Colorado Rapids vs FC Dallas
MLS Regular Season, Week 30
September 29, 2019 - 5:30 PM
DICK'S Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, Colorado
Still alive in the postseason hunt...
Last Saturday the Colorado Rapids (11-15-6, 9th in MLS Western Conference) once again displayed the resolve and fighting spirit that has defined the team throughout the 2019 campaign. After finding themselves down two goals after only fifteen minutes of play, the Rapids flipped the switch and got themselves back in the game, eventually completing the comeback to win 3-2.
First, late in the first half, midfielder Jack Price (more on him later) sent in a pinpoint corner that lead to a spectacular Kei Kamara bicycle kick in traffic. Then, in the 76th minute, it was defender Tommy Smith who made a heads-up play in the SKC box to find a wide-open Diego Rubio who calmly smashed home the equalizer. The cherry on top for Rapids fans came nine minutes later on an English connection; Jack Price lofted in another juicy cross from the corner and Tommy Smith struck an equally beautiful header that drifted above goalkeeper Tim Melia’s arms into the back of the net. While the praise for any such comeback should be distributed team-wide, it’s hard not to shine a light on Jack Price and his deadly long-ball. Price’s ten assists on set-pieces this the season is the most in MLS since 2010.
As the Rapids prepare for FC Dallas on Sunday, the primary storyline is on team captain Tim Howard as he’ll make his last regular season home appearance of the year. After three and a half years in Colorado and over twenty in his professional career, Howard will say his final goodbye on the pitch to the fans at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park. Bring your tissues, folks.
FC Dallas hanging on by a thread...
FC Dallas (12-11-9, 7th in MLS Western Conference) needs to register a solid performance this Sunday. With no wins through their three games in the month of September, the Texas club that has been entrenched in the playoff picture for most of the season is limping towards the finish line. Now, with San Jose and the Colorado Rapids nipping at their heels, the club is revved and itching to secure their spot and prove that they belong. In describing his team’s preparation for Colorado, FCD coach Luchi Gonzalez said at team practice that he views this as a must-win match.
Truth be told, FC Dallas is still in the driver’s seat to clinch one of the few remaining playoff spots in the MLS Western Conference. The terms of Sunday’s match are clear from a Colorado fan’s perspective: lose and we're out, win and we're in. Compound the stakes of this match with the raw emotion of Howard’s last homestand and it should make for one thrilling night.
