Colorado Rapids vs Minnesota United FC
MLS Regular Season, Week 15
June 8, 2019 - 7:00 PM
DICK'S Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, Colorado
Building an early Rookie of the Year case...
Rookie Andre Shinyashiki is quickly making a name for himself in Major League Soccer. He's featured in 13 games, both off the bench and in back-to-back games as a starter. The 21-year-old has scored two goals and added one assist over the course of the last four games. Shinyashiki netted his third of the season in the 43rd minute against FC Cincinnati last Saturday which helped him land on the MLS Team of the Weekfor the first time. The Sao Paulo, Brazil native is currently tied with Nicolás Mezquida for second on the team with three goals, averaging 0.728 goals per 90 minutes. While the striker is well on his way to building a Rookie of the Year campaign, he's focused on the task at hand as a team.
"I'm really happy to get the goal, but more importantly to get the win in front of the fans," Shinyashiki said postgame. "It's been a thing this year that we haven't been able to win at home, but now we're rolling and we hope to keep going."
Minnesota's depth will be tested in Colorado
Minnesota United FC will be itching to get back in the win column on Saturday after missing out on points in their last three games. The Loons (6-6-3) suffered their first Allianz Field defeat, losing to the Philadelphia Union, 3-2 last week. Saturday marks Minnesota's third visit to DICK'S Sporting Goods Park since joining the league in 2017. The Loons have yet to win inside Colorado's fortress (0-1-1), and will certainly be tested on Saturday as they could be without four key pieces of their roster. Jan Gregus (Slovakia) Romain Metanire (Madagascar), Kevin Molino (Trinidad and Tobago), and Rasmus Schuller (Finland) have all been called up for international duty in recent days. Defender, Romain Metanire has scored either a goal or added an assist in three of the last four games, and has been one of the few bright spots in the Loons' defense. However, Minnesota's depth will feel the most pressure if all three midfielders (Gregus, Molino and Schuller) are absent.
The Colorado Rapids will also be missing a key player, as Jonathan Lewis has been named to Gregg Berhalter's final US roster for the 2019 Gold Cup.
What to watch for...
Connor Cape, Radio Play-by-Play Announcer
Four matches unbeaten and three of them wins, the Colorado Rapids are simultaneously flying high while also remaining grounded. Multiple players have said the key to keeping this run of form is to get back out there and train every week like you haven't won anything. It's the moment you get complacent when you slip up. This is the best attitude for these guys to have. They know that all of their goals are still in front of them, and they can control their own destiny if they keep putting in workman-like performances. Saturday against FC Cincinnati was a professional performance in every way and the final scoreline displayed that. The home stretch continues with Minnesota United FC arriving this weekend.
