Sports Mole previews Monday’s Major League Soccer clash between Colorado Rapids and St Louis City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Seeking to pick up their first MLS away win of the campaign, St Louis City journey to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to face Colorado Rapids on Monday morning.
The Rapids are unbeaten in their last five home games, including three wins in their last three outings, and will head into the game looking to extend this impressive run.
Match preview
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Colorado Rapids turned in a show of character and fighting spirits as they fought back from behind to secure a 2-1 home victory over Sporting Kansas City on Friday morning.
Following a relatively uneventful first half, the Rapids found themselves trailing to Johnny Russell‘s 48th-minute opener, but they dug deep and turned the game on its head courtesy of goals from Oliver Larraz and Dorde Mihailovic.
Prior to that, Colorado Rapids saw their run of three consecutive victories come to an end on June 30 as they fell to a humbling 3-0 loss against Los Angeles FC, with Mateusz Bogusz netting hat-trick at the BMO Stadium.
With Friday’s victory, Chris Armas‘s men have gone five consecutive home games without a defeat, claiming four wins and one draw while scoring 12 goals and keeping two clean sheets since a 3-2 loss to San Jose Earthquakes on May 12.
Colorado Rapids have picked up 10 wins and four draws in their 22 MLS matches so far to collect 34 points and sit fourth in the Western Conference standings, nine points adrift of first-placed Los Angeles FC.
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St Louis City, on the other hand, returned to winning ways last time out as they held their own to see out a 2-0 victory over San Jose Earthquakes when the sides squared off at Citypark.
Eduard Lowen and Japanese midfielder Hosei Kijima scored first half goals to put the hosts in front before holding firm to protect their two-goal lead in the second half to hand the Quakes their 16 league defeat.
This was a much-needed relief for St Louis City who had failed to taste victory in any of their previous nine matches, losing six and picking up just three draws since a 3-1 win over Chicago Fire on May 12.
John Hackworth‘s men have won four of their 21 league matches so far while losing Serb and claiming 10 draws to collect 22 points and sit 12th in the Western Conference table, only above Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes.
While St Louis will be looking to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time since October, their form on the road offers little optimism as they have failed to win any of their 10 away matches this season, losing five and claiming five draws so far.
Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer form:
St Louis City Major League Soccer form:
Team News
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Colorado Rapids remain without the services of Jackson Travis and Daniel Chacon, who have been ruled out through ankle and knee injuries respectively.
Twenty-four-year-old defender Moise Bombito is currently on duty with the Canadian national team at the Copa America and is out of contention for the hosts.
Kevin Cabral will also play no part in Sunday’s game as he serves a one-game suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Sporting Kansas City.
St Louis will have to cope without several players down the spine of the team as Joakim Nilsson (hamstring), Rasmus Alm (knee) and Tomas Ostrak (ankle) all continue their spells on the sidelines.
Brazilian midfielder Celio Pompeu has missed each of the last four games since coming off injured against FC Dallas on June 16, while Joshua Yaro continues his spell on the sidelines.
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Steffen; Rosenberry, Abubakar, Maxsoe, Vines; Ronan, Bassett; Harris, Mihailovic, Fernandez; Navarro
St Louis City possible starting lineup:
Burki; Totland, Durkin, Parker, Reid; Blom, Klein, Loewen; Kijima, Thorisson, Vassilev
We say: Colorado Rapids 2-0 St Louis City
Given their current home form, Colorado Rapids will fancy themselves against a St Louis side who have struggled for results on their travels. We predict Armas’s men will pick up where they left off against Kansas City and secure another win in front of their home supporters.
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