Colorado Rapids Defeats Vancouver Whitecaps in a Crucial Win
Commerce City, CO – Saturday, July 12, 2025. As part of our ongoing effort to expand our MLS coverage and keep a close eye on teams fighting for playoff spots alongside Austin FC, we covered the matchup between the Colorado Rapids and Vancouver Whitecaps. Special thanks to talented photographer Jordan Perez for capturing on-field moments from pitch level.
Both teams came into this match following mid-season losses. Colorado had just fallen to LAFC on July 9, while Vancouver was defeated by LA Galaxy on July 4. The Rapids lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Zack Steffen returning from injury, while the Whitecaps featured a 4-3-3, welcoming back Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White after Gold Cup duty.
Colorado Rapids 3 - 0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Colorado showed attacking intent early on. In the 10th minute, Rafael Navarro found Ted Ku-DiPietro inside the box, but Mathias Laborda cleared it off the line. Soon after, Calvin Harris opened the scoring off a slick assist from Djordje Mihailovic, who continued to shine by setting up Navarro for the second goal at the 30th minute.
Just before halftime, a penalty was awarded after Berhalter fouled Ku-DiPietro in the box, but Yahoei Takaoka denied Navarro to keep it 2-0. Colorado kept pushing and made it 3-0 at the 59th minute with an Andreas Maxsø header off a corner, Mihailovic’s third assist of the night.
The Whitecaps were unable to break through, with their best chance, a Pedro Vite shot, blocked by Steffen at the 75th. With this result, Vancouver stays in 3rd place (38 points in 21 games), while Colorado climbs to 7th (29 points in 23 games).
With tough road games ahead and fewer matches left than their rivals, Colorado Rapids will need consistency to stay in the playoff race. Meanwhile, Vancouver Whitecaps may benefit from a break during Leagues Cup to regroup before returning to MLS action.
As the race tightens in the Western Conference, Colorado Rapids, AustinFC , San Jose Earthquales, Houston Dynamo, and Real Salt Lake are all set for a fierce battle to secure the final playoff spots.
