Starting Lineup:
GK Tim Howard registered his 50th career regular season win during the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. His seven saves over RSL tied his season-high achieved in two other occasions – both 1-0 losses (3/11 @ NY and 6/24 @ ATL). Howard’s 2,160 minutes in 2017 are the third most in eight seasons in Major League Soccer.
DEF Eric Miller surpassed the 2,500-minute mark in one season for the first time in his career. He has now made 55 regular season appearances for the Rapids, including 29 this year. The 24-year-old defender will be appearing in his 30th game and start of 2017.
DEF Kortne Ford will be making his first-ever appearance against Seattle Sounders FC after being an unused sub during the 3-1 loss on July 4. The 2017 Young Player of the Year and the 2017 Fan Favorite has gone the distance in nine of the last ten regular season matches.
DEF Axel Sjöberg has started 13 of the club’s last 15 regular season games, playing all but 45 minutes along the way. In three seasons with the Rapids, Sjöberg has tallied three goals and one assist in 63 games. One of his three goals came during the 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on May 21, 2016.
DEF Mike da Fonte will make his fourth straight appearance (second start) after sitting out the previous six regular season games. In his first MLS season, da Fonte has logged 1,166 minutes in 16 games (13 starts). Da Fonte went the distance at left back during the 3-1 loss against Seattle Sounders FC on July 4.
MID Nana Boateng has now played all 90 minutes in three of the last four matches. Overall, the Ghanaian midfielder has started nine games, while coming off the bench eight other times. Boateng will be making his second appearance against Seattle Sounders FC, after playing the first 59 minutes of the 3-1 loss on July 4.
MID Mohammed Saeid went over 6,000 MLS minutes during the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. He will be appearing in his 32nd match this season – playing in 29 games for Colorado following a three-game stint for Minnesota United FC in March. Saeid will make his 82nd appearance and 72nd start in three seasons in MLS.
MID Marlon Hairston will become the only Rapids player to appear in every regular season game this season. The 23-year-old reached 5,000 minutes in MLS during the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. One of Hairston’s four assists this year came during the 3-1 loss against Seattle Sounders FC on July 4.
MID Stefan Aigner went the distance for the first time in eight appearances for the Rapids, while also snapping a two-game scoring streak. After joining the Rapids during the summer transfer window, Aigner has appeared in eight regular season games, with half of those coming from the start.
MID Dillon Serna played the last 18 minutes of the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. Serna’s first professional goal game came during the 4-1 loss against Seattle Sounders FC on April 26, 2014. In his fifth season with the Rapids, the Rapids Academy product has made 18 appearances, with eight of those coming from the start.
FWD Dominique Badji played the first 68 minutes of the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. The team leader in goals (9) and assists (6) will be making his 33rd appearance and 29th start of the season, and is currently 50 minutes shy of reaching 2,500 in 2017. In three seasons in Colorado, Badji has 17 goals and 10 assists in 74 games (54 starts).
On the bench:
GK Zac MacMath returned to the bench during the 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake, following a seven-save performance during the 1-1 draw against FC Dallas on October 7. MacMath has a record of 12-10-7 in three years with the Rapids, including a 2-5-2 record in 2017.
DEF Bobby Burling replaced Hairston in the 83rd minute of the 1-0 win against Real Salt Lake. Burling’s first-ever assist in Major League Soccer came during San Jose Earthquakes’ 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on May 22, 2010. In 11 seasons in MLS, Burling has logged 13,662 minutes in 168 games for three different clubs (Chivas USA, Earthquakes, and Rapids).
DEF Mekeil Williams will be available for selection after missing the last two games due to international duty and an ankle injury. The Trinidad & Tobago international had previously started five games in a row, capping off the streak with two assists during the 2-1 win over Montreal Impact on September 30.
MID Luis Gil has only appeared in four games (three starts) for the Rapids following a trade with Orlando City on August 10. In seven seasons in the league, Gil has started 98 of his 155 appearances, tallying 11 goals and nine assists in 8,672 minutes.
MID Ricardo Perez will be on the bench for the third straight match. The Homegrown player remains the only field player on the roster that has yet to feature in a regular season game in 2017. Perez went the distance in both of Colorado’s U.S. Open Cup matches.
MID Joshua Gatt was in the Starting XI for the last three matches. Gatt tallied the game-winning goal in the third minute of the 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. In his first season in MLS, Gatt has registered two goals (both against RSL) and three assists in 19 appearances.
FWD Alan Gordon is five minutes away from reaching the 13,000-mark in 14 years in Major League Soccer for LA Galaxy, Toronto FC, Chivas USA, San Jose Earthquakes, and the Rapids. This season, Gordon has started six of the 25 matches he’s featured in, including the final 26 minutes of the 3-1 loss against Seattle Sounders FC on July 4.
