COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids (8-12-8, 32 pts) will complete their three-game road stand as they head to Audi Field to take on D.C. United (7-17-4, 25 pts) on Sunday, September 4 (5:30 p.m. MT; Altitude Sports, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM).
Sunday’s match will be Colorado’s third-ever visit to Audi Field (1-1-0). The last time the Rapids made the trip to the nation’s capital was during their 2020 MLS season opener, a match in which they came away with a 2-1 win thanks to a stoppage-time winner from substitute Jonathan Lewis. A pair of familiar faces could cross paths on the pitch this time around, as the Rapids’ Bryan Acosta and United’s Andy Najar are long-time teammates on the Honduran national team.
Colorado will be looking to bounce back and keep their playoff hopes alive following a 4-1 road loss to an in-form Nashville SC on Wednesday. The Tennessee side opened the scoring in the first half after Golden Boot candidate Hany Mukhtar slotted home from the penalty spot. No other team in the league has had more penalty kicks called against them than the Rapids this season (9). Colorado equalized shortly after when defender Steven Beitashour delivered his 40th career MLS assist, finding Gyasi Zardes in the box who buried the ball in the back of the net to claim his 96th career MLS goal and his eighth in Burgundy.
Rapids forward Diego Rubio, who was also involved in Zardes’ goal on Wednesday, continued adding to his career-best season with his seventh assist of the year. The Chilean has now logged a goal or an assist in nine out of his last ten appearances after recording a goal contribution in eight consecutive matches. Rubio leads the team with 12 goals and seven assists in 2022, besting his previous career high of 11 goals and five assists in 2019. He is one goal away from surpassing Chris Henderson for sole possession of the fifth-most in Rapids history (32) and is one game-winning goal away from tying Paul Bravo for most in club history (12).
D.C. United will host the Rapids after recording a 2-1 victory on the road over New York City FC on Wednesday, ending a four-game losing streak and a six-game winless streak. Forward Ola Kamara scored United’s opening goal against NYCFC, the 83rd goal of his MLS career. Since Kamara’s debut season in 2016, the only other players with more than 70 regular season goals in that span are Josef Martínez (96) and Bradley Wright-Phillips (72). United’s match against NYCFC was also notable as it saw forward Christian Benteke make his Black & Red debut for Wayne Rooney’s side since being acquired from Crystal Palace in August.
