Starting XI:
William Yarbrough, Keegan Rosenberry, Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson, Auston Trusty, Sam Vines, Jack Price, Kellyn Acosta, Cole Bassett, Michael Barrios, Diego Rubio
Bench: Clint Irwin, Drew Moor, Andre Shinyashiki, Nicolas Benezet, Nicolás Mezquida, Kortne Ford, Oliver Larraz, Collen Warner
Player Availability Report
- Out – Steven Beitashour (injury)
- Out – Braian Galvan (injury)
- Out – Younes Namli (injury)
Notes:
CHANGES TO THE LINEUP
Tonight, Lalas Aubakar earns his first start of the 2021 season and makes his 65th appearance in MLS overall.
ROAD WARRIORS
No other team has been as good on the road as the Rapids under head coach Robin Fraser. Since Fraser’s first game at the helm on August 31, 2019, Colorado is 8-5-2 (W-L-D) away from home, which is the best road record in MLS in that span. The Rapids’ eight wins and 1.73 points per game are both the best in MLS in that time. Colorado is one of two teams in MLS to post two clean sheets in both of their road matches this season (Philadelphia).
Colorado can also reach its first four-game winning streak under Fraser with a victory on Saturday. The Burgundy Boys started the winning run with a 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 2 before a thrilling, come-from-behind, 3-2 win over Minnesota on May 8. The Rapids last won four consecutive MLS matches in 2003.
OFFENSE KEEPS CLICKING
The Colorado Rapids have scored seven goals during their current three-game winning streak, including four from open play and three from set pieces. Their 3-1 win against Houston over the weekend marked the first time since September 2019 that the Rapids scored three goals in consecutive matches and adds to the club’s prolific production over the past few seasons. Since the beginning of 2019, Colorado is the fourth-highest scoring team in MLS, averaging 1.72 goals per game.
Colorado’s four goals from set pieces are the third-most in MLS and the most in the Western Conference this season. The Rapids have scored on 32 set pieces since the beginning of 2019, by far the most in MLS (D.C. United is second with 24).
BARRIOS BREAKS OUT
Michael Barrios was named to the MLS Team of the Week starting XI in Week 5 after earning his first two assists in Burgundy in Saturday’s win over Houston. His first came on Sam Vines’ goal after he chased down a long ball from William Yarbrough, who also earned an assist on the play. His second came on Diego Rubio’s game-winning header. It was Barrios’ eighth career multi-assist game in MLS.
Barrios has been productive for Colorado this season. The 30-year-old Colombian is tied for the team lead with captain Jack Price with two assists and Rubio for the team lead with 14 shots. Barrios has hit double-digit assists in two of his last four seasons in MLS, with 14 in 2017 and 15 in 2019, and has the sixth-most assists in MLS since entering the league in 2015 (47).
