Colorado Rapids 2 will return home for their third and final matchup of the regular season against Austin FC II this Friday, August 15. Kickoff at University of Denver Soccer Stadium is set for 8:00 p.m. MT with coverage available on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Friday will mark the rubber match between these two sides for the regular season, with the season series currently split with each club recording a win apiece over each other. The first matchup came in the season opener, with Austin coming out on top at home 4-2. Colorado avenged the loss in June, defeating Austin 1-0 thanks to an own goal from defender Riley Thomas.
Colorado will look to continue their five match unbeaten stretch on Friday, having scooped up 12 points in that span. Austin is in an unbeaten run of their own, with the club not having lost in their last four matches played. These stretches have the two clubs in close proximity to each other in the Western Conference standings, with Rapids 2 sitting at fourth place with 36 points and Austin at sixth with 32 points.
Most recently for Rapids 2 was a matchup against St. Louis CITY2 on the road at Energizer Park. The two sides played to a 2-2 draw at the end of regulation, with forward Mamadou Billo Diop and defender James Cameron logging Colorado’s two goals. St. Louis ended up taking the second point after winning the shootout, but Rapids 2 left with a hard-earned point on the road.
For Austin, they will be entering Friday coming off a similar result, a 1-1 draw against North Texas SC. Jorge Alastuey notched Austin’s lone goal in stoppage time of the second half to equalize, but his side came up short in the end but ultimately had to settle for one point.
A player to watch for Colorado in this matchup will be Diop, who has been scoring goals left and right for the club in recent days. Over the past six matches, the forward has logged seven goals for the club and is currently riding a three-match goal scoring stretch. Within that span, Diop notched back-to-back braces against North Texas SC and Tacoma Defiance, extending his club lead and bringing his season tally to nine.
Since their first faceoff in 2023, these two sides have played each other incredibly evenly, with every match being a battle. All-time, this matchup has played to a perfectly even 3-3-3 record in regular season play, not including shootouts. Back in 2023, Colorado and Austin matched up in the Western Conference Final, with Austin eventually winning on their way to the MLS NEXT Pro final.
