Come Say Goodbye to Invesco Field at Saturday's Home Game!

ColoradoRapids.com - The Rapids' last regular-season match of 2006 will take place on Saturday October 7th vs. the New York Red Bulls at 7:00pm.

In addition to being the last regular season home game ever played at Invesco Field before the Rapids move into their new stadium next year, the Rapids have several promotions taking place at the game to go out with a bang and make it one of the most memorable events ever!

THE MATCH ITSELF: RAPIDS VS. RED BULLS
The Rapids can clinch a playoff spot on Saturday! The Rapids need a victory coupled with a Real Salt Lake loss or tie to secure a berth in the postseason. Don't forget to wear your Black & Blue to the game to cheer on the Rapids and give them that home field advantage!

This will be the first time Chris Henderson and the rest of the New York Red Bulls ever play in Colorado after having changed their identity from the MetroStars. For the full match preview of Saturday's match, including projected lineups, the latest injury report, miscellaneous game notes, broadcast information, head-to-head stats, and more, visit the Rapids MatchUp Page by CLICKING HERE.

FAZOLI'S FREE SOCCER BALL NIGHT
The Rapids have announced that Saturday, October 7th will be the Rapids' 11th Annual Free Soccer Ball Night, presented by Fazoli's! As part of this event, traditionally a fan favorite, and just in time for fall sessions of youth club soccer in Colorado, the Rapids will distribute free Colorado Rapids adidas soccer balls courtesy of Fazoli's to the first 5,000 kids 16 and under into the stadium on October 7! For full details on this promotion, and a photo of the ball, CLICK HERE.

FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT
As a way for the Rapids to give back to all the fans who have so faithfully supported the team all season long, the Rapids have prepared a number of giveaways all game long on Oct. 7! Every 10 minutes during the game, different sections will win free Rapids giveaways and prizes! It's our way of thanking all our great fans, with free Rapids gear all night long!

MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
The Colorado Rapids announced today that the organization will honor the United States Armed Forces at the club's next home game with “Military Appreciation Night”. The celebrations will include a presence by the Colorado Army National Guard prior to the match at Soccer Celebration (5:00 – 7:00 p.m.), who will showcase a Humvee, climbing wall, and other military equipment and vehicles for people to experience! Also, at halftime, members of the Armed Forces will compete against each other in the annual "Rapids Military Challenge", for the chance to get their names inscribed on the Rapids Military Challenge Cup trophy!

All U.S. Armed Forces personnel are eligible to receive specially-discounted tickets for the match! Men and women of any branch of the US Armed Forces can take advantage of this special offer by calling the Rapids at (303) 405-6124.

RAPIDS FOUNDATION MOVING SALE
The Rapids are moving into their new stadium next year and everything must go! The Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation has announced that it will be unloading all old Rapids team gear at unbelievably low prices in a special charity yard sale at the game on Sat. Oct. 7! Fans can choose from all kinds of player-worn shorts, jerseys, training equipment, track suits and much more as part of this event! Help us clear out all of our players' old gear as we move out of Invesco Field and stop by the Rapids Foundation's Yard Sale directly inside Gate 10 of the stadium starting at 6:00pm....but get there early, the items will go fast!

RAPIDS FAMILY NIGHT PACK
For this match the Rapids will also be offering the Rapids Family Night package! This unbeatable deal lets fans get 4 tickets, 4 sodas, 4 hot dogs, plus a free Comcast pay-per-view coupon, all for only $59! Buy your Rapids Family Night package now by CLICKING HERE.

RAPIDS "PASSBACK" EQUIPMENT DRIVE
The Colorado Rapids have announced plans to hold the club's annual US Soccer Foundation Passback equipment donation program at the game on Saturday October 7! The Passback Program is an equipment drive that will benefit underserved kids through the sponsorship of the US Soccer Foundation. Clean out your closets, basements, and garages (or better yet get your entire team or club to gather all your new or gently-used gear!) and bring what you can collect to the Rapids' home game on Saturday, October 7! For full information on the Passback program, CLICK HERE.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!
Tickets for the Oct. 7 Rapids match are on sale now! Get yours today by calling the Rapids Ticket Hotline at (303) 825-GOAL or to purchase them online, CLICK HERE.

Otherwise, we'll see you at the Rapids' last ever regular season home game at Invesco Field on Saturday, October 7th!

NY Red Bulls at Colorado Rapids Match Preview
By MLSNet.com

COLORADO RAPIDS v NEW YORK RED BULLS
INVESCO FIELD at MILE HIGH, Denver, Colo.
7 p.m. MT

TV: Altitude; MSG
Oct. 7, 2006 (WEEK 28) / MLS Game #185

A game with huge implications is ahead in Denver, as the Colorado Rapids return home after a three-game road swing to entertain the New York Red Bulls. The Rapids can clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs with a victory and the failure of Real Salt Lake to win (or with a draw, an RSL loss and an FC Dallas win or tie vs. Los Angeles). The Red Bulls come into the game knowing nothing can be settled yet in regards to their future. But with a win, or a tie for both New York and Kansas City, they would head into the season finale against the Wizards needing just a single point.

REFEREE: Brian Hall. SAR (bench): George Gansner; JAR (opposite): David Bragg; 4th: Colin Tait
MLS Career: 120 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 31; pens: 36
MLS 2006: 17 games; FC/gm: 27.4 (avg: 28.9); Y/gm: 3.2 (avg: 3.63); R: 4 (MLS: 42); pens: 3 (MLS: 39)
Games involving Rapids: P17 W3 L10 T4; FC/gm: 29.4; Y/gm: 2.4; R: 5; pens: 9
Games involving Red Bulls: P24 W6 L15 T3; FC/gm: 29.5; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 4; pens: 7

INJURY REPORT:
COLORADO RAPIDS - OUT: FW Luchi Gonzalez (R groin); DOUBTFUL: MF Alain Nkong (R knee); MF Matt Crawford (R hip); QUESTIONABLE: FW Jovan Kirovski (R quadriceps) ...
NEW YORK RED BULLS - OUT: MF Youri Djorkaeff (R knee bursitis); MF Mark Lisi (R adductor strain); DF Shawn Kuykendall (L knee surgery); FW Elie Ikangu (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Mike Magee (flu); GK Mike Behonick (R hip pointer)

SUSPENDED:
COL: Clint Mathis (through Oct. 15) ... NY: Marvell Wynne (through Oct. 7)

WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Kyle Beckerman, Mike Petke ... NY: Amado Guevara, Mike Magee, Marvell Wynne
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: COL: Nicolas Hernandez, Aitor Karanka, Jovan Kirovski, Pablo Mastroeni, Thiago Martins, Clint Mathis ... NY: Todd Dunivant, Dema Kovalenko, Danny O'Rourke, Seth Stammler

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (24 meetings): Rapids 10 wins (0 shootout), 28 goals ... Red Bulls 12 wins (0 shootout), 38 goals ... 2 draws
AT DENVER: (12 meetings): Rapids 6 wins (0 shootout), 13 goals ... Red Bulls 5 wins (0 shootout), 14 goals ... 1 draw

This is the second of two meetings between the teams, the only one set for the Mile High City.

A year ago, the teams met twice, with the MetroStars winning 3-1 at Colorado and the teams playing to a 1-1 draw in New Jersey. The MetroStars victory last season, on April 30, snapped a three-game Rapids winning streak in the series between the clubs. The last Metro victory had come May 17, 2003 (2-0) - also in the Mile High City.

Coaches records: Fernando Clavijo vs. NY: P11 W1 L8 D2 ... Bruce Arena v COL: P8 W6 L2 D0

2006 (MLS)
7/14: NY 1, COL 0 (Guevara 35)

In the first meeting this season, Richie Williams got his first victory as head coach in a 1-0 Red Bulls on July 14 at the Meadowlands. Stadium conflicts led to a rare Friday afternoon contest, played under a blazing sun on the new FieldTurf surface. The game's only goal came in the 35th minute, from the penalty spot. Chris Henderson burst into the area on the right and was clattered into by defenders Eric Denton and Dan Gargan, referee Jair Marrufo immediately pointing to the spot. Amado Guevara finished off the spot kick for his second goal of the season, first since April 15.

Here's Williams' team (4-3-1-2): Jon Conway - Marvell Wynne, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, Seth Stammler - Mike Magee, Danny O'Rourke, Chris Henderson (Joe Vide 84) - Amado Guevara - Edson Buddle (Jerrod Laventure 69), Jean Philippe Peguero. [Substitutes Not Used: Josmer Altidore, Michael Behonick, Peter Canero, Taylor Graham, Steve Jolley]

Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-2): Joe Cannon - Dan Gargan (Jacob Peterson 80), Aitor Karanka, Mike Petke, Eric Denton - Terry Cooke, Kyle Beckerman, Pablo Mastroeni, Nicolas Hernandez - Jovan Kirovski (Clint Mathis 69), Thiago Martins (Dedi Ben-Dayan 65). [Substitutes Not Used: Bouna Coundoul, Hunter Freeman, Fabrice Noel, Daniel Wasson]

COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids are still hanging on to fourth place in the Western Conference despite continuing their road difficulties with a 3-1 loss to the New England Revolution. They have 39 points from 30 matches, two ahead of Real Salt Lake for the final playoff spot in the division and three behind third-place Chivas USA.

LAST MATCH
-The Revolution were unbeaten in four games though they had missed out on a first chance to secure their postseason future the week before. The Rapids were still grimly hanging on to the final playoff place in the West after starting a late-season road run with a draw and a loss.
-The home side were given a dream start. A high boot from Aitor Karanka caught Jay Heaps in the head and left the Revolution defender bloodied while referee Kevin Stott pointed to the spot. Steve Ralston sent Joe Cannon the wrong way in converting the fourth-minute penalty.
-After the break, the game quickly spiraled out of control for Colorado. First, a free kick was won on the left side of the area, and Ralston whipped in a quality service that Jose Manuel Abundis stooped to power home with a flashing header at the near post in his MLS debut (59).
-Then seven minutes later, after first clashing for the ball once, Clint Mathis chased down Avery John to reclaim it and caught the New England defender with an elbow, earning his marching orders from Stott.
-The Revolution then made it 3-0 in the 79th minute with a wonderful goal, Taylor Twellman sending Clint Dempsey clean through. He drew Cannon off his line before beating the Colorado 'keeper with a deft chip for his seventh goal of the season.
-Colorado pulled a goal nearly on the stroke of full time after a wild sequence that saw Michael Parkhurst clear successive shots off the line also saw Matt Reis pull back substitute Melvin Tarley in an attempt to reach a rebound. Kyle Beckerman just squeezed his penalty between Reis and his right-hand post.
-Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo made one change to the team that lost 1-0 to Chivas USA the previous Saturday at The Home Depot Center. Colin Clark came back into the team, coming in for Jacob Peterson on the right side of midfield.
-Here's Clavijo's team (4-4-1-1): Joe Cannon - Dan Gargan, Aitor Karanka, Mike Petke, Hunter Freeman - Nicolas Hernandez (Melvin Tarley 84), Kyle Beckerman, Pablo Mastroeni (Daniel Wasson 87), Colin Clark (Jacob Peterson 56) - Clint Mathis - Thiago Martins. [Substitutes Not Used: Terry Cooke, Eric Denton, Matt Jordan, Chris Wingert]
-"In the first half, we played well," Clavijo said. "We had some good chances."
-Said Beckerman: "We responded well. We had some good effort, but the quality was lacking in the final third."

TEAM NEWS
-Over the three-game road trip, the Rapids gained a draw and lost twice, scoring just one goal on their travels - the late consolation penalty from Beckerman.
-"I say it all along that we have to help ourselves and today we didn't do that. It's very difficult when one minute into the game you're already trailing," Clavijo said. "When we started playing, I thought we played very well in the first half. Second half, again, we got back (in the game) and we had the red card, and it changed the whole momentum of the game again."
-The Rapids will secure their place in the MLS Cup Playoffs if they defeat the New York Red Bulls AND Real Salt Lake fails to defeat Houston Dynamo, or if they draw Saturday night and Real loses at home to Houston.
-"We play at home in next game and we need to get the points," Clavijo said. "We need to get the points because right Salt Lake is getting closer and closer. We have to make sure we get the space away from them. We have to show our true colors right now in the next two games."
-Immediately after the game in Foxborough, there was no question what was on the Rapids' minds - televisions were tuned in to see RSL grab a late equalizer against the Wizards in Kansas City.
-"We can control ourselves if we win all of our games," Clavijo said. "Unfortunately, we have to look to other places if we do not." Beckerman warned that even if the Rapids scrape into the playoffs, the attacking play must improve if Colorado wishes to avoid a two-game stint in the playoffs against probable No. 1 seed FC Dallas.
-"If we want to get to the playoffs and we want to do something once we get there, we need to have the effort and the quality," Beckerman said.

NEW YORK RED BULLS
The New York Red Bulls ensured the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference will come down to the final weekend of the regular season, pulling back into a tie for fourth place in the division with a 1-0 victory against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at Giants Stadium. The Red Bulls now have 35 points from 30 matches, level with the Kansas City Wizards - who they meet on the final day of the season at home.

LAST MATCH
-The Red Bulls came into the game still on the outside looking in at the postseason picture, two points behind the Wizards in the East, while the Fire were looking to secure home-field advantage in the conference semifinals after winning the first honor available on the year in the U.S. Open Cup Final at midweek.
-Once again, it was the heroics of 16-year-old Jozy Altidore from nearby Newark, N.J. who provided the Red Bulls with the margin of victory. Two weeks earlier he scored the only goal in New York's 1-0 win against Columbus - their only victory in their previous six games - and in his first MLS start he came through again on the hour mark.
-Marvell Wynne ran onto a Danny O'Rourke pass on the right flank and put in a low cross where Altidore came in and lashed it past Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens for his third goal in five professional appearances.
-The Red Bulls were left to sweat out a tense final nine minutes when Wynne was sent off for a second bookable offense, but they held out - and combined with the Kansas City home draw - pulled into a tie for the final playoff spot in the East.
-Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that lost 4-3 to D.C. United the previous weekend in the nation's capital. Chris Henderson came back into the team, for Markus Schopp on the right side of midfield, while Jozy Altidore made his first MLS start, coming into the team in place of the absent Youri Djorkaeff.
-Here's Arena's team (4-1-3-2): Jon Conway - Marvell Wynne, Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler - Danny O'Rourke - Dema Kovalenko, Amado Guevara, Chris Henderson (Markus Schopp 65) - Josmer Altidore (Taylor Graham 94+), John Wolyniec (Peter Canero 83). [Substitutes Not Used: Jerrod Laventure, Mike Magee, Tony Meola, Joe Vide]
-"Tonight, I think the guys played quite well for 90 minutes. It's been our most consistent game to date. I think all around it was a very good effort by our guys. I was very pleased," said Arena. "The win tonight keeps us alive in playoff contention. I would suspect that this whole thing, as usual, will go down to the last day."

TEAM NEWS
-Altidore's goal was his third as a professional in five MLS appearances, his second in as many games and his second game-winner - both coming in 1-0 Red Bulls victories.
-"It's great. I mean, this feeling is unbelievable. I'll never get sick of it or used to it. It's a great feeling to score a game-winning goal for your team and when you're in the need of a win, it's just great," Altidore said.
-"He's mature for his age," Marvell Wynne said of Altidore. "He's come out here and made a great contribution to the team. I think he's proof when you get on the soccer field, it all goes away and you're just playing the game that you love."
-The goal came in his first MLS start, when he became the second-youngest player to start for the Red Bulls. "John Harkes told me to go out there, have fun, relax and play," Altidore said. "That's what I just tried to do. It is a big game, we all know that, but we just have to relax and play our game and that's what we did tonight."
-Said Arena: "He's a kid with a lot of talent, we're hopeful that he's getting better. He certainly has promise. I think he's proven to be one of our better attacking forwards. I think he calms me down a little bit. He's a very mature young man. I'm very surprised at the kind of composure he has."
-Altidore's goal also capped off a night in which the Red Bulls allowed only one shot on goal - that coming just before the halftime break. "It's uplifting. One shot on goal, I mean you can't ask for too much more than that," said Wynne. I believe we are improving as a team, team management and everything else is coming through. We're finally developing a style that can carry over, but it's coming really late in the season."
-But Wynne will miss the Rapids match after being sent off late in the game. "I thought Marvell Wynne had a terrific game, he had two fouls tonight from what I can recall and received a yellow card on both, so it was pretty harsh," Arena said.
-"Our spacing was good, we passed better, we held possession and it allowed a players like [Wynne] to push up the field a little bit more. His speed is certainly his strength, and now he's becoming a better soccer player tactically and improving technically. He put in a very good cross that created the goal. To me, this was Marvell's best game. He gets better every game. That's the reason why we're playing him because of the upside."
-It was the 10th shutout of the season for the Red Bulls - the fifth for Jon Conway. His five clean sheets have come in 10 starts, while Tony Meola has 10 in 20 appearances.
-"Each and every week, they have gotten a little bit better. We had a couple of sequences over the last seven weeks where you play three games in a week and with a team with as many injuries as we have and with the lack of depth, it's hard," Arena said. "When we have a week of practice in between games we play a little bit better. We're still new to each other and I guess we grow with each other each day in training.