New York City FC vs Colorado Rapids - Mar. 14th 2026 - Match Preview

The Colorado Rapids delivered another strong performance at home in their 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Darren Yapi, Alexis Manyoma, and Rafael Navarro found themselves on the box score with the latter scoring two of the four. The game had heavily swung in Colorado's favor after Gabriel Pec's late challenge on Navarro earned him a second yellow card and a sending off– mere minutes after equalizing. Three of the four goals scored by Colorado came after this red card leaving plenty more ambiguity in the team's true talent floor. Would they have scored four in a level game state? This early in the season, you don't ask questions and take the points how they arrive. Especially given the team's lack of "killing" pedigree in the past. Still, there's still some nitpicks to parse through, inconsistencies to spot, but more importantly, a curious enjoyment of the peak Wells-ball moments.

Rapids Report

Last Match: Colorado Rapids 4 - 1 Los Angeles Galaxy

Unlike the match against the Timbers, the Rapids scored their fair share of goals after going up a man. Colorado's red card against Portland came with an already favorable 2-0 game state; the red card helped further insure the win.

The red card in favor of them against the Galaxy came mere minutes after a big momentum swing for the visitors. Joao Klauss' equalizer in the 50' was the first punch that connected following a series of jab and hooks in the first half. To stay with the punching analogy, picture the Galaxy's follow up to this first strike as a poorly thrown haymaker that resulted in a comedic swing-and-a-miss and subsequent faceplant. The Rapids capitalized, like they did against Portland, and beat down the 2024 MLS Cup Champions serving them a taste of their own 4-1 medicine.

Given the state the game was in before the red card, it was mostly the Galaxy that had beaten themselves up more so than the Rapids. Yes, Colorado still had to finish the game off and it was a pleasant sight to see the team assume full control of the game. That side of Wells-ball deserves all the praise; it's not often the team is that ferocious when up a man.

However, what stook out to me was the Rapids' play in the first half. Colorado still had to respect the Galaxy and be cautious of Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec. Given how the second half played out without both of them, the first half has more important nuggets of information and the moments that shaped the team say more than the goals and result after the red card.

For the second week in a row, the Colorado Rapids went into the half time break with a 1-0 lead.More of this can only further build home field advantage. Additionally, the Rapids have not conceded a lead at home! Good stuff.

Instead of Hamzat Ojediran dropping to join the backline three, it was Josh Atencio who found himself deeper for the team's build up play. More interesting than that is Jackson Travis's positioning as an inverted full back clogging up the space left by Atencio and allowing Herrington to be the main defensive catch on Colorado's left side of the field.

With this positional tweak, Colorado were able to occupy the midfield with additional bodies and thanks to Ojediran's marking of Marco Reus, the experienced Bundesliga playmaker barely saw any time on the ball in the first half limiting any impact he would have otherwise had.

Side note, I think head coach Greg Vanney got his lineup here wrong. I was expecting Lucas Sanabria to build upon his strong performance from the last match with another start here. The Uruguayan midfielder would have been a better contestant and duelist in midfield battles. His inclusion would have only further helped the Galaxy execute their style.

Colorado invited a lot of the Galaxy's long diagonal switches. LA were allowed time on the ball to find the switch, but the Rapids 4-2-4 pressing shape still posed plenty of questions and never let them settle in to find the inside pass.

The Rapids were ready for it most of the time. The team placed a lot of trust in Reggie Cannon who was consistently put into 1-v-1's and against Paintsil, one of the more menacing wingers in the league. Cannon had some bright spots but the Galaxy did pick some spots to get in behind as well.

Another Galaxy sequence I'd like to share comes after Colorado's opening goal. After trying their best to find their wingers diagonally, LA started progressing the ball through the middle and played through the Rapids pressing shape. Nico Hansen was forced into some heroics, and did well to prevent a first half equalizer, but it's still not the kind of pressure you want opposing teams to mount after breaking through the press through crafty attacking play. The Galaxy would eventually find the equalizer in the second half

Teams more suited to hit on the break will punish these collection of Rapids mistakes below. You'll notice the main throughline of all these mistakes are the amount of hospital balls. Colorado have to take better care of the ball especially at home.

Luckily, for the home team, these mistakes were quickly dealt with. Whether that speaks more to the Galaxy's weaker transition moments (an off night?) or to the Rapids' uncanny ability to play themselves out of tricky situations: how you interpret these moments comes down to your current level of optimism.

Despite the shakiness, the team still played with some nerve and their numbers behind the ball helped deter a lot of the Galaxy's threats. Overall, even with the mistakes, the Pids navigated the first half well.

Positive moments that stand out include Paxten Aaronson's collection of the ball deep in midfield sparked the team's attacking gears. I don't think it's far beyond reach to say he's settled to be more of a Cole Bassett replacement than a Djordje Mihailovic replacement. In fact, the #10 position has seemingly been axed and in it's place we are seeing more of Aaronson's shifty and dynamic ability deeper in midfield.

In both instances above, the attack is sparked by Aaronson' dropping in to space to collect the ball and begin the charge. Collectively, the shape starts attacking goal once he has possession.

The pressing shape without the ball was also very sharp and incisive – much different than what the press looked like in Seattle.

As mentioned above, the Rapids welcomed the visitor's long ball threat but they remained respectful of the talent. It wasn't until Colorado caught the Galaxy's entry pass into midfield where the team's principled structure was on full display.

From the moment the following clip begins, we see the very best of Wells-ball here. Ojediran's shoulder checking and marking of Miki Yamane before the entry pass, his subsequent winning of the ball and forward pass to Aaronson, Aaronson's dump off of the ball into Yapi's stride, followed by the Denver forward's well timed run carrying an avalanche of momentum into the attack, finally capped off by savvy ball movement and a clam finish. It's my favorite goal of the season so far.

The second half had it's fair share of moments as well, but given that particular game state, the first half warranted a bit more of a comb through given how much closer the game was before the red card. I implore you to watch that first half again.

Better teams punish those tricky mistakes, both Zack Steffen and Hansen have limits to their hero moments, and the attacking phases of the game are still lacking; it remains a work in progress. In the Western Conference, a lot of these games are decided by chaotic means such as red cards, flubbed goals, and tricky ref decisions. Games that look more like slugging punches than a focused flurry of strikes. However, through three games you take this result, and it's weirdness, every time.

Opposition Scouting Report

Last Match: New York City 5- 0 Orlando City

The Rapids travel to the Big Apple where they'll face New York City FC; another team you can't quite put a finger on. NYCFC have had a man advantage in each of their first three games. For as much ambiguity surrounding the Rapids and the goals scored against a 10-man Galaxy, NYC have played ~130 minutes (out of a possible 270+) while up a man. They've scored eight goals this season; all but one of those goals came after opposition red cards.

Three for Three

Three games, three red cards, and Keaton Parks with a new job description.

The OutfieldKevin Nelson

Spearheading New York's attack is Nicolas Fernandez Mercau who has been an absolute treat to watch for this City team. Before Alonso Martinez' season ending injury last season, the two made for a dynamic attacking duo and as a winger, Mercau was incisive, combined well with Martinez, and produced almost immediately.

Following Martinez' absence, Mercau filled in as the sole striker meaning there was more of an onus on one of Julian Fernandez or Agustin Ojeda to claim Mercau's spot on the wing. At this point in the 2025 season, the wingers were still viewed through the lens of their potential and less so their immediate production. An example of just how small the margins are in soccer, and how small they were for NYCFC, here's a look at Julian Fernandez' chance against Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

The score was 2-1 Miami and up until then, NYCFC were hanging and holding their own against the eventual MLS Cup Champions. After this missed chance by Fernandez, Miami would score a minute later on the other end against the run of play. They tallied an additional two and thus sealed their 5-1 victory en route to the MLS Cup Final. If this Fernandez chance goes in, it's a completely different game.

That is how small the margin for success is in this league. Julian Fernandez is no longer on the NYC roster with the above clip being his last notable moment in the powder blue. Agustin Ojeda has now fully claimed the starting position and while he's still young and developing, this season he's set to take a massive leap forward in his development. He has a goal and an assist through three games.

Maxi Moralez remains a focal point of the attack. The 39-year-old Argentine midfielder will go down as an All-time Great in NYCFC's history. You'd think a player at his age would start to slow down, but Moralez continues to age like fine wine. Hannes Wolf reads the game well and is operates consistently as a wide attacking threat. When there's less width, he'll find himself pinching inward towards Moralez to offer passing combinations and effective playmaking ability to the dynamic Mercau and Ojeda. Between the four of them, NYC have one of the more fun attacking quartets in the league and they each look in top form to start the season. Collectively, they're likely to make life difficult for the Pids.

In midfield, Keaton Parks made his return to the Starting XI following a 2025 season in which he missed from June onwards due to a leg injury. He had an impactful game against Orlando scoring two goals in their 5-0 rout of the 10-man Lions. Aiden O'Neill was signed last summer and has been a plug-and-play starter ever since. Both offer balance in midfield. How they match up and organize against the Rapids midfield will ultimately decide the game and with how small the field at Yankee Stadium is, we're sure to see plenty of midfield battles from both teams in an effort to carve out some space in the middle to work with and out of.

Behind the midfield is Thiago Martins who has had a history of comical "Peak MLS" errors but has stabilized quite a lot with the addition of center back partner Raul Gustavo; also signed last summer. Defensive stability has also come from right back Tayvon Gray and goalkeeper Matt Freese, each of whom have solidified themselves the best amongst their positions in the league. Left back Kevin O'Toole is the weakest of the backline defensively, but he offers plenty of support in the attack as an inverted full back. New signing Kai Trewin has also filled in well so far filling in as the de-facto Justin Haak replacement.

Match Preview

Despite how strong NYCFC have been out of the gate, their short sided pitch will be the most determining factor in this matchup. What happens when there's less space to navigate through poor mistakes? How will the Rapids break through NYCFC's structure at home? For as much as I have yelled for "more sample sizes" this is one I'm fine with rolling the dice and letting the game play out in whatever way it does. Win, lose, or draw – how the match plays out is... 'shrugs' – this is far from a game in the schedule that should warrant any overreaction.

This fixture at DSGP would have been another story; at Yankee Stadium how the Rapids navigate the chaos will say more about the lunacy of the match and less so about how strong the team is with just four games in to the season – yes, more sample sizes, please! Still, points remain up for grabs. The last time the Rapids visited Yankee Stadium, they came away with a strong 2-0 result playing out of an unconventional 4-4-2 back in 2024. It's unclear whether Wells will tinker with the set up. You'd imagine Aaronson will continue to operate from deep, but whether the space will be sufficient enough for him to continue sparking those attacks will be seen. If Navarro drops to press, how do the wide outlets operate and how much more involved will they be in the attack? In particular, I'm looking at Dante Sealy who's struggled so far in the team's attacking phases. Take away more of that space and does he thrive or continue to get clamped? For all the faults the team had in Seattle due to the more open and wider field dimension, this one will be the opposite meaning the margins for success, much like the pitch, become shorter.

NYCFC will likely attack this Pids team hard out of their build up and will want to force the visitors into uncomfortable on-ball situations. Zack Steffen remains out and while there's less worry with Nico Hansen in between the sticks, his questionable status opens could lead to a potential Adam Beaudry start who was recently recalled from his loan spell at Loudoun United. Ideally you'd want to see Hansen starting. If he's not available, this is Beaudry's chance to play himself back into the first choice back up option. Far from a favorable situation to return to the squad for, some goalkeeper uncertainty this early on in the season does not inspire much confidence.

For NYCFC, unlike the Galaxy's slugging blows, they will routinely be looking to jab and test Colorado defensively and whoever is in net is sure to have a hard time. All it takes is one for the Pigeons to get into rhythm, set up deep and ward off any long balls and control the game state on the tiny pitch they've been known to do so well at.

Availability Report:

Colorado Rapids

• Zack Steffen - Shoulder (OUT)
• Reggie Cannon - Ankle (OUT)
• Connor Ronan - Leg (OUT)

New York City FC

• Malachi Jones - Leg (OUT)
• Alonso Martinez - Leg (OUT)
• Andres Perea - Leg (OUT)

Projected Starting XI's

Score Prediction: New York City FC 3 - 1 Colorado Rapids

I'm just going to assume the worst is to come out of the smaller pitch. A red card is sure to happen against the Rapids; the one from Seattle that was overturned is due to make itself known following the last two red cards at home. Some goalkeeping uncertainty on the smaller pitch raises concerns as well and despite the amount of time NYC spent in an uneven game state, they have the clear talent disparity and are well coached. The Galaxy on paper held some of that same talent disparity, but at home Colorado's principled structure and Wells' tactical choices got the better of the G's. Against NYCFC, there's too many different factors that can easily lead to the above score line and given the cross-conference state of the match, this is one I believe we will be collectively looking to move on from.

Goalscorers: Maxi Moralez, Nico Fernandez Mercau Brace, Rafael Navarro