Colorado Rapids vs. DC United | MLS Match Preview

#COLvDC: United try to get back on track out West | 9 pm ET, MLS LIVE

Colorado Rapids vs. DC United, September 12, 2015

COLORADO RAPIDS VS. D.C. UNITED
DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City, Colo.
September 12, 2015 (WEEK 28, MLS Game #279)
9 pm ET, MLS LIVE

Two clubs in very different places in the chase for the MLS Cup Playoffs meet in an interconference affair when the Colorado Rapids entertain D.C. United at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Saturday evening. The Rapids return home after seeing a three-game winning run put to an end in a 2-0 midweek defeat at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, now sitting eight points behind sixth place in the Western Conference and the final playoff position. United are coming off three consecutive losses, shut out for a second consecutive match in a 3-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls last time out, and they enter the match one point behind RBNY for top spot in the East.


  • United have lost three games in a row for the first time this season – shut out in back-to-back games following their 3-0 defeat at the New York Red Bulls in their last match, Aug. 30 at Red Bull Arena.
  • Kevin Doyle scored a goal in a second consecutive game in the Rapids 2-1 win vs. Sporting Kansas City on Aug. 29 that extended their winning run. Doyle had four goals and an assist in nine games in MLS play – all since he was installed into the center forward role in the Rapids attack.
  • The teams met once last season, United cruising to a 4-2 win Aug. 17 at RFK Stadium, their second successive home victory in the series. United are undefeated in the last four meetings in the series, with two victories and two draws, dating back to May 14, 2011.
  • Both teams had gone more than a decade between wins at the other’s home, before winning there in 2010. Colorado’s win in Washington was their first in the nation’s capital since 1999. United’s win in Colorado was their first in the Centennial State since 2000. The last two meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park have been a Rapids win and a draw.


DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Sorin Stoica
MLS Career: 40 games; FC/gm: 28.9; Y/gm: 4.2; R: 19; pens: 20
AR1 (bench): Claudio Badea; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Mark Kadlecik


SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Lucas Pittinari, James Riley, Jared Watts … DC: Davy Arnaud, Conor Doyle, Perry Kitchen
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: COL: Marc Burch, Kevin Doyle, Sam Cronin … DC: Bobby Boswell, Sean Franklin, Taylor Kemp, Steven Birnbaum
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (39 meetings): Rapids 13 wins (1 shootout), 50 goals … United 18 wins (2 shootout), 65 goals … Ties 8
AT COLORADO (19 meetings): Rapids 10 wins (0 shootout), 32 goals … United 6 wins (1 shootout), 23 goals … Ties 3


Related Content:

Rapids blame inability to "make better decisions" in streak-snapping loss to Vancouver
United return to the grind with a point to prove as taste of Red Bulls loss lingers
Why wasn't Hamid called to USMNT? DC United boss Ben Olsen praises his goalkeeper
CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH