Ahead of Saturday’s home game against Sporting Kansas City (TICKETS), here are 10 things that you may, or may not, have known.
1. Last weekend’s 2-2 tie at Vancouver Whitecaps FC set a new franchise record of 13 games without defeat for the Rapids. It passes the previous record (12), which spanned two seasons, from September 16, 1998-May 27, 1999. The previous high for an unbeaten run in a single season was nine games, set in 2013.
2. The Rapids are 7-0-6 during their record-breaking run, collecting 27 of their 34 points during that time.
3. Having gone nine games without success against Sporting Kansas City (11 if postseason included), the Colorado Rapids have since won the last four encounters.
4. Shkëlzen Gashi struck after 82 minutes to give the Rapids a 2-1 win at Children’s Mercy Park back on April 13. This was the start of the Rapids’ 13-game unbeaten streak.
5. The two sides then met at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on May 11, and again the Rapids left it late to secure all three points. Substitute Dillon Serna thumped home a left-foot drive 12 minutes from time for a 1-0 victory. The Rapids are 16-5-8 all-time at home against Kansas City.
6. Post-shootout era (2000 onwards), where the teams have met more than once in the season, no side has ever enjoyed a clean sweep of victories, but this is something the Rapids could achieve on Saturday.
7. Sporting KC, then-named Kansas City Wizards, did win all four matches against the Rapids in the 1997 season, though the first of those victories was following a shootout.
8. Colorado claimed all four games during the 1999 season. Three were shootout wins.
9. The Rapids have scored 21 goals this season, but only five have come in the first half, and none in the opening 15 minutes. They remain the only side in MLS without a goal in the opening quarter of an hour.
10. If named in the lineup, then this weekend’s game would be Marco Pappa’s 150th start in MLS. His first start, in the colors of Chicago Fire, came on August 2, 2008 when he played 73 minutes of a 1-0 win over Chivas USA. The Chivas USA team that day included Bobby Burling.
