COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids (1-1-1, 4 pts) are on the road for the second-consecutive week to face the Seattle Sounders FC (0-1-1, 1 pt) in their first meeting in 2024, on Saturday, March 16, at Lumen Field (1:30 p.m. MT; Apple TV – Free, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5FM).
The Rapids secured their first win of the 2024 season with a 2-1 victory over rivals Real Salt Lake in the opening leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup. Despite RSL's early goal by midfielder Emeka Eneli, the Rapids mounted a comeback with Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro equalizing from the penalty spot just before halftime. In his 100th appearance for the club, Homegrown midfielder Cole Bassett scored the winning goal in the 70th minute. Notable moments included Jasper Löffelsend making his Rapids debut against his former team and Omir Fernandez earning his first start in burgundy.
Seattle heads into this weekend after last Saturday's match against Philadelphia was abandoned due to inclement weather. They opened the season with a 2-1 road loss to LAFC, with offseason signing Pedro de la Vega scoring Seattle's first goal of the 2024 campaign from a penalty kick. Their second match ended in a 0-0 draw against Austin FC at home.
Saturday’s match will mark the 35th regular-season encounter between the two teams. Seattle emerged victorious in both meetings in 2023. In their first matchup last year in Seattle, two Rapids players made their MLS and club debuts: defender Andreas Maxsø and midfielder Connor Ronan. Additionally, Kévin Cabral entered the match in the second half to make his club debut. In the second meeting, the Rapids were unable to rally from a two-goal deficit as they fell 2-1 to Seattle Sounders at home, with Bassett scoring the lone goal for Colorado.
Alongside the first Young Designated Player signing in Sounders FC history, winger de la Vega, the Sounders will feature new additions acquired during the offseason, including defenders Jonathan Bell and Nathan, as well as forwards Danny Musovski and Braudílio Rodrigues.
Last week, Seattle was without several players for the match due to various reasons. Reed Baker-Whiting, de la Vega, Stefan Frei, Rodrigues, and Albert Rusnák were sidelined due to hamstring and ankle injuries, while João Paulo was out with a hip injury. Additionally, Nathan was unavailable, although not due to injury.
Several club connections exist between the Colorado Rapids and the Seattle Sounders. In 2023, Sounders midfielder Danny Leyva played 19 games for the Rapids, contributing one assist and logging 865 minutes. Additionally, Sounders General Manager & Chief Soccer Officer Craig Waibel debuted in MLS with the Rapids in 2000, appearing twice for Colorado. Rapids First Assistant Coach Chris Little transitioned from the Seattle Sounders to the Rapids in 2021. Before joining the Rapids, Little coached the Sounders' second team and led their academy to notable achievements, including winning the US Soccer National Championship in 2017-2018 and the Generation adidas Cup in 2018. Another connection involves Rapids midfielder Jasper Löffelsend and Sounders midfielder Musovski, who recorded 17 appearances together while at RSL from 2022-23.
On the international stage, Rapids players Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic, Jonathan Lewis, Sam Vines, Bassett, and Darren Yapi have represented the national team alongside Seattle's Jordan Morris, Cristian Roldán, and Obed Vargas in matches for the United States at both youth and senior levels since 2015, albeit not necessarily all together in the same matches.
