The Colorado Rapids were down last week – twice, in fact – but not out. Trailing 2-1 in the dying seconds against Vancouver, Axel Sjoberg saved the Rapids with a header to the bottom left corner that saw Colorado salvage a point from the Whitecaps.
Now, heading into Saturday’s game against a very offensively aggressive Sporting Kansas City side, Pablo Mastroeni’s club must maintain that fighting spirit if they want to stretch their unbeaten streak to 14 games.
“I think all these different circumstances really build character within the group and fortifies the mentality that we’ll find a way to overcome,” Mastroeni said. “Moving to this game, it’ll be a tough game against Kansas City, but again, if you bring the right mentality, I think we have a great chance to get all three [points].”
Kansas City is coming off a disappointing 1-0 decision in a midweek game against Chicago, and that combined with four straight losses to Colorado should be enough motivation for them to come out firing.
“They’re going to come and give it,” Sjoberg said. “Throwing punches and giving it all they have. They’re a very good team, hardworking team – they clog up the middle and really make life difficult for you. There are a lot of challenges for us there and we’ve beaten them twice this year already, so they’re probably going to adjust accordingly.”
Sjoberg and Sporting’s Dom Dwyer are two of the most physical players in the league, and it’s a clash when those two go at it on the pitch. Saturday should be no different.
“Dom and I have a very special relationship in the game,” he said. “Every game I play, it’s been a battle and a fight from the first whistle to the last. I expect nothing less.”
For Jared Watts, the key to a result against Kansas City lies not just in “fortifying Dick’s,” but also in a communal group effort to get the job done.
“For sure, guys are going to have to be on the same page,” Watts said, “Talking with each other, helping each other out – because they’re [Kansas City] going to throw a lot of things going forward at us.”
Colorado has fought for results before in 2016, battling the Galaxy for a scoreless draw and using a late Marco Pappa goal to steal three points from Chicago in the first game after Copa America Centenario.
Mastroeni expects “Kansas City’s best” Saturday in Commerce City, though, meaning the same grit that willed the Rapids to a point north of the border will also have to be prevalent this weekend.
