Colorado Rapids Quick Facts:
Regular Season Record: 5-7-9
Points: 24
Goal Differential: -3
Western Conference Rank: 10th
Total Shots: 279 (5th)
Last Five Matches: 3-2
Home Record: 3-4-4
As Columbus Crew SC heads west to take on the Colorado Rapids, it’s going to be a test of patience for both teams in what will certainly be a battle of opposites. A potent Crew SC offense capable of scoring in bunches is confronting one of Major League Soccer’s best defensive teams in Colorado. Here’s what you need to know about the latter:
3: The number of home wins the Rapids have earned this year, tying them with New York City FC for the least in MLS. Things haven’t come easy for Colorado, pitted in a Western Conference bloated with talent. The Rapids currently sit in the 10th spot in the West with 24 points, but the standings could break out soon as only six points separate the first seed from the fifth.
22: Colorado is tied for the second-fewest goals conceded in League play with 22, a telling statistic for the style of play the Rapids favor. Dedicated to defending the lead, goals against are few and far between for a Rapids squad. They’ve faced only 83 shots on target this season, the fifth fewest in MLS. With limited shots conceded, it’s only telling that Colorado would be among the League-leaders in shutouts, having tallied seven clean sheets this season, tied for the third-most in the League.
99.47: With the Rapids’ defensive prowess comes a reduced number of finished chances on the opposite end. They average scoring one goal for every 99.47 minutes played, ranking them last in MLS. But for Colorado, it’s not a matter of finding opportunities. The Rapids rank sixth in the League in chances created from open play with 185 and are lethal on the counterattack. All in all, it’s been a matter of getting shots on frame, as they've registered a 39.23 shot accuracy percentage compared to the League average of 46.33 percent.
Colorado, however, appears to be picking up the offensive slack as of late while retaining its defensive qualities. They’ve won three of their last four matches against the likes of the Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps, with the only loss coming against the LA Galaxy.
Saturday’s match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park will be the 39th all-time between the two clubs, as Colorado leads the series with a record of 18-11-9. These two teams last met in Colorado on July 4, 2014, playing to a 1-1 draw thanks to a 76th minute equalizer from Ethan Finlay to salvage a point on the road.
This time around, Crew SC is looking to showcase its offensive creativity to rebound from a tough result in Orlando City last weekend. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET.
