COMMERCE CITY, Colo – A packed crowd filled DICK’S Sporting Goods Park tonight for the Colorado Rapids (5-9-1) annual Summer Kickoff, marking one last match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule break. Welcoming FC Dallas (7-4-4) to the pitch, the Rapids were unable to secure all three points, allowing Dallas a 1:2 scoresheet.
Entering the evening matchup, the Rapids looked to continue mid-week momentum. Wednesday night, the Colorado team hosted MLS opponent the San Jose Earthquakes for the quarterfinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. After having put up a clean sheet and defeating the Quakes 2:0, the Rapids will advance to the September Semifinal round, for the first time since 1999.
With hopes to continue breaking records tonight, the young team entered the matchup in absence of head coach Matt Wells. The club announced Friday afternoon that the MLS Disciplinary Committee would suspend Wells from the match due to team yellow card accumulation. Assistant Coach Ally Harris held his role as interim head coach for the night.
“I’ll be here. We’ve worked out a system of how I can best be involved,” Wells said during training Friday. “There’s some limitations there…. I have a room set aside. I’ll be up in the sky watching it with a tactical view. It doesn’t change anything in terms of preparation, I’ll still be able to have the impact I need.”
Despite Wells’ confidence and the outcome earlier this week, 1:2 scoresheets continue to defeat the young team. During their last regular season matchup May 16, the Rapids again fell short, losing 1:2 to Real Salt Lake for the first of two Rocky Mountain Cup matches.
However, things looked promising for the Rapids out of the gate. By the end of the first half they held 62% of possession and had six shots, with three of them on target, despite early scoreboard successes.
Dallas secured an early goal to begin the match and open the book. Forward Logan Farrington found the net in the 12th minute during a penalty kick, giving the visiting Texas team an early lead.
Instantly the Rapids responded. With assists from Wayne Frederick and Georgi Minoungou, Paxten Aaronson equalized. A close in-the-box shot from Aaronson brought the match to 1:1 and the stadium to life, confirming early momentum in what was expected to be a competitive match.
The goal marked numerous club accomplishments. The 13th minute shot established Aaronson’s fourth goal of the season and his third goal contribution within his last three MLS appearances, securing a goal and two assists. With the assist, Frederick recorded his fifth of the season and Minoungous second.
As the first half continued to progress, hometown energy elevated. With anticipation of summer, the Commerce City crowd was not afraid to show out. As anticipated, The South Bank brought the energy. All night, both drums and chants echoed throughout the stadium, all in preparation for post-game events and to celebrate the ongoing competitive matchup.
With the clubs remaining tied for the majority of the first half, physicality became evident. Correlated yellow cards between Rapids defenseman Lucas Herrington and Farrington followed a Dallas Goal in the final minute of the first half. Dallas FC entered halftime leading 1:2 with the help of forward Santiago Moreno’s PK goal in the 45th minute.
The late energy to enter the second half caused immediate changes within the Rapids starting lineup. Jackson Travis marked the matches first substitution, entering Miguel Navarro in his place.
Originally producing a competitive 4-4-2 formation, allowing a more prominent midfield, Harris relied on Travis, Herrington, Rob Holding and Reggie Cannon to sustain the backline for goalkeeper Nico Hansen. By starting tonight, 27-year-old Cannon marks his 100th regular season MLS start.
Numerous Dallas substitutions occurred as the half progressed, as rosters from both clubs continued to rotate. Connor Ronan replaced Frederick in the 59th minute as tension increased between the two teams.
Later in the match, Frederick was given an immediate red card from the bench for approaching the assistant referee in disagreement of a call. The card will result in suspension from the Rapids next match July 22. Additional yellow cards were given to Navarro and Aaronson by the end of the match.
As the match reached its final minutes, numerous Rapids substitutes saw the pitch. Dante Sealy, Alexis Manyoma and Keegan Rosenberry each earned minutes late in the match as the Rapids attempted to attain a last minute success .
Despite inability to tighten the gap, leaving a 1:2 final, the Rapids remained the more dominant team overall. By the end of the match they totaled 64.4% of possession, 13 more shots (six of which were on goal), 250 more total passes, 90.3% passing accuracy and five blocked shots, regardless of defensive difficulties.
Aaronson received Man of the Match honors for the club’s singular goal, three on target shots and 20 passes. The last match honors before the 2026 FIFA World Cup break. In nearly two months, the Colorado Rapids will return home to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park prepared to take on San Diego FC, with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. MT.
Until then, fans, teams and those surrounding the Commerce City stadium will remember tonight’s summer kickoff celebration, as the first firework display of the season lit up the northern Colorado sky, showcasing the Burgundy of the team. Spectators were invited to watch from the pitch, providing an elite Rapids experience.
