Still in search of their first win of the 2023 season, the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night host a Minnesota United team that has never beaten them at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.
The Rapids (0-2-1, 1 point) are 5-0-2 all-time against the Loons (1-0-1, 4 points) at home. Besides trying to garner its first victory of the season, Colorado also is still in search of its first goal of the campaign. Only two teams in MLS history — the 2015 Rapids and Toronto FC in 2007 — have started a season with four scoreless games.
Colorado comes in off a 1-0 loss at San Jose that saw them get six shots off set pieces but none on goal. Head coach Robin Fraser was still upbeat despite the shutout loss.
“Zero complaints about the work ethic and the effort,” Fraser told coloradorapids.com. “It was absolutely fantastic. I thought even the attackers defended well from the front. One thing that we need to be sharper at in the attacking is really turn half chances into real chances.”
“We’re playing some good football,” Rapids midfielder Sam Nicholson added. “You see this quite a lot, not just in this league, but in many leagues. People have slow starts and it’s just waiting for something to click. We’re definitely building something good here.”
Colorado goalie William Yarbrough is off to a good start with a league-leading 18 saves and one clean sheet.
Minnesota United comes in off a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls in their home opener played in the snow in Saint Paul, Minn., last Saturday. The Loons had a bye following a season-opening 1-0 victory at FC Dallas.
Minnesota is still without All-Star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso who was suspended by the MLS after failing to join the team and still remains home in Argentina. Reynoso had 10 goals for the Loons last season.
“Right now … we don’t have Rey,” defender Kemar Lawrence said. “We don’t have that one guy that we can say, ‘alright, let’s depend on him,’ so we have to make it a full team effort, and it’s been working.”
–Field Level Media