The Colorado Rapids busted up the Saturday-afternoon block party. Djordje Mihailovic held the battering ram.
There’s just something about afternoon games at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park that brings the best out of Mihailovic, who had both goals in a 2-0 win over red-hot Charlotte FC — the Rapids’ first home win of the season.
Last season, in the Rapids’ only home afternoon game of the season, Mihailovic found his first two goals in burgundy against LAFC.
“I don’t know, if every game was a day game, I would be Messi, I guess,” Mihailovic joked. “I mean, that’s not what’s important. The most important thing is we finally get a win at home. I think the first two home games, you can see a bit of frustration, especially last game, we were completely played off the field in my opinion.
“(Today), we didn’t change, we didn’t get frustrated. We stuck to the plan and that’s the biggest thing, that’s what gets us the win.”
The Rapids’ string-puller had little resistance on his first goal of the game — and of his MLS season — basically a tap-in he made look easy. Omir Fernández, a 60th-minute sub, put in the service to Mihailovic, who found the back of the net on a half volley. That’s two assists for Fernández this season, both off the bench.
The opening tally came in the 78th minute. Fifteen minutes before, there was a three-minute stretch during which Charlotte blocked five Rapids shots. At that point, the game seemed destined to end without a score as the weather devolved into wind and some raindrops here and there.
“In the second half, we felt it building, we felt (a goal) coming,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said. “To give Charlotte a lot of credit, they’re blocking shots, putting their bodies on the line, you can see a winning mentality and believe in their team to defend their goal really well.
“But we felt like it was coming. Was it going to be the extra pass? Or the extra touch to elude a body in the box? … Or a moment where Omir helps get the goal and Djordje has a really clinical finish.”
Mihailovic doubled the lead in the 81st minute from the penalty spot. Rapids forward Rafael Navarro out-muscled and out-positioned Adilson Malanda on a breakaway, then Malanda pulled him down in the box. Mihailovic buried it lower left center.
The Rapids had a season-high 22 shots (six on goal). It took a while, but they were rewarded for finally playing a more direct style of offense to put pressure on a formidable Charlotte defense. As the Rapids tried to play out wide, Charlotte tried to funnel Rapids attackers toward the middle, where it was most compact and difficult to play through.
Defensively, Chidozie Awaziem overcame a silly early yellow card and dealt with Charlotte stars Patrick Agyemang and Wilfried Zaha smartly, but physically, as is the norm.
The clean sheet at home is an encouraging sign of life after giving up a three-goal shutout to Portland last week.
“Today was a really good reaction from our team after the last game, and we know we’re usually really good at home,” Armas said. “I thought it was mature. It was complete and we’ve been looking for that performance. We think as a staff and a team and our club, it might have been our best performance since the Leagues Cup run last year. Our team met the demands of a real game — Charlotte’s a good team.”
