2020 MLS is Back Tournament – Group D
Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Fri., July 17 – 6:00 PM MT
TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; TSN in Canada
SECOND SCREEN: ColoradoRapids.com/LIVE
STREAMING: ESPN App in USA; TSN App in Canada
Friday night's matchup gives both the Rapids and Sporting Kansas City a chance to get back on track in the MLS is Back tournament.
In their first matchup of the tournament, the Rapids fell 2-0 to Real Salt Lake, and SKC lost to Minnesota 2-1. Both Colorado and Sporting came into the tournament with undefeated 2-0-0 records, and, now, both teams face an uphill battle in order to advance into the round of 16.
A win in this match will not guarantee advancement to the next round of the tournament, but it would put Colorado in a position to have much better control of its destiny going into the final match of the group stage against Minnesota on Wednesday. A loss would all but confirm an early departure.
Despite a disappointing result on Sunday, the Rapids did show promise with Nicolas Benezet, who made his debut for the club. He showed great chemistry with designated player Younes Namli, and the duo will look to capitalize in their second match together.
Jack Price has proven to be magic on free kicks, providing two assists in the first two games and leading the team with 11 assists last season. He wasn’t able to help the team find the back of the net on Sunday, but if history proves any indicator, Price’s free kicks won’t be stopped for long.
Last season, Colorado went unbeaten against Sporting Kansas City, drawing 1-1 in the first matchup and winning 3-2 in the second. Since 2015, the Rapids have preformed very well against their neighbors to the East, going 7-2-2. All-time, the clubs are pretty evenly split, with SKC holding a narrow 31-29-18 advantage.
Sunday’s match against RSL marked the first time that the Rapids have gone scoreless under head coach Robin Fraser. Fraser’s record since joining Colorado last season is 7-3-0 – the best record through the first ten games of any coach in club history.
Fans can watch the match on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and the Watch ESPN app. In addition, you can get the Rapids gameday feel through the club’s second screen experience which gives supporters the opportunity to watch the match alongside fans like themselves and hear tidbits about the game from the perspective of their favorite team. You’ll hear from MLS legend Stephen Keel, watch live hits from Rachel Vigil on the ground in Orlando, get insight from Altitude Radio’s Connor Cape and much more. This viewing experience is designed to compliment the broadcast and bring together the Rapids community, so tune in to ColoradoRapids.com/LIVE at 5:30 PM to get ready with our match pregame show!
To learn more about the second screen experience, click here.
