By Canadian Press

Yordy Reyna, Whitecaps battle from two down for draw against Rapids

Jun 22, 2019 | 9:27 PM

VANCOUVER — Yordy Reyna scored on a free kick in the 80th minute as the Vancouver Whitecaps battled back from an early two-goal deficit for a 2-2 draw with the Colorado Rapids Saturday.

The kick from about 19 yards out was set up when Colorado defender Lalas Abubakar was called for a foul. Reyna’s strike sailed over the Rapids’ wall and goalkeeper Tim Howard seemed to lose sight of the ball until it was in the net.

Fredy Montero scored Vancouver’s other goal on a penalty kick in the 45th minute.

A pair of former Whitecaps returned to haunt their old team as the Rapids took a quick lead.

Midfielder Nicolas Mezquida set up two goals and striker Kei Kamara had an assist for the Rapids.

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Diego Rubio and Andre Shinyashiki scored for Colorado (4-9-4). After losing eight straight matches the Rapids are unbeaten in their last six games (4-0-2).

Vancouver (4-6-7) has points in eight of its last nine games (3-1-5).

Colorado opened the scoring off a scramble just eight minutes into the game. Mezquida sent a corner kick into the box which Rubio headed past Whitecaps goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

Kamara and Mezquida both earned assists on Shinyashiki’s goal in the 20th minute. Mezquida sent a cross that Karma headed to Shinyashiki for his fourth goal of the season. The assist was Kamara’s first of the year.

Just seconds earlier Kamara had a clear shot from the centre of the box that MacMath deflected with a right hand, bringing a cheer from the crowd of 19,893 at BC Place Stadium.

Despite trailing 2-0 the Whitecaps carried the attack to Colorado for most of the game. Midfielder Inbeom Hwang and Reyna both has good scoring chances. Howard made a good save to redirect a Montero header over top of the net.

Montero scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season after defender Ali Adnan was hauled down in the box by Rubio.

Kamara led the Whitecaps with 14 goals last season. When his contract expired at the end of the season, he was selected by FC Cincinnati in the MLS Expansion Draft and traded to Colorado.

Mezquida spent five years with the Whitecaps, scoring 12 goals. Last December he was traded to Colorado for cash and MacMath.

NOTES: With Doneil Henry playing for Canada at the Gold Cup, Andy Rose started at centre back for the Whitecaps. … Besides Henry, Whitecaps Russell Teibert, Max Crepeau and Derek Cornelius have also been called up by Canada’s national team. … MacMath spent four years playing for the Rapids.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press