Colorado Rapids, headed to playoffs, edges Houston Dynamo

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:12 am

Diego Rubio scored the tie-breaking goal in the third minute of stoppage time, and the playoff-bound Colorado Rapids ended the regular season with their third straight win, 2-1 over the host Houston Dynamo on Sunday.

Younes Namli got Colorado on the board just over the hour mark. Houston tied the match eight minutes later on Mauro Manotas' goal.

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But in the waning seconds of the match, Rubio used nifty footwork on a one-v-one situation to pull out the win for the visitors. The Rapids already had clinched a spot in the Western Conference playoffs heading into Sunday's Decision Day, but they were hoping to build even more momentum entering the postseason.

With the victory, Colorado finishes fifth in the West.

The Dynamo, meanwhile, end the season on a three-game losing streak and in last place in the Western Conference. Houston also will enter the 2021 season riding an 0-5-2 rut.

In what best can be described as a pedestrian first half, neither side offered much in the way of quality chances, though the clubs combined for five shots on target. Houston pressed more during the final 20 minutes of the first half, but the match still went into the break without a goal.

Diego Rubio
Diego Rubio
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Namli started the scoring in the 61st minute. With help from Andre Shinyashiki, Namli drove home a rebound to give the visitors the advantage on what was essentially a two-v-one situation inside the box.

However, after Houston had a goal taken away due to an offside call shortly after Colorado got on the board, the hosts eventually made the score 1-1. At 69 minutes, Manotas benefited from brilliant positioning to record his third goal of the year.