Colorado Rapids 2 continued their impressive 2023 season with a dominant 5-0 road victory over LA Galaxy II on Sunday.
Amidst the excellent play of Rapids 2, it was the 18-year-old defender Daniel Garcia who stood out, scoring his first goal of the season within five minutes of coming on as a substitute. The goal earned Garcia the MLS NEXT Rising Star award for Matchday 7.
The young defender entered the game at the start of the second half to help shore up the Rapids 2 backline, but ended up scoring during a set piece scramble in the box that gave the visitors their third goal of the game.
Garcia, who hails from Fort Collins, Colorado, joined the Rapids organization as a U-12 player and made 13 appearances for Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022.
Prior to the game against Galaxy II, Garcia had made three appearances for Rapids 2 in the current season, with two of those being starts.
Following his standout performance on Sunday, Garcia will aim to build on his progress and establish himself as a key player for a Rapids 2 side that looks set for success in MLS NEXT Pro.
