Colorado Rapids vs Austin

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park plays host to a handsomely-looking Major League Soccer showdown between Colorado Rapids and Austin.

Colorado Rapids have switched off since a 1-0 downing of Seattle Sounders in late May, going winless in their subsequent three league matches (D1, L2). But before succumbing to a dreadful 3-1 defeat to Nashville in their most recent MLS home outing, they had won three consecutive league fixtures on home turf. That bodes well for Colorado’s bid to get back to winning ways and potentially whittle down a five-point gap on seventh-placed Los Angeles Galaxy. Austin’s upcoming visit to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park could fuel those hopes further, as Robin Fraser’s men have won both previous league H2Hs without conceding. On top of that, Colorado had kept four consecutive home clean sheets before the aforementioned reverse to Nashville.

As for Austin, a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Charlotte last time out made it three MLS matches without losing in succession (W2, D1), keeping them firmly in contention for a top-place finish in the Western Conference. With a game in hand, the visitors trail table-topping Los Angeles by five points, highlighting the importance of winning this fixture. Though this won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, Austin can draw confidence from winning three of their last four away league games (L1). It’s worth mentioning that each triumph in that sequence yielded a single-goal margin, highlighting Austin’s ability to thrive in high-octane moments.