The penultimate round of matches in the 2024 Major League Soccer season sees the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders lock horns at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Sunday.
The hosts are on a tough run heading into this one having lost consecutive matches, while the away side currently have their sights set on picking up a third victory.
Match preview
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Colorado Rapids needed a victory against Los Angeles FC to effectively confirm their place in the playoffs but were comprehensively thrashed 3-1 as the teams faced off on Thursday.
Chris Armas's men started brightly and got their noses in front through Connor Ronan on the stroke of half time, but a sloppy beginning to the second was punished by goals from Gabriel Pec and Riqui Puig eight minutes apart before Puig made sure of things in stoppage time.
Suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in four months, the Pids have dropped to sixth place in the Western Conference of the MLS table but still hold a four-point gap on the teams just outside the automatic playoff places.
Only Portland Timbers (119), Inter Miami (119) and DC United (116) have seen their matches yield more combined goals than Colorado's 115 this term, meaning that another entertaining affair is on the cards this weekend.
A chance to end a four-game winless run in the fixture now awaits the hosts, who have picked up two stalemates and as many losses since they last got the better of their visitors in May 2022.
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Having returned to winning ways against the Houston Dynamo four days earlier, Seattle Sounders turned on the style against Vancouver Whitecaps on Thursday en route to a convincing 3-0 triumph at BC Place.
Paul Rothrock got himself on the scoresheet for the second game running to seal the deal for Brian Schmetzer's men off the back of goals in either half from Georgi Minoungou and Albert Rusnak.
It is now four wins from five games for the Rave Greens, who have also recorded the most points of any MLS team over the last 15 rounds of matches, which have yielded 35 points from a possible 45, one clear of Inter Miami.
Seattle Sounders could not have picked a better time to hit form ahead of the playoffs as they look to improve upon their quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual runners-up Los Angeles FC last time out.
Team News
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American duo Cole Bassett and Sam Vines are both out of contention with muscle injuries, and neither will play any part for Colorado Rapids in this one.
Kevin Cabral is also a guaranteed absentee for the home side through an elbow problem, while Adam Beaudry remains a doubt despite being named on the bench against last time out.
Off the back of another blank, forward Rafael Navarro has now gone four games without finding the back of the net but is expected to lead the line nonetheless.
Joao Paulo and Leo Chu are absent for Seattle Sounders through calf and groin injuries respectively, while Cody Baker is yet to recuperate from an arm injury.
Thirty-four-year-old Raul Ruidiaz is still a considerable way off returning to action having not appeared for the visitors since the start of September due to a damaged knee.
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Steffen; Cannon, Abubakar, Maxso, Travis; Larraz, Ronan; Harris, Mihailovic, Fernandez; Navarro
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Nouhou, Ragen, Andrade, A Roldan; Vargas, C Roldan; Rothrock, Rusnak, Minounglou; Morris
We say: Colorado Rapids 2-2 Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders are the more in-form team heading into this one, but the Colorado Rapids have been difficult to beat on home turf, so we are backing a share of the spoils with honours even in the end.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Adepoju Marvellous
