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Colorado Rapids Vs D.C. United: 3 things we learned – Encouraging attacking signs

By Hilario Muniz

WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 29: Jonathan Lewis #7 of Colorado Rapids celebrates with his teammate Kei Kamara #23 after scoring the game winning goal against the D.C. United in the second half at Audi Field on February 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 29: Jonathan Lewis #7 of Colorado Rapids celebrates with his teammate Kei Kamara #23 after scoring the game winning goal against the D.C. United in the second half at Audi Field on February 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 29: Jonathan Lewis #7 of Colorado Rapids celebrates with his teammate Kei Kamara #23 after scoring the game winning goal against the D.C. United in the second half at Audi Field on February 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 29: Jonathan Lewis #7 of Colorado Rapids celebrates with his teammate Kei Kamara #23 after scoring the game winning goal against the D.C. United in the second half at Audi Field on February 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

2. Kei Kamara leads deep, varied attack

Kei Kamara has had quite the career in MLS over the past 14 seasons. And this season, he has a chance to become the league’s second all-time leading goalscorer if he can muster up a 20-goal season. The 35-year-old Sierra Leone native now has 127 career goals and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. And he may have some of the best playmakers around him since arriving in Denver last season.

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Kamara stayed on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes. He finished the day with one goal on five shots. Kamara led one of the more dangerous attacks in all of MLS in 2019 and that same attack has just gotten stronger over the offseason, as beautifully illustrated by the attacking talent that Colorado introduced from off the bench: Diego Rubio, Nicolas Mezquida and Jonathan Lewis.

Rubio was the team’s second-highest goalscorer last year, while Lewis scored the winner and was a consistent threat in 2019 from wide with pace and dribbling ability. They are quite the players to have ready in waiting with fresh legs to unleash on unsuspecting defenses.

It should be said that things weren’t gelling completely entirely for Colorado. Some passes were misplaced, the movement off the ball was a little slow and reactionary, rather than looking to hurt spaces with coordinated runs. But the attack looked deep, full of variety, and dangerous, and that will pay dividends across a league season.

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