COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids (2-2-2, 8 pts) will cap off a two-game road stint as they travel to Allianz Field on Saturday to take on Minnesota United FC (2-2-2, 8 pts). Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT and the match will be broadcast on Altitude Sports and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.
Colorado enters Saturday’s match following a 3-1 loss in Dallas last weekend in which the Rapids held 64.9% possession, outshot the home side 16-7 and led 2.1-1.4 xG during the game; Dallas had previously held all other teams to an average of just two shots allowed per game prior to facing the Rapids. Diego Rubio opened the score in the 30th minute, finishing off a lovely passing sequence with Lucas Esteves and Michael Barrios, but Dallas responded two minutes into first half stoppage time through a dipping, long-range effort from Brandon Servania. In the second half, U.S. Men’s National Team forward Jesus Ferreira put Dallas ahead in the 50th minute before capping off a brace a minute from full time to secure all three points.
Minnesota will host the Rapids following a road loss of their own, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Austin FC last weekend. The match was a close affair until Maxi Urruti finished off a Hector Jimenez ball into the box with his first touch. The result moved the Loons to 2-2-2 on the season, even with the Rapids on points but with three less goals scored and conceded, respectively. Paraguayan striker Luis Amarilla leads the team with two goals and is the only player on the side currently with multiple goals; two players, Hassani Dotson and Franco Fragapane, have recorded an assist on the season.
The Rapids will look to continue their recent form against Minnesota following a three-game sweep of the Loons in 2021 that was bookended by two come-from-behind victories. In their first encounter last season, Colorado fought back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime to emerge with a 3-2 win at home on May 8, 2021. Following a 2-0 win on July 7, the Rapids closed the series with a 3-1 comeback win on the road in which they scored three consecutive goals in the final 17 minutes of the game after going down a man. An increasingly spirited affair on the pitch, this fixture has featured six total red cards since 2017, including two during the series last season.
Milestone Tracker
· M Jack Price is one assist away from sole possession of second-most assists all-time in club history (currently T-2nd with 34).
· F Michael Barrios is one goal away from reaching 40 career goals in MLS.
· M Mark-Anthony Kaye is 2 appearances away from reaching 100 MLS regular season appearances.
· F Jonathan Lewis is 2 appearances away from reaching 100 MLS regular season appearances.
· D Steven Beitashour is 41 minutes away from reaching 22,000 regular season minutes all-time in MLS.
· The Rapids are one road win away from reaching 100 regular-season road wins all-time.
