Colorado Rapids return to the field on Tuesday night, 10 days after their dramatic comeback win over Columbus Crew SC.
They will be quite content to keep any drama to a minimum this time around, as they step into the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
But they know that Tuesday’s first-time visitors, Oklahoma City Energy FC, will not make matters easy. OKC have former Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen as their head coach, and Anthony Wallace as one of their more experienced players. Wallace was a member of the Rapids’ MLS Cup-winning side in 2010.
“With these sides there’s always some guys who’ve played at the highest level,” said midfielder Dillon Powers.
“That’s what makes these games hard. These guys are good players, but at the end of the day we can focus a lot on the match-up and what they do, but I think if we focus on what our strengths are and what we want to do, (and execute) our game plan, then I think we’re going to be alright.”
This is the round in which MLS teams enter the competition. The Rapids have faced USL opposition at the first hurdle the previous four seasons. They fell at Orlando City SC in 2013, but won through in seasons 2014-2016, only to stumble in round five.
Last year the Rapids let slip a 1-0 lead at eventual Open Cup winners FC Dallas, to lose the tie 2-1 after extra-time.
The Rapids’ best assault on the Open Cup came in 1999, when they were defeated in the final 2-0 by Rochester Rhinos of the A-League.
For the 2017 edition, the Rapids will be without Tim Howard or Mekeil Williams. Howard is returning from international duty with the USA, while Williams is in Costa Rica for Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup qualifier on Tuesday night.
There are also a number of players nearing full fitness who are likely to sit out this fourth round encounter, including Nana Boateng and Axel Sjöberg. Shkëlzen Gashi is nursing a hamstring injury, sustained in the 2-1 win over Columbus Crew SC on June 3.
OKC became only the fourth team to take a point off San Antonio FC, and the third to shut them out, when the teams tied 0-0 at Taft Stadium on Saturday in the USL. That result leaves Nielsen’s team one point and four places outside the playoff positions in the Western Conference, with a 4-5-2 record.
Tuesday’s visitors set up this meeting with a 2-1 win at Colorado Springs Switchbacks on May 31. This will be their third game of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. They also beat Moreno Valley Fútbol Club, at home in round two, by five goals to one - despite going behind early on. Moreno Valley finished the game with nine men.
At the start of the competition the 99 participating clubs, hailing from 30 different states, made 2017’s the largest field in modern-era U.S. Open Cup history (1995 to present).
For the Rapids, this is the first of three successive home games over an eight day period. They host Portland Timbers on Saturday as MLS duties resume (TICKETS), before LA Galaxy visit Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on June 21 (TICKETS).
