Facing a Kansas City team that needs just one win in its final two games, the Colorado Rapids can expect an aggressive and motivated opponent on Wednesday night at Sporting Park. Defending against that type of aggressiveness proved to be the undoing of the Rapids on many occasions throughout the year and is one of the primary reasons Colorado finds itself on the outside looking in at the playoff picture as the season winds to a close. With a chance to play spoiler twice over in their final two games, head coach Pablo Mastroeni and midfielder Sam Cronin know that it will take a strong effort to leave Kansas City with a win in hand.
“They play a high, aggressive line,” Cronin told the team website earlier in the week. “They try to press teams, especially at home.”
Colorado has struggled against the press, and Cronin knows his club will need to rely on its speed to keep up the pace and counter-attack to flip the field.
“You have to be ready for the fight, first and foremost,” he said. “A lot of time it turns into a game of second balls [against Kansas City].”
Cronin assuredly hopes for a better performance on Wednesday in Kansas City than his last trip there. In June, Cronin scored an own-goal in a 2-0 defeat.
Mastroeni knows it will be a tough task for his team, who did earn a win against SKC in August at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The team anticipates an electric atmosphere, as Kansas City will be looking for a win to secure their playoff berth. A loss would mean they must beat Los Angeles, who has already clinched a berth, on Sunday in order to avoid numerous “if/then” scenarios. Colorado, meanwhile, will have to dig deep for motivation.
Having been eliminated from playoff contention on Oct. 4, Mastroeni has still been impressed with his club’s effort, even as they approach the final two matches. He says he has a Rapids club ready to compete against Sporting KC.
“With nothing to play for, as far as playoffs,” Mastroeni told the team website, “everyone’s been putting in a great shift every day.”
That effort will hopefully translate as the team tries to stop Dom Dwyer, Benny Feilhaber and Krisztian Nemeth, each of whom has 10 or more goals on the year.
“They have a lot of guys who can score on just a few chances,” Cronin notes.
Colorado will focus heavily, as they have in past matches, on stopping those three.
“We’ve done a good job neutralizing those players,” says Mastroeni.
Both Dwyer and Nemeth have goals against Colorado, in separate matches, this year. Much of the attention will be on them again Wednesday night.
Health-wise, Colorado is mostly intact. Only Dillon Serna did not travel with the team. He is out with a hamstring injury.
Colorado and Sporting Kansas City kick at 6:30 p.m. MDT Wednesday. Catch the broadcast live on Mile High Sports AM 1340, streaming online or via the Mile High Sports app.