center of the box, assisted by Pec.
However, almost directly following, Pec received his second yellow card in the 60th minute, leading to a red card and immediate ejection for the 25-year-old. The Galaxy were forced to play one man down for the remainder of the match and Pec will face suspension from the team’s upcoming home match on March 11, against Mt. Pleasant.
“We made a good tactical change when it went down to ten men,” Rapids Head Coach Matt Wells said. “I was pleased with how the players adapted.”
As the half continued, the Galaxy’s defense let up – allowing for three additional goals for the young Colorado team.
Wing forward Alexis Manyoma extended the team’s lead in the 76th minute, with a shot to the bottom right corner of the net, assisted by Yapi and a second assist by Ted Ku-Dipietro, to make the score 2-0.
Manyoma, who subbed in for Connor Ronan in the 68th minute alongside Keegan Rosenberry to replace Reggie Canon, was one of many Rapids substitutes. The Rapids coaching staff heavily adjusted their playing roster throughout the game, allowing for a total of 16 different players to see the field.
Less than ten minutes later, Rafael Navarro scored two more goals for the Rapids, within four minutes of each other. The first, at the 85th minute, was unassisted to the lower left zone. And the second, in the 89th, to the left corner with an expected goal percentage of only 8%, assisted by Wayne Frederick.
With Zack Steffen, who typically serves as the team’s captain, Navarro was promoted to the role and rose to the occasion, wearing the captain’s arm band for the first time as a Rapid.
“Losing Zack, you have to find a new captain…. I love Navva. I love the way he trains, the way he presses and is receptive to new information… He is a good reference for the team, all the players respect him,” said Wells. “The way he kept the team in combat from front to back. He was very impressive this evening.”
Navarros’ late goals secured a 4-1 win for the Colorado Rapids, ultimately advancing their record to (2-1-0) after its season-opening loss to the Seattle Sounders. After embracing snowy Mile High conditions and collecting a second straight home victory, the Rapids now head out for a three-match road stretch against New York City FC, Sporting Kansas City and Toronto FC.
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