Colorado Rapids 2 Defeat St. Louis CITY2 in First Match of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season

March 18, 2024 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Colorado Rapids 2 News Release

The Big Picture

Colorado Rapids 2 (1-0-0, 3 pts) defeated St. Louis CITY2 (0-1-0, 0 pts) in a 2-1 victory on Sunday night at CITYPARK. Rapids 2 midfielder Marlon Vargas scored the first Rapids 2 goal of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season off an assist from newcomer Alec Díaz in the 44th minute. Just a minute later, Rapids First Team defender Jackson Travis served a cross into the box, which deflected off the foot of the St. Louis defense for an own goal and the team’s second of the night. Highlighting the match was the Rapids 2 debut of 10 players, including two Rapids Academy players, Noah Strellnauer and Rogelio Garcia, who made their first-ever professional debut in tonight’s match against CITY2.

Notable:

Rapids 2 defeated CITY2 in a 2-1 win at CITYPARK in the first match of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season.

Rapids 2 midfielder Marlon Vargas scored the first goal of the 2024 season for Rapids 2 in the team’s match against St. Louis CITY2.

Rapids 2 forward Alec Díaz recorded his first-ever assist for Rapids 2 in tonight’s match versus CITY2.

Rapids First Team players Nate Jones, Wayne Frederick II and Kimani Stewart-Baynes all made their official club debut in tonight’s match against St. Louis CITY2.

Rapids 2 players Ethan Bandré, Alec Díaz, Antony García, Ricardo Peña and Hal Uderitz all made their official club debut in tonight’s match against St. Louis CITY2.

Rapids Academy players Noah Strellnauer and Rogelio Garcia made their professional debut in tonight’s match against St. Louis CITY2.

Rapids 2 extended their regular season unbeaten streak to seven matches, dating back to September 3, 2023.

Postgame Media Availability:

Head Coach Erik Bushey

Rapids 2 Midfielder Marlon Vargas

Select postgame quotes transcribed below.

COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY

On the match:

“Yeah, tough game. We are really proud of the players. Obviously, it’s the first game of the year and we enter the game with a little bit of reflection with the last, better part of two months that we have been together. We put in a lot of work, a lot of calculated work, and yet we are still not where we want to be. We knew regardless of the opponent that it was going to be a very tough game. It’s always different when the lights are on and the competition is real. The opponent proved to be very difficult, that added to the challenge. A lot of credit goes to St. Louis. They made it very difficult, very direct and got us…