Rafael Navarro Goal, Nico Hansen Shutout Lift Colorado Rapids Past Minnesota United 1-0

Minnesota United hit the post. Then Minnesota United hit the crossbar. Then Minnesota United spent the next hour finding out that the scoreboard does not award style points.

Rafael Navarro's 26th-minute goal stood up as the Colorado Rapids beat Minnesota United 1-0 on Wednesday night at Allianz Field, with goalkeeper Nico Hansen and a busy back line protecting the lead for more than an hour in front of 18,458. The Loons outshot the visitors 12-5, but both teams put just two shots on target, and only one of those four went in.

Navarro Punishes One Lapse

This was a scrappy, physical game from the opening whistle. Morris Duggan was booked in the first minute, Kelvin Yeboah followed in the 21st, and by full time referee Elijio Arreguin had shown nine yellow cards, five to Minnesota and four to Colorado.

Minnesota had the better of the early chances. Hansen saved Joaquín Pereyra's angled shot in the fourth minute and pushed away Jefferson Díaz's header in the 21st, and Pereyra dragged a shot from outside the box just wide two minutes later.

Then Colorado struck on the break. According to the Rapids, Noah Cobb beat the press with a pass to Connor Ronan, making his first start of the season after an injury, and Ronan found Paxten Aaronson in midfield. Aaronson drove forward and slid a through ball to Navarro, who finished with his right foot from the center of the box into the bottom left corner. The club says it was his club-leading eighth goal of the season. Minnesota's recap pinned it on a momentary breakdown at the back.

Woodwork Twice in Two Minutes

The response from the hosts was instant and almost brutal. In the 28th minute, James Rodríguez hit the left post with a left-footed shot from outside the box. A minute later, Rodríguez crossed and Anthony Markanich sent a left-footed effort off the crossbar from the left side of the six-yard box. Two shots, two pieces of metal, zero goals.

Díaz then headed just wide off a Rodríguez cross after a corner in the 38th minute, and Drake Callender had to save from Aaronson at the other end in the 39th. Colorado went into halftime 1-0 up and, frankly, a little lucky.

The Turning Point

If the woodwork was the first warning, the second half delivered the message. Minnesota sent on Nicolás Romero for Michael Boxall at halftime, and the Loons' recap says they had an equalizer called offside early in the half. The scoreboard did not move, and that was the moment the night felt like it belonged to Colorado.

From there, it was a siege. Minnesota made a triple change in the 64th minute, bringing on Tomás Chancalay, Nectarios Triantis and Bongokuhle Hlongwane for Rodríguez, Owen Gene and Kyle Duncan. Chancalay launched a free kick from more than 35 yards over the bar in the 72nd minute, and Yeboah sent a shot from the left side of the six-yard box high and wide in the 77th, right after play had been stopped for treatment to Colorado's Miguel Navarro.

Colorado barely threatened after the break, with Aaronson's miss on a fast break in the 88th minute their best look. In stoppage time, substitute Mamadou Dieng had two headers from the center of the box, and both drifted wide to the left. Ballgame.

Who Stood Out

Rafael Navarro. One shot, one goal. He also committed eight fouls and picked up a late yellow card, which tells you exactly what kind of night it was. Efficiency, thy name is Navarro.

Paxten Aaronson. The assist, three shots and the most dangerous Colorado player whenever the Rapids had the ball in transition.

Nico Hansen. Two saves and a clean sheet. The Rapids' recap highlighted his safe hands, and when the Loons did get through, he was there.

Noah Cobb. The center back started the goal with the pass that broke Minnesota's press, and the Rapids say he also sprinted more than 30 yards in the first half to snuff out a Minnesota breakaway. That is the kind of play that never shows up in a box score and decides 1-0 games.

James Rodríguez. The Colombian hit the post and set up Markanich's crossbar effort before going off in the 64th minute. Minnesota's recap says it was his last game before leaving to join Colombia for the World Cup.

Stats That Matter

• Shots: Minnesota led 12-5 in attempts, but it was 2-2 in shots on target.
• Possession: Minnesota held 55.1 percent of the ball.
• Crosses: Minnesota tried 23 crosses and completed nine. Colorado completed none of its six.
• Defending: Colorado made 40 clearances and 15 interceptions to Minnesota's 19 and nine.
• Fouls: 42 in total, 24 by Colorado and 18 by Minnesota.

What It Means

Colorado improved to 5-1-7 with 16 points and snapped a three-match losing streak. It was also the Rapids' first win since a 6-2 home rout of the Houston Dynamo on April 11 and their first road win since March 21 at Sporting Kansas City. The club's recap lists the Rapids ninth in the Western Conference and Minnesota fifth.

Minnesota fell to 6-3-4 with 21 points and are winless in two after Sunday's 2-2 home draw with Austin FC. For a team that had been rolling in April, two home matches without a win is a bump in the road worth watching.

Both teams travel on Saturday. Colorado heads to Real Salt Lake for a Rocky Mountain Cup meeting, while Minnesota visits the New England Revolution.

Closing Take

Minnesota won the possession battle, the shot count and the crossing contest, and the Loons' recap even called them the better team in many ways. None of it counted. This was the soccer version of acing the practice test and then forgetting to write your name on the real one. Colorado scored once, defended for an hour and went home with all three points. Sometimes that is the whole recipe.

Stats from ESPN's match data. Additional details from the Colorado Rapids' and Minnesota United FC's official sites. No postgame quotes were published on the official pages reviewed.