With only five games remaining in their Major League Soccer regular season, winning the rest of the way is imperative for both the Colorado Rapids and Vancouver Whitecaps, who will face each other on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
These two playoff teams from 2021 are in danger of missing the postseason this year, as the Burgundy Boys are winless in six straight matches, nine points behind the Western Conference playoff line, while Vancouver have eight points to make up after dropping a 2-0 decision to the San Jose Earthquakes last week.
Match preview
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A year after being the best regular season side in the highly competitive Western Conference, Colorado have been incredibly underwhelming throughout the year, scoring just once in their last three games.
Currently on their longest winless skid since Robin Fraser took over, the Rapids failed to create many opportunities versus DC United and could not manage to find the back of the net against the worst defensive unit in MLS when it comes to goals conceded (59).
At the beginning of the 2022 campaign, there were many questions about where the Rapids goals would come from this season.
That continues to be an area that has plagued this team, although no one could have predicted they would have as many poor defensive performances as we have seen this year, with Colorado conceding three or more goals in 10 different encounters.
They have already conceded 15 more goals this season (50) than they had in 2021, shutting out their opponents only once in their last nine games.
Three of their final five regular-season affairs will be at altitude in Commerce City, where the Burgundy Boys are unbeaten in five successive domestic encounters, with six of their seven clean sheets this year coming on home soil.
Colorado are winless in their previous four matches in which they had conceded the opening goal, losing their last two games to Nashville SC and the Philadelphia Union by a combined score of 10-1.
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On the Pacific coast of Vancouver, it feels as though Whitecaps boss Vanni Sartini may be a little short on miracles this season.
The Italian coach helped turn this team's fortunes around last year, with the Caps losing only two of their last 14 regular season affairs in 2021, qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2017.
Heading into their final MLS fixture last month, this team was actually in a playoff position, but they have dried up offensively since then, going goalless in back-to-back games as they now have three teams to try to overtake in the postseason battle, with time running out.
Coming into this weekend, the Whitecaps are winless in six consecutive domestic encounters away from home and have failed to score in four road fixtures this year.
Vancouver have conceded the opening goal in four of their previous five matches, winning only two encounters all year when falling behind 1-0.
Their final five fixtures of the regular season are all against teams currently above them in the Western Conference standings, so they will need to be at their best if they want to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
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Team News
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Colorado goalkeeper William Yarbrough recorded his 25th career shutout in their 0-0 draw versus DC United, tying Joe Cannon for the third-most clean sheets in franchise history.
In their last match, he preserved a point for the Rapids by stopping Christian Benteke from the penalty spot, the first penalty save of his MLS career.
Gyasi Zardes has scored two of the last three goals for the Burgundy Boys, including their only tally in a 2-1 defeat versus the Caps back in August, leading goalscorer Diego Rubio has not tallied in five straight games and Steven Beitashour had the last assist for them at the end of August, his second of the season, drawing even with Zardes and Lucas Esteves for third on the team.
Several Colorado players are dealing with injuries at the moment, as Jackson Travis (core), Sebastian Anderson (right leg), Dantouma Toure (right knee) and Jack Price (upper body) all missed their match against the Black and Red.
Oliver Larraz (right leg), Aboubacar Keita (torn ACL) and Braian Galvan (right knee) were also absent for Colorado because of knocks.
The last goal scored by Vancouver in an MLS encounter came courtesy of midfielder Julian Gressel back on August 20, his first with the club.
Their top goalscorer Lucas Cavallini was handed a four-game suspension following his red card against Nashville, and their second-leading scorer Ryan Gauld will be ruled out of this encounter because of yellow card accumulation.
Brian White, who led them with 12 goals in 2021, has only tallied three this season, while Cristian Dajome leads them in assists with four and Tosaint Ricketts has chipped in with three goals.
Deiber Caicedo remains out after undergoing right knee and meniscus surgery, while Sartini added two new faces to the opening lineup in San Jose, with Dajome and Russell Teibert replacing Sebastian Berhalter and Ryan Raposo.
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Yarbrough; Esteves, Rosenberry, Abubakar, Beitashour; Warner, Acosta; Max, Rubio, Barrios; Zardes
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Hasal; Blackmon, Veselinovic, Brown; Schopf, Berhalter, Cubas, Gressel, Vite; White, Ricketts
We say: Colorado Rapids 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
Psychologically, both of these teams have looked defeated over the past couple of weeks, and while there is a mathematical chance they can each still make the postseason, these teams struggle with consistency and quality, so we do not expect much more than a stalemate on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
