The Rapids will be participating in their first playoff match since 2021, where the club advanced to the Conference Semifinal after finishing first in the west. LA has returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 after being eliminated in the Conference Semifinals by LAFC.
Saturday’s match will mark the third time that these two have faced off this season, with the Galaxy earning victories in both contests. The first matchup was on the road in Carson, where LA bested Colorado in a tight 3-2 match. The Galaxy also came out on top when they came to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, 1-3.
Despite only playing the Galaxy once on the road this season, Saturday will be the third match that Colorado has played at Dignity Health Sports Park in 2024. The Rapids matched up against Club América in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals at DHSP, where they defeated the Liga MX side in a shootout following a 0-0 draw in regulation.
Two players to watch for the Rapids include Jonathan Lewis and Kévin Cabral. For Lewis, the midfielder has recorded four goals and three assists in his 11 appearances against the Galaxy, with one of those assists coming this season at DHSP. Cabral, the former Galaxy player, has also seen success against his former team. In his three appearances against LA since joining the Rapids in 2023, the forward has netted two goals, both of which coming on the road in California. Cabral returned from injury in last weekend’s match against Austin after being sidelined since July 17th.
This will be the first experience for both clubs in the Round One Best-of-3 format that was implemented by Major League Soccer last season. LA Galaxy, the higher-seeded club, will be hosting Game 1 and Game 3 (if necessary), with the Rapids hosting Game 2 at DSGP. If any of the three matches were to end in a tie, the match would head to a shootout to determine the winner. Whoever takes the series will advance to the Conference Semifinals to play the winner of the series between Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United FC.
