A Rescheduled Matchup in LA – Rapids vs LAFC preview

Los Angeles, CA – The Rapids will be part of one of two MLS matches played on Wednesday. Originally scheduled for May 31st, a Club World Cup play-in match for Los Angeles FC kept this matchup delayed. Over a month later, the Rapids are set to face off against an LAFC team that they have already seen twice this season. The two teams met in the Concacaf Champions Cup early in the season, with LAFC winning the two-legged tie 2-2 on aggregate due to the away goals rule. The Rapids will be going into the third matchup of the season against LAFC on the back of another home loss at the hands of Sporting KC. The Rapids have never won inside BMO Stadium. Wednesday would be a good time to change that. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

When: Wednesday, July 9th @ 8:25 p.m. MST

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

4th Fest Loss for Colorado:

It was the second straight year the team faced SKC at home on the Fourth of July, and the second straight year the game ended 2-1. This year favoring the away side. It will be a tough pill to swallow for a Rapids side that will have a short turnaround to face LAFC. This will be the game to circle if the team fails to make the playoffs this season. The stats were all in favor of the hosts, but some critical errors gave the result away. A 4th-minute wpiootbgw from Nico Hansen put the visitors up early. It was a really unfortunate mistake from a player who does not deserve to have that moment.

The misery was compounded by Djordje Mihailović hitting the post on a penalty and then striking the other post later in the same half. An early second-half SKC goal made the lead two for the visitors, and the Rapids could only get one back through a Rafa penalty late in the game.

It was one of, if not the most frustrating, losses of the year. It didn’t help that Colorado was in the clear driver’s seat throughout the match but could not capitalize on the multitude of chances. The Rapids had 67% of the ball and got 24 shots, with eight on target. This helped them to 4.07 expected goals on the night and 2.67 expected goals without the two penalties. Sporting KC had just 1.05 expected goals and 0.33 xG without the 4th-minute tap-in from Joveljic. It took only two shots on target from SKC to get their two goals. The more in-depth one looks at the stats, the more this game feels like a missed opportunity for Colorado. Some ill-timed mistakes kept the three points away from Colorado.

A significant problem that this team has faced this season is being overly reliant on Mihailović. This seemed to shine through in the loss, with Djordje not playing to his usual standards. It’s difficult to bounce back after a penalty miss, and Djordje could not do so. It was a different type of struggle, however, as the team was able to create a host of chances. Some of which came through Djordje. However, it felt like the lack of sharpness in the final third from the big-money players, Djordje and Rafa, cost the Rapids the game. But it is better to have chances and not take them than not to have chances at all. A poor result but not a bad performance. It’s one to build on for Colorado, who will have to build quickly if they want a shot at the playoffs.

Lineup Prediction:

Hansen / Cannon, Maxsø, Awaziem, Travis / Larraz, Atencio / C. Harris, Mihailović (c), Ku-DiPietro / Navarro

The Rapids will still be without Vines and Steffen but get back Reggie Cannon from suspension. This will be a significant boost for the backline, which struggled at times against Sporting KC. Colorado will have to be very sturdy in the back to have any chance at getting points in LA. The timeline for Vines’ injury is still uncertain, but getting him back would be another boost for the backline. However, Jackson Travis is more than qualified to fill in in the meantime.

In recent weeks, two wingers have stepped up to cement their role in the team. Both Calvin Harris and Ted Ku-DiPietro have been bright spots for the Rapids since starting together on either wing. While this is beneficial for the offense’s production, it does limit both formation flexibility and Yapi’s minutes on the field. To keep both of these wingers on the field, the team must start leaning away from the 4-2-2-2 formation. Or Djordje will have no spot on the team sheet. It is a luxury to have too many good players to field them all. And it is a luxury that the Rapids haven’t had in years past. It’s good to have it now.

It will be interesting to see Cole Bassett’s involvement in this match. He got 30 minutes against Sporting KC, which may have been a result of the scoreline at the time. He could get similar minutes in LA, or we could see him start if he is healthy enough. I wouldn’t expect a Bassett starting in LA, but it would be interesting to see where Chris Armas plays him if he comes on. Cole has talked about how he hasn’t played much in his preferred position this year, which would be a center mid next to either Larraz or Atencio. I think this is his best position and would like to see him put in that position with the winger room stepping up in recent weeks.

Struggles on Corner Kicks:

Over halfway through the season, the Rapids have only scored on one corner kick. A Darren Yapi toe-poke finish after Chidozie Awaziem headed the ball into the mix against San Diego. This is a far cry from the team’s 14 goals from corners a year ago. The team has experienced a considerable drop in goals from corner kicks despite improving from having the 18th most corners in MLS to the 12th most in 2025. Of the 101 corners that the Rapids have had this season, 100 of them have resulted in anything but a goal. Colorado has a conversion rate of less than 1% on corners. So what is the problem?

The team has the same set-piece coach who had Jack Price and Colorado excelling in the early 2020s. This trend continued with Djordje in 2024, and with Djordje continuing to take them in 2025, there has been little change in what the Rapids are doing with these opportunities. Some of the blame must rest on the set-piece coach and the corner kick-taker. However, the most significant change and the root of many problems has been the personnel in the box. The team hasn’t been able to replicate the type of production that Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson, or even Moïse Bombito had in recent years.

So, who in the middle isn’t living up to the expectations that the Rapids have had in the past few years? Rafa’s production off corners has dipped drastically in 2025, and the big body of Andreas Maxsø has never been a significant threat on set pieces since joining Colorado. But for most corners, neither is the target that fails to capitalize. Most corners will be trying to get the ball to Chidozie Awaziem’s head. While Chido has been exceptional for Colorado as a defender, he has been outright poor when it comes to corners. The Nigerian International has yet to get his name on any scoresheet this season despite racking up 1.2 expected goals on these corners.

The entire production of corners seems off for Colorado this year. While a poor Djordje delivery here and there has been to blame, the men in the box need to carry a little more weight. And players like Chidozie Awaziem will be the first to raise their hands and say they need to do better.

LAFC Returns to MLS Play After CWC:

LAFC has recently returned from the tournament that had initially postponed this matchup. They had gone winless in the Club World Cup. Scoring only one goal against Flamengo, and finishing last in a group with Flamengo, Chelsea, and Esperance, a team from Tunisia. It was a disappointing performance not only for the club but also for the league as a whole, with MLS only getting one of the three clubs in the tournament through to the knockouts. LAFC was not the one team to go through, and has since returned to MLS play. A loss against Vancouver at home spoiled Giroud’s final match for the club. The flooding in Texas postponed their match this past weekend. It hasn’t been a triumphant return so far for LAFC, but they will be more rested for this midweek matchup.

This will be the third matchup between these two teams, but the first in MLS. The two collided in an early-season Concacaf Champions Cup matchup where LAFC emerged victorious. Colorado started the tie favorably, with a 2-0 lead in the first leg in Colorado. A late goal from Aaron Long in that match spelled doom for Colorado in the tie, and with a 1-0 win at BMO Stadium for LAFC, it was all they would need to go through on away goals. Despite being knocked out of the tournament with a 1-0 loss, it was one of the better results in BMO Stadium for the Rapids. Colorado has yet to beat LAFC away from home. BMO Stadium has continued to be a place of doom and horrors for the Rapids.

LAFC is in their worst spell of the season, going four straight without a win. Not many were picking them to beat Chelsea, but it has still been a disappointing run over the last four games, and Colorado could use this downturn in form to their advantage. Or, LAFC could become desperate for points and use that to their advantage on Wednesday. Either way, it appears to be an uphill battle for Colorado. But a result from this game could instill the confidence that the team needs to push for the playoffs.

Also this is the first game where Chido and Sergi Palencia will face off since the “inappropriate language” incident on the second leg back in February. Hopefully nobody racially abuses anyone. Expect Chido to get boos from the 3252.

Prediction: The woes continue in BMO Stadium, and the Rapids cannot get their first win at LAFC. The hosts win 2-0.

Main Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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