Bounce Back Game for Colorado – Rapids vs Sporting KC Preview

Kansas City, Kansas– The Colorado Rapids will have to bounce back against another disappointing Western Conference foe after a tough loss to the LA Galaxy. This week it’s Sporting Kansas City, a team that has been planted near the bottom of the West for most of the season. It has been a year of turnover for the MLS original, as the team moved on from long-time head coach Peter Vermes early in the season. Results haven’t gotten much better since, even with a Sporting win the last time these two teams matched up. A 2-1 loss for Colorado on the Fourth of July, and a big missed opportunity for the Rapids. It will look different in Kansas, with Djordje Mihailović not being there to miss a penalty this time. Let’s take a look at the matchup.

When: Saturday, August 30th @ 6:30 p.m. MST

Where: Children’s Mercy Park

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

(Potential) Worst Loss of the Season:

It was set up very well for the Rapids to take all three points at Dignity Health Sports Park. LA Galaxy had their eyes on the Leagues Cup semifinal against Seattle, and played a heavily rotated lineup against the Rapids. The worst team in the league put their backups on the field against Colorado and left the game looking the better side, and with all three points. It started early, with Harbor Miller scoring a 7th-minute goal that caught the Rapids’ midfield sleeping.

It was a similar story in the 55th minute. LA scored on another cutback cross between the defensive line and midfield duo. At 2-0, LA went to their bench and only got better. It showed as substitute Gabriel Pec scored a clinical counterattack that caught Sam Vines chasing. What should have been a fortunate situation for the Rapids and a chance to secure an easy three points turned into a nightmare.

It was a horror show of a performance all around for Colorado, with no one standing out or shining on the night. LA was a team of men amongst boys for most of the match, with the rotated lineup toying with the Rapids at times. The stats say it all. Colorado got outshot 16-12, with only one of the Rapids’ 12 shots on goal. The expected goal numbers were 2.34 – 0.93 in LA’s favor, and that’s with a 0.46 xG play that saw Paxten Aaronson hit the post and Rafa sky the ensuing rebound. It was a match to forget for the Rapids.

The one positive aspect of the match was the debutants, as three players got their first minutes for the Rapids. Daouda Amadou got the nod for the last ten minutes of the match, in a triple substitution that also saw Rafa Santos make his debut. Amadou looked good in his limited minutes. Rafa Santos looked to be a dangerous option on the left flank as he bombed forward throughout. He could get more playing time if Sam Vines continues to play as he did in LA. But it was the man of the moment, Paxten Aaronson, who got his debut in the 60th minute. The newest designated player for the Rapids got a potentially earlier appearance than originally expected, but looked lively in his first moments for Colorado. Three exciting prospects for the Rapids, despite the heavy loss.

Lineup Prediction:

Steffen / Rosenberry (c), Maxsø, Holding, Vines / C. Bassett, Larraz / Ku-DiPietro, Aaronson, C. Harris / Navarro

The Rapids’ injuries are now down to just Josh Atencio and Kimani Stewart-Baynes. Kimani is expected to be out for the remainder of the season. Atencio should hopefully be back sooner rather than later for the Rapids. Connor Ronan is a name that is off the list for the first time in a while, with the midfielder coming back to give the Rapids much-needed center midfield depth. Wayne Frederick II is also back to help out, likely off the bench. Reggie Cannon will have to miss this match due to yellow card suspension, so Keegan Rosenberry will most likely step in to replace him.

After both players have gotten over a week of training with their new team, Rob Holding and Paxten Aaronson will most likely be thrust into the starting eleven. Both players can become game changers for the Rapids, on either side of the ball. Paxten Aaronson showed flashes of why Colorado pulled the trigger on a record incoming transfer fee on him at LA. Rob Holding has yet to see the field for the Rapids. But if he plays anything close to his level with Arsenal, he will be a big addition to the backline.

It would just become a question of where they play in the eleven, based on formation. A five back would easily put Holding into one of the back three center backs. But it would leave a question mark on where Paxten would play. He is usually in the center of the field, as a 10 or an 8. In a five-back where the center of the park is crucial for defensive cover, Aaronson would most likely appear on the wing. In a 4-2-3-1, Aaronson would slot seamlessly into the 10 role. It would most likely put Andreas Maxsø and Holding in a center-back partnership. I have had my concerns with this duo, but it could be a great partnership in time.

Colorado’s Inability to Sweep a Team:

The Rapids had their fourth chance of the season to beat a team both at home and away. LA was the fourth time they have lost that game. It feels more reasonable in the case of San Diego, where they sneak a win at home and lose their away fixture. But the other three cases were pretty concerning for the Rapids. Most recently, being unable to get a result against the worst team in the league’s backups, after beating LA’s main team 2-0 at home. While this is another win at home and a loss on the road scenario, it shouldn’t be as easily brushed off as Chris Armas brushed it off after the loss.

The other two cases felt more egregious, with the wins both coming away from home, against San Jose and Austin. Both wins came in the second and third games of the MLS season for the Rapids. Setting up a supposedly easier home fixture against teams that they had shown they could beat. Colorado lost both of those games 2-0, with both matches being concerning performances. These could have been chalked up to circumstance, but a continued trend of being unable to beat a team multiple times in a season is a concern. Especially if the Rapids get into a best-of-three matchup in the first round of the playoffs.

Colorado will have two more chances to change this trend: a home game against Minnesota and a road fixture against RSL. Both are crucial matches in both the playoff race and in the Rocky Mountain Cup. This could just be a coincidence, but it is a trend that the Rapids will have to look to avoid for the rest of the season.

Sporting KC’s Turbulent Start to New Era:

It has been a tough few years for Sporting KC. Only one playoff appearance in the last four years was too much for Sporting to ignore. Long-term head coach Peter Vermes had to go. However, it hasn’t been much different for KC since then. The MLS original sits at 13th in the West, just five points above the bottom, and 11 points from a playoff spot. The last time SKC won a match was on July 4th against the Colorado Rapids. They did not participate in Leagues Cup, so they have only played six games since the start of July. Still, they have lost five of those six, drawing the other to NYCFC. Sporting most recently lost 5-2 to a rotated Seattle team, which sounds a little too familiar.

Sporting KC may have gotten the three points on the Fourth of July, but it was far from a good performance from the visitors. They found an early goal through a Nico Hansen mistake, and snatched another from a wonder goal from Erik Tommy. Not quite repeatable in the repeat match. SKC also required Colorado to be extremely wasteful in front of the goal, with the Rapids scoring only once on an attacking performance that yielded 4.17 expected goals. Djorjde had to miss a penalty for Sporting to stay in the lead late in the first half. It’s fair to say that if a repeat performance happens in Kansas, the Rapids will run out winners 99 times out of 100.

Despite the poor form, Sporting KC has one of the most prolific goal scorers in MLS on their team. Dejan Joveljić was a cap casualty in LA after the Galaxy won MLS Cup, and he has continued his form from LA in Kansas City. The Serbian striker has 14 goals in 25 matches in his first year in Kansas. For reference, Rafael Navarro is on 11 goals.

Joveljić has been a bright spot in a poor Sporting team. But it isn’t the attack led by Loveljic that has kept this team low in the standings. They have scored the fifth most goals in the West, and more than Colorado. It is the league-worst defense that has curtailed this SKC team. They are tied for most goals conceded this season with the LA Galaxy. That is not where you want to be.

It’s a scary match for the Rapids, especially after the LA match. Colorado will have to learn from their mistakes and be able to take care of a poor Sporting KC side.

Prediction: Colorado is able to bounce back from a disappointing loss at LA. Rapids win 2-1.

Photo Credit: Spencer Baldwin

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