Mihailovic rallies Rapids past LAFC

The Colorado Rapids needed just one man on Saturday afternoon.

That man for the Rapids was Djorde Mihailovic. The USMNT prospect showed why he is just that, as his brace along with assisting on the opening goal enabled Colorado to twice rally from a one-goal deficit and eventually snatch the three points from LAFC with the 3-2 win at Dicks Sporting Goods Park.

“I think overall with the performance, we are disappointed,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “There were moments in the game where we looked like ourselves and our solutions worked, and too many moments in the game where we checked out and were too reactionary across the board.”

Trailing 2-1 in the 83rd minute, Colorado had a free kick at the top of the LAFC penalty area, Mihailovic and Sam Vines lined up as the shooters, Vines faked a run at the ball, then Mihailovic stepped up and sent the set piece over the LAFC wall and into the back net at the upper right corner to level the match a second time.

Mihailovic further gave his team an advantage in the 85th minute, as he drew a foul from David Martinez after he had given a ball away to Mihailovic. Worse for LAFC, it was Martinez’s second yellow of the match, resulting in his ejection and the man advantage for Colorado. The Rapids ultimately took advantage in the 89th minute, as Rafael Navarro sent a ball into the penalty area, Kimani Stewart-Baynes headed a ball onto the grass and Mihailovic beat LAFC defender Aaron Long to the ball and one-timed a right-footed shot just outside the penalty area past keeper Hugo Lloris into the back net for a go-ahead goal that ultimately became the winning goal.

“Credit to them, they did well,” LAFC midfielder Sergi Palencia said. “They put a lot of people in the box and they made it tough for us, but no excuses. I think we have to adjust at halftime or during the game. We have experienced players to adjust and to read the game, but we didn’t do [it]. We always are dangerous on the counter attacks, but today it was not enough.”

LAFC were the aggressors from the start. Denis Bouanga had two great chances inside the first 10 minutes, the first attempt came in the seventh minute, as he received a ball from Eduard Atuesta and fired a ball from the left side outside the penalty area, but the ball bounced off the crossbar. Seconds later, LAFC had a corner kick, and the end result was Bouanga firing a right-footed shot at goal, but keeper Zack Steffen parried the ball over goal. LAFC eventually got the first goal off the ensuing corner, as Atuesta sent a ball for the far post that Steffen past the goal line to stake LAFC to the lead.

Colorado however had a response in the 38th minute, and it was Mihailovic that ignited the response. Mihailovic sent a corner kick into the penalty area and Bombito headed a ball that deflected off Lloris and into the back net at the near post to level the match. The match remained tied for 38 minutes, until Martinez gave LAFC the lead back, as he received a ball from Atuesta, split a pair of Rapids defenders as he dribbled into the penalty area and fired the left-footed shot that beat Steffen low back post to regain the advantage for LAFC.