Summary | Three Colorado Rapids Academy players make professional debuts in match against MNUFC2

Colorado Rapids 2 (4-11-3, 16 pts.) fell to MNUFC2 (5-10-0, 15 pts.) Friday night in Blaine, Minnesota, by a score of 1-0. Three Rapids Academy players made their professional debuts in Friday’s match, with Zackory Campagnolo starting at goalkeeper and Vincent Rinaldi and Maxwell Simpson coming on in the second half.

The first half saw possession being shared between the two teams, with each team having three shots. Striker Facundo Núñez was the first to have a clear view of goal, sending goalkeeper Clint Irwin over the bar to save a curling shot.

Despite several good chances, Rapids 2 failed to find the back of the net during the 90 minutes. Minnesota’s winning goal was kept out by the Colorado defence until the 82nd minute, when Rory O’Driscoll found the back of the net to secure the hosts’ fifth win of the year.

Rapids 2 finished the match with 10 players after Daouda Amadou received a second yellow card in the 63rd minute. Goalkeeper Campagnolo kept his composure well, finishing the evening with three saves and only conceding one goal outside his defence.

The Rapids 2 will return home on Sunday, August 3 to face Houston Dynamo 2. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM Mountain Time at the University of Denver Soccer Stadium.

**See the highlights and match summary >>**

• Rapids Academy goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo made his first appearance for Rapids 2 when he made his professional debut in today’s match against MNUFC2.
• Rapids Academy players Vincent Rinaldi and Maxwell Simpson made their Rapids 2 debuts in a match against MNUFC2.
• Marlon Vargas made his 40th regular-season start for the Rapids 2, passing Robinson Aguirre for third most starts in team history.

Media availability after the match:

Colorado Rapids 2 goalkeeper Zackory Campagnolo

Below are selected quotes from the post-match transcript.

COLORADO RAPIDS 2 HEAD COACH ERIK BUSHEY

“A difficult game, we didn’t start the way we wanted to. In many ways it seemed to get more difficult as the game went on. We took positives from the fact that it was 0-0 at half-time. We knew we weren’t playing the best football but we had some bright moments or were on the verge of bright moments. We tried to be more aggressive in the second half and ultimately it was a difficult game from the first to the last minute. I appreciate the work the lads did, I think they gave it their all but tonight just wasn’t our night.”

On the work the team presented over the course of 90 minutes:

“Unfortunately, we’ve had to deal with that a few times this year. When it happened before and when we analysed those games, we realised that if we stick together and it’s hard to break us down, we’ll not only survive, we’ll create. At that point, I don’t know what minute it was, maybe 70, 75, we weren’t looking for moral victories. We weren’t really trying to make it a penalty shootout and see if we could get an extra point, we were trying to push. It was an important game for us and from a results perspective, it was a really important game, so we tried. The guys are desperate to get those points and that’s why I’m grateful for the effort. There were certainly one or two occasions when I thought we might be rewarded for that effort. Again, it wasn’t meant to be.”

COLORADO RAPIDS 2 GOALKEEPER ZACKORY CAMPAGNOLO

“Overall, on the night it was a good experience for me personally, my debut and my first 90 minutes in Colorado Rapids 2. Overall, I think it was a very positive night. I think we were very resilient and I think our defense was extremely sharp, extremely tight. In the end we didn’t get the result we wanted, but it was a great team performance.”

On making his pro debut and playing in the MLS NEXT All-Star in the same week:

“Obviously, Columbus was a great experience coming back from the All-Star Game. I gained a lot of experience and knowledge from that going into this weekend, especially since it was my first game. I think it was a really great turnaround and as cool as it was, I think it was important for it to happen so quickly so I could implement what I learned from the All-Star Game, coming back after 45 minutes there, straight into a professional environment for the first time. I think it really helped me more than it hurt. With the travel schedule and the training schedule, coming back so early is tough on the body, but I think overall I handled it well. I think everything worked out in my favor and it really showed tonight.”