Saturday night’s Rocky Mountain Cup showdown had a little bit of everything.
There were goals (plenty of them), fancy footwork, and of course, the passion one would expect from a 15-year-old regional rivalry.
It also featured what’s becoming a consistent trend for the Rapids this season: its young players playing a key role in the team’s success.
Homegrown defender Sam Vines, 21, helped put the game away in the 49th minute after getting on the end of a low cross from Younes Namli to make the score 3-0. The goal, Vines’ first in MLS, followed up on his midweek assist that helped the Rapids rally to a stoppage-time draw against the Houston Dynamo.