CINCINNATI, OHIO – In their first ever game at TQL Stadium with a full capacity crowd, FC Cincinnati hosted Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. William Yarbrough and Rapids proved to be up for the task of playing villains in front of the near capacity crowd.
William Yarbrough, Rapids Smash and Grab Cincinnati 2-0
The first half was competitive but there were few clear cut opportunities. The Rapids came out in a conservative 3-5-2 for the second time recently. Cincinnati reverted to a 4-3-3. Cincy created good passing sequences through Luciano Acosta and Isaac Atanga, with Brenner being the target man up top.
Colorado weren’t convincing in their secondary formation. Kellyn Acosta turned the game into a chippy affair with several fouls. The center backs bent frequently but did not break.
Diego Rubio opened the scoring in the 21st minute. For the third time, Michael Barrios got in behind onside. He delayed waiting for help, serving a ball to Rubio who made a late run to score.
Things got testy starting 10 minutes into the second half. Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough was fouled collecting the ball after a corner. He appeared to injure his right knee on the play.
After several minutes, play resumed with Yarbrough in the game, appearing to be limited in his movement. Right away, he had to make two saves off his line and appeared to be ok.
A minute later, Joe Gyau made a run in the attacking, pushing Jack Price in the shoulder from behind. Price went down. Play stopped as he was evaluated for a concussion. Price stayed in the game, becoming the enemy of the crowd, WWE heel style.
Cincinnati continued to have most of the ball, moving it around in the final third, but failing to create quality chances. Alvaro Barreal nearly scored on a direct free kick in the 69th minute, but Yarbrough made the diving save.
Substitute Jonathan Lewis put the game to bed three minutes later. Price delivered a perfectly weighted ball as he cut between the center backs and beat Vermeer shooting across goal.
Yarbrough and the defense held their own in the final minutes, earning the 2-0 win. Jürgen Locadia had a spectacular chance from a few yards out but the shot was blocked.
Huge first half from @william_yarbro! #CINvCOL pic.twitter.com/Tz2lwTJmgD
— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) June 20, 2021
Three Key Takeaways:
Yarbrough MOTM: This is the best game Yarbrough has played as a member of the Rapids. He made several acrobatic saves. His defense wasn’t their usual stout self and he answered the call.
Cincinnati attack still frustrated: On the flip side, Cincy had trouble breaking down a team that put numbers behind the ball, again. Brenner was on an island and when Acosta and Barreal are double teamed, they haven’t been able to create or finish.
Transition play: Both goals from Colorado came out of nowhere. The transition attack has started clicking with Barrios continuing his great form and Lewis finally scoring. Both plays started rather harmlessly, but Cincy’s defense wasn’t good enough.
Photo by Mark Goodman.
The post William Yarbrough, Rapids Smash and Grab Cincinnati 2-0 appeared first on Last Word On Soccer.
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