The Colorado Rapids (7-8-5, 26 pts; 8th West) return to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park this Friday, July 4, to host longtime Western Conference rivals Sporting Kansas City (5-10-5, 20 pts; 12th West). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. MT, with coverage available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.
Friday’s match will be paired with the club’s annual 4THFEST celebration, Colorado’s largest public fireworks display. The Independence Day tradition dates back to the team’s inaugural 1996 season. The Rapids are 14-7-7 all-time on July 4, including a 2-1 win over Kansas City last year.
Colorado enters the match unbeaten in its last two, following a 2-0 win over LA Galaxy and a thrilling 3-3 draw on the road at New England. Several Rapids attackers found form in the East, with Calvin Harris scoring in back-to-back matches for the first time in his MLS career, Rafael Navarro returning to the scoresheet with his sixth goal of the season, Darren Yapi recording a career-best two-assist outing, and Ted Ku-DiPietro netting his first goal for the club. A goal or assist from either Harris or Ku-DiPietro on Friday would tie the longest goal contribution streak by a Rapids player this season at three consecutive matches, a mark currently held by midfielder Djordje Mihailovic.
Navarro and Yapi were both named to the MLS Team of the Matchday for Matchday 21, highlighting their impact on the result at Gillette Stadium.
In net, goalkeeper Nico Hansen has stepped up in a major way. Since May 17, Hansen leads all MLS goalkeepers with 34 saves and is tied for third in both clean sheets (3) and saves inside and outside the box. His career-high eight-save outing last weekend helped secure a key road point.
Colorado holds a slight edge in the all-time regular-season series against Sporting (27-29-19), including a 2-1 home win on July 4 last year. The clubs last met in September 2024, with Sporting earning a 4-1 victory at home.
Both clubs remain firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot in a tightly packed Western Conference. The Rapids enter the week above the playoff line in 8th place, just three points behind fourth, and have a chance to climb even higher with a result at home. Sporting sits six points behind Colorado in 12th, making Friday’s matchup a key opportunity for both sides to shift the momentum heading into the second half of the season and strengthen their playoff push.
Friday’s match will reunite two former U.S. Men’s National Team teammates on the touchline, as Rapids head coach Chris Armas and Sporting interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin shared the field in four international friendlies and one World Cup qualifier between 2001 and 2004.
Sporting is led by forward Dejan Joveljić, who has 11 goals this season, and midfielder Manu García, who ranks third in MLS with nine assists. García earned his latest assist on Erik Thommy’s equalizer in the 59th minute of Sporting’s 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake last weekend, extending his assist streak to four consecutive matches. That is the longest active run in the league. Jake Davis was sent off in the 82nd minute and will miss Friday’s match due to suspension.
Pulskamp made six saves in the draw against RSL, while Thommy scored the equalizer. Both were named to the MLS Team of the Matchday.
With playoff positioning on the line and fireworks set to follow, Friday’s 4thFEST matchup offers a pivotal moment in the Rapids’ season. Colorado will look to extend its unbeaten run, continue building momentum at home, and deliver a performance worthy of the holiday stage in front of a packed DICK’S Sporting Goods Park.
