Portland, OR – It is another midweek matchup for the Colorado Rapids, who will take the trip into Oregon to face the Portland Timbers Wednesday night. It is a matchup of significant importance in the Western Conference. The Portland Timbers (6-5-4, 23 points) are 6th in the West, with the Rapids (6-4-5, 22 points) in 7th place. Colorado is coming off two 1-0 wins, including one at home against St. Louis amidst a 90-minute rain delay. Portland is coming off two 1-0 losses, most recently losing to Orlando in Florida. A continuation of this trend would be a good thing for the Rapids. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

When: Wednesday, May 28 @ 8:30 p.m. MST

Where: Providence Park

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Rain Delayed Win Against St. Louis:

The Rapids and CITY took the field for seven minutes before referee Tori Penso called a lightning delay, which halted proceedings. A 90-minute delay followed before both teams could return to the pitch and finish the game. Once they did, it was a fairly even half. There were good spells from the Rapids regarding possession and counter-pressing, leading to long stretches of possession for Colorado. However, it was St. Louis who had the first big chance. A poor touch from Ian Murphy in possession found João Klauss, who played Cedric Teuchert through one-on-one with Nico Hansen. The young keeper stood firm, though, with Teuchert’s shot finding the keeper’s outstretched arm.

Moments later, in the 41st minute, the Rapids broke the deadlock. Reggie Cannon started a quick attack, which found Ted Ku-DiPietro out wide. Some sweet feet from the winger gave him the space to put in a cross, one that Yapi plucked out of the air with his right foot. He used the same right foot on a body contorting shot that snuck under the diving St. Louis defenders and caught Roman Burki flatfooted. The homegrown forward made it three goals on the year, and the second straight year that Yapi scored against St. Louis at home. The Rapids turned the narrative on its head and were the ones to score minutes before the halftime whistle.

It was all the Rapids needed to get all three points. The Rapids made it two 1-0 wins in a row, both with a 4-2-3-1 and backup keeper Nico Hansen. Both bring up interesting discussions for the future. Unfortunately for Hansen, it is unlikely that Zack Steffen will lose his place on the team anytime soon. Hansen will have to make do with the appearances in the near future, with Zack Steffen on international duty. The 4-2-3-1 has been a workhorse for the Rapids this year, with the team moving away from it early in 2025. But when they use it, it gets results. That alone should give the team something to think about regarding future formations.

Lineup Prediction:

Hansen / Cannon, Awaziem, Maxsø, Travis / Atencio, Larraz / Ku Di-Pietro, Mihailovic, Cabral / Yapi

The Rapids didn’t get much healthier on the short week. Only Awaziem is back from the injury report from St. Louis. Cole Bassett, Ali Fadal, and Zack Steffen are all unavailable again due to their injuries. Rafa is questionable to return, but on a short week and artificial turf, it would not shock me to see him not included in the matchday squad in Portland. The only new name is Keegan Rosenberry, who also missed the St. Louis match due to the recent birth of his son, Booker. Congratulations to the Rosenberry family!

A similar injury report is likely to yield a similar team, and I expect to see relatively few changes in Portland. Both Colorado and Portland had their Saturday games this weekend postponed, so they both have some wiggle room in terms of rotation. For Colorado, I expect to see a 4-2-3-1, especially if Rafa Navarro is unavailable for the match. Building on the last two results with the 4-2-3-1 formation will be crucial to securing a result. It will be interesting to see how the team lines up when Rafa Navarro is back starting.

With key players missing for the second game straight, it will once again fall on the shoulders of the player lower in the depth chart. Ted Ku Di-Pietro got his first start of the season against St. Louis and paired it with his first assist on the game-winning goal. Ian Murphy, despite his one mistake, was solid and helped the Rapids secure their fifth clean sheet of the season. These are the type of players who will have to step up and perform in Portland.

Yapi Hour Continues in Colorado (And What That Means):

It was another goal for the homegrown striker against St. Louis, his third on the season. The Denver native has taken his opportunities since being given his first start of the season against San Diego. He has become a bright spot for the team amid a poor stretch of results and is starting to become a hard player to leave off the starting eleven, making it very interesting when it comes time to fill in the rest of the eleven. A good problem to have for Chris Armas, but one he will have to get right to get the most from his team.

The biggest concern comes from the other striker on the roster, Rafael Navarro. Yapi was initially brought in to play alongside Navarro in the 4-2-2-2 formation. Yapi shined in this role, scoring twice in the first four matches in the formation. The problem came as the formation began to provide some poor results, and the double striker system could have been scrapped to provide some more defensive stability. This change did occur, with Armas opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation, but potentially due to necessity rather than tactically. Rafael Navarro suffered an ankle injury in a loss against San Jose, which has kept him sidelined since. With Yapi being the only first striker on the books, Armas moved away from the double striker system.

But once Rafael Navarro returns to the fold, what does that look like for Yapi and the formation? If Armas continues with the 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, it leaves no room for both Yapi and Navarro, and it seems difficult to believe that Navarro would be benched in favor of the homegrown. If Armas opts to try the 4-2-2-2 formation longer to get both on the field, will the results continue? Yapi’s emergence this season has been great to watch, but it also complicates Armas and Co.’s plans.

Recent Hiccup in Form for Portland:

On the flipside of the Rapids’ current form, Portland has been on the wrong end of two straight 1-0 scorelines. They also haven’t won a match in four straight in all competitions. It has been a frustrating stray away from the norm for Phil Neville and Portland. Despite the rocky start to the season, Portland went on a streak after beating the Rapids earlier in the season, only losing once in nine games after their trip to Colorado. This run of form came to a halt only recently, with Portland also bowing out of the US Open Cup in this stretch.

Despite this stretch, Portland still sits 6th in the West and is planted in the middle of a very competitive group of teams, with 4th place and 9th place only separated by four points. Colorado should know more than many that Portland is a dangerous team, and they showed it in their 3-0 win in Colorado just over two months ago. However, this danger has been questioned as of late, with Portland only scoring twice in their last five matches, and their best expected goal tally peaking at 1.01 xG. Portland will be desperate to ignite its attack against Colorado.

Cascadia has not been kind to Colorado so far this season, with the Rapids only gaining one point in three matches against Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. The first and second worst losses of the year in terms of scoreline were to Portland and Vancouver. Portland, in general, has been a bogey team for the Rapids lately, with the Rapids only winning twice in the last nine matchups, dating back to the Thanksgiving Day loss in the 2021 playoffs. It will also be the first time Omir Fernandez will face the Rapids after his trade to Portland mid-season. There may be more motivation for the midfielder against Colorado. The Rapids will have to fight through old friendship and try to turn the tables on Portland to get three points midweek.

Prediction: Portland continues the Cascadia depression for Colorado, but it is a much closer game than the last. Portland takes it 2-1.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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