Rapids 2 (3-7-1, 12 pts) will continue its three game away streak this weekend traveling to St. Louis to take on STL CITY2 (9-2-2, 30 pts) at Ralph Korte Stadium on Saturday, July 2. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast on mlsnextpro.com.
“We know it is going to be a difficult challenge,” said head coach Erik Bushey. “We know they have some very tough players, physical players. We look forward to it and we are prepared for the challenge. We are prepared to embrace that challenge and see if we can put another positive performance on top of the previous one.”
Saturday’s match will be the second time STL CITY2 and Rapids 2 cross paths this season. The teams first met at the beginning of June in a match that saw Rapids 2 line up with 11 first team loans. This time around Bushey’s side will feature familiar Rapids 2 staples like leading goal scorer Darren Yapi. Yapi netted his fourth MLS NEXT Pro goal in last weekend’s 4-2 victory over Timbers2. First team loans Max Alves, Dantouma “Yaya” Toure and Sebastian Anderson also added goals of their own.
On the opposing end, St. Louis is coming off of a three game win streak with its most recent victory being a 2-0 shutout against Real Monarchs. The home side currently sits at the top of the Western Conference standings with 30 points, having only lost two games this season.
“Honestly, I think it is about being us. I think it is less about focusing on St. Louis and just being us because we know how good we can be on the day,” said Rapids 2 goalkeeper Isaac Nehme. “I think if we do the preparation right, if we get our mentality right and we work as a unit throughout the week, we can really get after it on the weekend.”
Coming off their first road win of the season, Colorado will seek another three points this weekend in St. Louis. The two sides will look to settle the score after ending their last match in a 2-2 draw, which saw recently traded first team loan Nicolas Mezquida put away the equalizer at the death. The strong St. Louis side is expected to put up big numbers on the offensive end, but Colorado’s recent success could give them the momentum they need to take home a second consecutive road win for the first time this season.
To view the full Rapids 2 schedule for the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season, click here.
