FRISCO, Texas – The Colorado Rapids came into their road match Friday night against FC Dallas having gone without a goal in their last 600 minutes of action.
It took them all of two minutes to not only end that streak but also their MLS-record-tying 18-game winless streak with a surprising 4-0 victory at Toyota Stadium.
Rookie forward Dominique Badji set the tone with a second-minute strike that was followed by goals from Dillon Powers, Gabriel Torres and substitute Dillon Serna and backed by the league-leading fourth clean sheet of the season for goalkeeper Clint Irwin.
Adding to the night of firsts for the Rapids, their first away victory since April 12 of last year snaps their 16-game away losing streak and gives them six points on the season following three straight scoreless draws to start the season before last weekend’s 2-0 loss to the New England Revolution.
The last win overall for Colorado came against Chivas USA on July 26, 2014.
FC Dallas, meanwhile, have dropped their last two games after coming into their match last weekend leading the Western Conference and remain on 10 points from their six games.
Badji put an end to Colorado’s streak of attacking futility in style, turning home from close range a long Powers cross from the right wing into the back of the net of FC Dallas goalkeeperChris Seitz.
Powers himself got in on the goal-scoring action in the 43rd minute, taking a feed on the left wing, turning around Dallas defender Je-Vaughn Watson and driving at the goal before unleashing a low, left-footed blast inside the far post.
Dallas looked for a spark in the second half through substitutes Kyle Bekker and Atiba Harris. It led to several chances from Tesho Akindele, Harris and Fabian Castillo right out of the break.
But Colorado continued to pour it on, and in the 70th minute Juan Ramirez left off for Torres, who slammed home a right-footed blast from the edge of the box for the Rapids’ third goal of the night.
The fourth Colorado goal was all for fun, a well-taken left-footed Serna missile from well outside the penalty area that beat Seitz high.
FC Dallas will attempt to break their two-game losing streak next Saturday at home against Toronto FC, while the Rapids play host to the Seattle Sounders on the same day.
