Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem made his debut for Colorado Rapids in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup clash against Los Angeles FC, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the Rapids on Wednesday.
Awaziem, who recently joined Colorado Rapids from another American side FC Cincinnati, started in the back four alongside Ian Murphy, Keegan Rosenberry, and Reggie Cannon, with the task of stopping Los Angeles’ attack led by experienced French striker, Olivier Giroud.
The first half was goalless as both sides failed to create enough chances to hurt the opposition. However, Awaziem, eager to make an impact in front of the home crowd, received a yellow card for a foul just before halftime.
The game came alive in the second half, with Colorado Rapids taking control as the turning point came when Kévin Cabral was fouled inside the box, allowing Djordje Mihailovic to score from the resulting penalty.
More Read
Colorado Rapids doubled their lead in the 78th minute through Mihailovic’s perfectly executed free-kick, which left Los Angeles’ experienced French goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris with no chance.
However, the away side refused to give up, with Aaron Long pulling a goal back in the 85th minute to set up a tense finish. Despite late pressure from Los Angeles, Colorado Rapids held firm to secure a vital first-leg advantage.
The results gives the MLS side the upper hand in the tie, nonetheless, Awaziem and the Rapids will now focus on their league opener against St. Louis CITY SC on February 22, before traveling to Los Angeles for the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup tie on February 25.
© Bold Media Innovations & Creative Hub Limited. All rights reserved. If sharing, kindly credit Bold Sports as the source and include a link to the original post. Unauthorised use is prohibited.
