Two goals by Shinyashiki send Rapids past Sounders

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:20 am

Andre Shinyashiki scored twice as the Colorado Rapids won in coach Robin Fraser's home debut, defeating the depleted Seattle Sounders 2-0 on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.

The Rapids (9-14-6, 33 points) have won both of their games since Fraser, who formerly played for the club, took over. Saturday's match was a make-up of a late April game that was postponed because of a snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains.

The Sounders (13-9-7, 46 points) were 10 players short because of international duty, including their top three goal-scorers in forwards Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris and midfielder Cristian Roldan.

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Colorado opened the scoring in the 41st minute.

Sam Nicholson drove the right wing and sent a long cross for Jonathan Lewis, who was nearly at the end line. Lewis flicked the ball back to Shinyashiki, whose left-footed shot from just outside the top left of the 6-yard box zoomed past Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei and off the underside of the crossbar before settling in the net.

The Rapids made it 2-0 in the 70th minute on a three-on-two breakaway.

Nicolas Mezquida dribbled the ball from near midfield to the top of the 18-yard box, where he passed to Keegan Rosenberry on the left wing. Rosenberry's cross just eluded a Seattle defender and found Shinyashiki alone at the top of the 6-yard box, and he beat Frei with a right-footed shot.

Andre Shinyashiki
Andre Shinyashiki
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It was the seventh goal of the season for Shinyashiki, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 MLS Superdraft out of the University of Denver.

Colorado outshot Seattle 24-5 overall, including 8-2 in shots on target. Frei made six saves, including a highlight-reel stop of a shot by Mezquida in the 86th minute, somehow getting his left arm in front of a shot that was headed just inside the right post.

The Rapids' Clint Irwin made two saves in posting his first shutout in six starts this season.