The Colorado Rapids (4-4-3, 15 pts) will play their fourth match in 12 days as they visit Sporting Kansas City (2-7-3, 9 pts) at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday, May 18 (6:30 p.m. MT; Altitude Sports, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM).
Wednesday’s match will be the second and final regular-season encounter between the Rapids and Sporting KC after the two teams faced each other at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on March 12, which ended in a 2-0 win for the Rapids.
Robin Fraser’s side head to Children’s Mercy Park on a quick turnaround after facing LAFC at home on May 14. Recently acquired forward Gyasi Zardes recorded his first goal as a member of the Rapids in the 17th minute, converting a penalty kick that would be the eventual game winner in the Burgundy Boys’ 2-0 win over the Southern Californian side.
The Rapids are still searching for their first road win of 2022 and will look to ride the momentum of their club-record, unbeaten run at home. Colorado reached 22 consecutive games recording at least a point at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park with its 2-0 win over LAFC in their last home match. That streak currently ties the Rapids for fifth all-time in MLS history. Goalkeeper William Yarbrough recorded his fifth clean sheet on the year on Saturday, tying him for second-most in MLS. The two-time Liga MX Champion is one shutout away from tying Tim Howard for fourth-most clean sheets in club history.
Rapids forward Diego Rubio is set to face his former club. Rubio was a member of Sporting KC from 2016-2018, recording 15 goals and eight assists across 2,121 regular-season minutes for the Midwestern side. The Chilean international earned his first MLS start on May 13, 2016, in a match against his current club, the Colorado Rapids. Rubio currently leads Colorado with six goals, tying him for third-most in the league.
Sporting KC enters the match coming off a heavy 7-2 loss on the road against the Portland Timbers. The club has been outscored by their opponents 10-23 this year and sit 13th in the Western Conference. Designated Player Johnny Russell leads SKC with three goals, while homegrown midfielder Felipe Hernández leads the club with three assists.
“I don’t really care what their record is and how many goals they’ve given up, said Fraser ahead of the match. “This is a team that can be good at any time. They’ve been well-coached for a long time with good players and they know their roles, and whether they're executing everywhere or not, you know that the potential is there—the framework is there. They can always be a good team. So for us, it’s again an exercise in mentality, discipline, doing the things that we have to do to try to negate their strengths, and as I said, in spite of the recent score, in spite of what their record is, it’s a team that I know they can be good at any time
