The Colorado Rapids (4-5-1, 13 points, 7th West) will hit the road for their second matchup of the season against Houston Dynamo FC (4-5-0, 12 points, 9th West) on Saturday night. Kickoff at Shell Energy Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. MT, with coverage available on Apple TV, Altitude Sports Radio, Tico Sports Spanish Radio, ColoradoRapids.com, and the Colorado Rapids app.
The Rapids enter Saturday night looking for a repeat of their first matchup against the Dynamo, this time on the road in Houston. Both of these clubs will have momentum on their side, with each side winning in their most recent matchup in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to advance to the tournament Quarterfinal round.
This past Wednesday, the Rapids hosted their USL Championship neighbors, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, in the third edition of the “I-25 Derby”. In a back-and-forth contest, the two sides played to a tight contest that went to extra time following a 1-1 draw in regulation. With each team scoring a goal apiece in the final five minutes of extra time, the match headed to a shootout to determine who would advance to the next round. In suspenseful fashion, the Rapids came out on top by a final score of 5-4 following seven rounds, moving on to the Quarterfinal round for the first time since 2007.
Houston also saw success in their Open Cup match on Wednesday, defeating Louisville City 2-1 at Shell Energy Stadium. Similarly to the Rapids’ match, this contest also went to extra time following a 1-1 draw at the end of 90 minutes. Playing hero for the Dynamo was Ezequiel Ponce, who scored in the 101st minute to secure the victory for his side.
These clubs have already faced off once this season, with the Rapids dominating the first matchup on April 11. Colorado came out on top 6-2 thanks to stellar performances from multiple players. Braces from Rafael Navarro and then-debutant Kosi Thompson, paired with a goal from Josh Atencio, lifted the Rapids to their biggest victory up to this point of the season. The top performances led to Navarro, Thompson, and Head Coach Matt Wells all being named to MLS’ Team of the Matchday.
Navarro will be a player to watch for Colorado in this match, with the Brazilian striker playing to his top form as of late. In his last 10 appearances across all competitions, the forward has now recorded 13 goal contributions (7g, 6a). With 11 of the goal contributions coming in MLS play, Navarro ranks first among all players in the league in the category up to this point of the season.
