Rafael Navarro Wins and Converts Stoppage-Time Penalty as Colorado Rapids Edge Austin FC 1-0

Ninety minutes of pressure, 11 corners, and nothing to show for it. Then Darren Yapi's shot was parried, Rafael Navarro got to the rebound first, and Przemyslaw Placheta brought him down in the box. Navarro stepped up to the spot himself and finally broke Austin FC.

The Colorado Rapids beat Austin FC 1-0 on Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, with Navarro converting a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time. On a night the Rapids were celebrating Colorado's 150th birthday, the Rapids' Designated Player delivered the present, and he got a yellow card for his celebration, too. Worth it.

Siege Mode in Commerce City

This one was lopsided from the opening whistle. Navarro forced Brad Stuver into a save from close range in the third minute, and Colorado won four corners in the first eight minutes. Wayne Frederick nodded one just over in the ninth. Paxten Aaronson had two left-footed efforts saved by Stuver in back-to-back minutes around the half-hour mark, and Frederick headed narrowly wide again in the 44th.

Austin's best spell came in the middle of the first half. Myrto Uzuni sent one just wide in the 19th minute, and Besard Sabovic forced Nico Hansen into a save from outside the box in the 24th. Otherwise, the visitors spent most of the half behind the ball, and the first half ended scoreless with zero minutes of stoppage time announced.

The second half picked up where the first left off. Georgi Minoungou forced another Stuver save in the 46th minute, and Austin briefly answered with two near misses of its own: Brandon Vázquez headed just wide in the 50th, and Facundo Torres went close from distance two minutes later. Vázquez's header in the 63rd minute was the best Austin look of the night, and Hansen saved it.

Coach Matt Wells had already freshened his attack with Yapi and Donavan Phillip around the hour mark, and the hosts leaned in. Navarro had a header saved in the 65th minute and a shot saved in the 81st, then headed wide off a corner in the 88th. Stuver was magnificent, and for a while it looked like his night would be the story.

Austin's frustration was building. Ervin Torres and Joseph Rosales were booked two minutes apart in the 70th and 72nd minutes, and Rosales sent a direct free kick over the bar in the 84th. The visitors played it long 66 times, more than double Colorado's total, and cleared the ball 35 times. That is a team trying to survive, not a team trying to win.

Navarro Finishes What He Started

In the first minute of stoppage time, Yapi's shot from outside the box was saved. Navarro chased the loose ball, Placheta fouled him, and referee Armando Villarreal awarded the penalty. Placheta and Uzuni were both booked before the kick was taken. Then Navarro sent his right-footed penalty into the bottom left corner. Austin had one last swing in the eighth minute of stoppage time, when Uzuni got a shot away from the right side of the box, but Hansen saved it.

The numbers on Navarro's night are loud: seven shots, four on target, one goal. According to the Rapids, it was his 37th goal for the club in MLS regular-season play, tying John Spencer for the fourth most in club history. The club added that his eight penalty goals are the third most by a single player in Rapids history.

Wells was not exactly sweating it when Navarro stepped up. "We do a lot of work behind the scenes," Wells said, per the Rapids. "Whenever we get a penalty, I at least have confidence. I know exactly where the penalty is going because I watch Rafa practice that penalty numerous times the day before the game."

He also kept it real. "He could miss a penalty, but at the minute, he's in really good form," Wells said.

On the other side, Stuver deserves a lot better than a loss. He made seven saves in ESPN's count, several on shots from inside the box, and kept Austin level until the 94th minute. Austin's own report credited him with six. Either way, he was the main reason this game was still scoreless deep into stoppage time.

There was another milestone in the 85th minute. Keegan Rosenberry came off the bench and, per the Rapids, became only the third player in club history to reach 200 MLS regular-season appearances with Colorado, behind Drew Moor (210) and Pablo Mastroeni (225).

The Rebound That Mattered

Colorado created chance after chance and kept running into Stuver. The breakthrough came from the least glamorous kind of soccer: a striker following up a teammate's shot when most defenders had stopped. Navarro beat the Austin back line to the second ball, Placheta fouled him, and an evening of frustration flipped in a second. That is a Designated Player's job in a nutshell. Be there when it matters.

Stats That Matter

• Possession: Colorado Rapids 64 percent, Austin FC 36 percent.
• Shots: Colorado 23, Austin 9, with eight Rapids attempts on target to Austin's three.
• Corners: Colorado 11, Austin 0.
• Crosses: Colorado sent in 38 to Austin's six.
• Saves: Brad Stuver 7, Nico Hansen 3.

Rapids Rise, Austin Slides

The Rapids improved to 7-1-10 with 22 points, and the club listed them 11th in the Western Conference after the win. They have alternated wins and losses over their last three games, beating San Diego, losing at St. Louis and now beating Austin. Next up is Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 15 at home.

Austin dropped to 4-5-9 with 17 points. The road has been brutal: Austin has now lost four straight away games without scoring, falling at San Diego, St. Louis, Houston and now Colorado. The club will try to reset in Leagues Cup, opening against Club Tijuana at Q2 Stadium on Aug. 6.

Birthday Cake, Served Late

Every great birthday party has the moment where everyone thinks the cake is not coming. Then someone wheels it out, candles and all, and the room loses its mind. Navarro was the cake. For 93 minutes the Rapids pushed and pushed, and Stuver kept blowing out the candles. In the end, Colorado got its celebration, and Navarro got a yellow card for enjoying it a little too much.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Postgame quotes and club notes as reported by the Colorado Rapids (coloradorapids.com); match notes from Austin FC (austinfc.com).