Been a While
Saturday’s match between Colorado and Philadelphia will mark their first encounter since May 29, 2019, a 1-1 draw at Subaru Park. The Rapids have only lost two of their last 12 regular-season matches against the Union dating back to August 2010 (4-2-6); on the road, the Rapids have just one loss from seven matches against the Union, a 2-1 defeat on May 20, 2017 (2-1-4).
Overall, Colorado has outscored Philadelphia 20-14 in the regular season since the first meeting between the two clubs took place on August 14, 2010, at PPL Park. The Rapids are currently undefeated in their last two matches against the Union (1-0-1; 4 GF, 1 GA).
Abubakar Again
Lalas Abubakar scored the Rapids’ lone goal in their match against Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, marking his fourth goal of the season and adding to his new regular-season career high. The Ghanaian defender scored his first-ever goal in Burgundy during a 1-1 draw against the Dynamo on September 9, 2020, and has since gone on to record seven goals for Colorado.
"I thought he was very good, I thought his defending was solid. With the ball, they managed to put him in some tough spots and he still found some decent solutions and I thought he looked confident," said Fraser following the Houston draw. "I thought he looked solid and on set pieces he was fantastic. His timing and his determination to get on set pieces is outstanding. And he continues to be a threat on set pieces pretty much every single game. And a lot of that comes down to desire and determination. When he goes after it he actually really goes after it."
Abubakar scored just four goals over his past 90 appearances from 2018-2021, making his fourth on this season alone a tribute to his ability to capitalize on his place in the Rapids' set piece schemes.
Going Streaking
The Rapids have now scored in each of their last ten games following their 1-1 draw against Houston on Saturday, their longest run of consecutive games finding the back of the net this season. Colorado has scored 20 goals in that span including Abubakar’s goal on Saturday, which extended the Rapids’ home unbeaten streak to five matches.
Time, Warner
In Colorado’s match against the Dynamo, midfielder Collen Warner surpassed 15,000 regular-season minutes in MLS. The Denver native ended the night with 39 successful passes, the most successful passes delivered by any player in the match. The defensive midfielder also gained possession 12 times, the most from any player on the pitch in the match.
Within Arm’s Reach
In what could be his first appearance against the Union, goalkeeper William Yarbrough is on the hunt for his 25th regular-season shutout. The two-time LigaMX champion’s next shutout would tie him with Joe Cannon for third-most in Rapids history.
