Starting Lineup:
GK Tim Howard registered three saves in the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo, and his first shutout since the 0-0 draw at FC Dallas on August 12. Howard will be making his 37th appearance and start for the Rapids since rejoining MLS during last summer’s transfer window. Howard is 78 minutes shy of reaching 11,000 in his MLS career.
DEF Eric Miller is two appearances away from tying his career-best (26). Along with Hairston, Miller reached 2,000 minutes during the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo. In four MLS seasons, the 24-year-old defender has appeared in 80 games (71 starts), while logging 6,357 minutes.
DEF Kortne Ford made the Week 27 MLS Team of the Week roster after helping the Rapids hand the Dynamo their first home defeat of the season. In his first professional campaign, Ford has appeared in 13 contests, with all but one coming from the start.
DEF Axel Sjöberg has now played all 90 minutes in three consecutive matches, taking his season total to 13. In 58 regular season appearances, Sjöberg has only been replaced three times, including a 72nd-minute substitution during the 5-1 loss at New York City FC on July 30, 2016.
DEF Mekeil Williams surpassed the 1,000-minute mark during the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo. The Trinidad & Tobago international also hit 2,500 minutes in his MLS career last weekend. Williams will be making his 35th appearance and 30th start for the Rapids since joining the club prior to the 2016 campaign.
MID Micheal Azira’s first and only red card in MLS took place during the 5-1 loss at New York City FC last July. Since 2016, Azira has made 179 interceptions in regular season action, which is the second most of any MLS player. This season, Azira leads the team in minutes (2,220) and is tied for first in starts (Miller, 24).
MID Jared Watts played 74 minutes of the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo at center midfield before being replaced by Boateng. The fourth-year veteran is just two games away from reaching 70 regular season appearances (60 starts) and has surpassed the 1,000-minute mark every single season.
MID Marlon Hairston reached 2,000 minutes in a season for the first time in his career. Splitting his duties at right back and midfield, Hairston is the only Rapids player to appear in every regular season match thus far. This will be Hairston’s 50th MLS start since being selected in the first round (12th overall) of the 2014 MLS SuperDraft.
MID Mohammed Saeid is one of four players to surpass 2,000 minutes in 2017 (243 with MIN and 1,763 with COL). Saeid will be making his career-high 26th appearance of the year after playing in 25 contests in his first two seasons in the league with Columbus Crew SC.
MID Joshua Gatt will be in the Starting XI for consecutive matches for the first time since June, when he started three straight games. Despite only appearing in 14 games, Gatt ranks sixth on the team in shots on goal (4) and seventh in shots (14).
FWD Dominique Badji’s stoppage time winner against the Dynamo was the Rapids’ eighth goal in the last 15 minutes of matches this season, the third-highest percentage (32%) of any team. The team leader in goals (7) and assists (5) is just 41 minutes away from reaching 2,000 minutes for the first time in his career.
On the bench:
GK Zac MacMath has played a total of 10 games in his third season with the club, appearing in eight regular season contests and both U.S. Open Cup matches. The former first round (5th overall) selection in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft has appeared in 131 MLS contests, with 130 of those coming from the start.
DEF Bobby Burling was an unused sub during the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo. The 6-foot-5 centerback has not seen the field since the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 13. In fact, Burling is only one of two Rapids defenders (Castillo) that has yet to reach the 1,000-minute mark in 2017.
MID Nana Boateng replaced Watts in the 74th-minute of the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo, taking his season total to 12 appearances. In his first season in MLS, Boateng is yet to play a full 90 minutes. The closest he’s come to that feat came during the 3-1 win against the Dynamo on July 1, in which Boateng played the first 74 minutes.
MID Dillon Serna is now 222 minutes from reaching 1,000 minutes for the second time in his career. In his fifth professional season, the Homegrown player ranks fourth on the team in shots (23) and fifth in shots on goal (5).
MID Stefan Aigner registered his first MLS assist during the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo, setting up Badji’s game-winning goal in stoppage time. Aigner is still looking to make his first appearance at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park after signing a three-and-a-half year deal on July 26.
MID Shkëlzen Gashi remains 17 minutes shy from reaching 1,000 minutes after he was an unused sub during the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo. One of Gashi’s eight road goals of 2016 came in the final moments of the 5-1 defeat at New York City FC on July 30.
FWD Alan Gordon has not made the Starting XI for the Rapids since the 3-0 loss at Chicago Fire on May 17. In 14 MLS seasons, Gordon has tallied 54 goals and 31 assists in 264 appearances.
