COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids (2-10-8, 14 pts) host FC Dallas (8-8-5, 29 pts) at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park this Saturday, July 8, for Matchday 24 (7:30 p.m. MT; Apple TV – MLS Season Pass, Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM).
The Rapids will host Dallas after seeing a second home match in two weeks postponed due to inclement weather. On Tuesday, the Rapids hosted the Portland Timbers for their 27th Fourth of July matchup, an annual club tradition since its inception in 1996, but just before the national anthem was played, a lightning storm caused a kickoff delay. The teams would eventually play the full first half before additional inclement weather ultimately forced the postponement of the match, which will resume on July 12. Previously, the Rapids also saw their home match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on June 21 rescheduled to September 27 due to inclement weather.
“Well, it’s frustrating obviously,” Rapids head coach Robin Fraser said of the two postponements. “The game against Vancouver—guys got here at 6 [p.m.] and sat around in the locker room until midnight. That’s always disruptive. It’s not even like it’s a full rest day. You don’t play a game, but you’re still mentally engaged that whole time. It is a little bit of what it is in this country and the climate and that sort of thing. So, just like the other teams, we have to deal with it.”
Saturday could see the debut of new Rapids signing Andrew Gutman after acquired the fullback in a trade with Atlanta United FC on Wednesday. Defender Moïse Bombito remains unavailable for selection as is currently with the Canadian national team as they prepare for their Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinal against the United States. However, Bryan Acosta has returned from national team duty with Honduras at the Gold Cup and is available for selection.
Dallas comes into Saturday's game on the back of a 1-0 home loss to D.C. United, marking only the second time this season they have been shut out at Toyota Stadium. The Texan side has struggled recently, losing three out of their last four games and five out of the last seven, including their most recent loss at home. Coinciding with that has been the absence of forward Jesús Ferreira who was called up for the U.S. Men's National Team ahead of the Gold Cup. Despite missing his last three club games, Ferreira is tied for third-highest goals scored in MLS this season, leading the team with 10 goals, eight more than Dallas’ next top scorer. He will remain unavailable for Saturday's game as he continues with national team duties. Midfielder Tsiki Ntsabeleng leads the team with four assists, while defender Marco Farfan leads the team in tackles won, interceptions and minutes played for the club this season.
“I think they still have a lot of other quality players,” Fraser said ahead of the match about Dallas missing Ferreira. “(Dallas forward Alan) Velasco’s a very good attacking player. They have (Dallas midfielder Sebastian) Lletget, (Dallas forward Paul) Arriola. They have a number of very good players. Yes, missing (Dallas forward Jesús) Ferreira, I think, is a blow for them, but I still think they’re so deep, and they have so many talented players in different positions that they’re still going to be very, very tough to play against.”
Both the Rapids and FC Dallas, originally known as Dallas Burn, are MLS charter clubs, two of the 10 inaugural sides that helped kick off the league in 1996. Dallas holds the regular-season series advantage (27-35-18), although Rapids have had recent success, posting a 3-1-1 record in the last five matchups between the two clubs. The heated rivalry between the two has been bolstered by each acting as the other’s roadblock in different competitions. Meeting in the playoffs five times, the Rapids have eliminated Dallas from MLS Cup contention in each of their postseason matchups, including Dallas’s 2006 Western Conference-leading campaign. In 2010, the Rapids faced Dallas in the MLS Cup Final, where Colorado overcame an early deficit to beat Dallas in extra time and win the championship. On the flip side, Dallas has met Colorado in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament on four different occasions and prevailed each time.
Historically, Dallas has struggled on the road against Colorado, recording a 9-19-11 record as visitors. They haven’t won at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park since 2014 (0-5-4), losing the last five games in Colorado. Of those five losses, four of them were shutouts, with the Texas club unable to find the back of the net in the last four matchups on the road. Since the Rapids moved to DSGP in 2007, Dallas has only ever scored more than one goal two times while being held to zero goals on six different occasions.
Saturday night will be a special occasion as former Rapids defender Drew Moor is inducted into the Rapids' Gallery of Honor. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Moor began his professional career with FC Dallas after being drafted in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft. He later joined the Rapids in 2009 and played for the club for seven seasons, winning the 2010 MLS Cup before a highly successful stint with Toronto FC where he won the Treble in 2017. Moor returned to Colorado for the last three years of his career, ultimately retiring as a Rapids player in 2022. Moor ranks second in club history for all-time regular-season appearances (210), games started (187), and minutes played (17,140), only behind club legend Pablo Mastroeni. In his final home game of the 2022 regular season, Moor faced his former team, Dallas, at DSGP. During Saturday night's match against one of his former teams, Moor will be honored at halftime.
