Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 20
Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids
Children's Mercy Park – Kansas City
October 24 – 8:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: FOX Sports KC, Altitude

After five postponed matches due to positive COVID-19 tests, the Colorado Rapids return to the field for the first time in a month to meet Sporting Kansas City Saturday night at Children's Mercy Park.

SKC (9W-6L-3D) are coming off a 2-2 draw against Chicago Fire FC after conceding a stoppage-time equalizer, while the Rapids (5W-4L-4D) defeated San Jose 5-0 in their last game on Sept. 23. 

This is the third meeting this season, with Graham Zusi scoring a deflected stoppage-time winner for Sporting in the MLS is Back Tournament before the sides played to a 1-1 stalemate August 29 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.  

Sporting Kansas City

For a second straight game, Peter Vermes felt aggrieved by the officials in a 2-2 draw against the Fire at Solider Field. His gripe this week was the amount of stoppage time allowed, among other concerns. 

"Did you want to add that it was four minutes of extra time and the goal was scored at four minutes and roughly 19-20 seconds? And I'm trying to understand where the additional time came from because the game was being played by both teams at a fast and furious pace," Vermes said about the calls that have not gone Sporting's way in recent days. "Nobody was laying on the ground or anything, so I’d like to know where that also comes from. I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t have any answers for it. Maybe you guys could question those guys and ask them."

The club announced Wednesday that right back Graham Zusi underwent successful surgery to repair a midfoot sprain in his left foot. The procedure was performed under the care of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kirk McCullough at the Kansas City Orthopaedic Institute. He will be sidelined for the rest of the 2020 season and is expected to miss four to five months during his rehabilitation.

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Felipe Gutierrez (M) - knee injury
  • OUT: Graham Zusi (D) - left midfoot sprain
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Ilie Sanchez (M)
• International duty:  None

Colorado Rapids

Friday marked exactly a month to the day since the Colorado Rapids last played an MLS match. In the time since their resounding 5-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on September 23, Colorado were scheduled to play six matches. Instead, the club suffered a COVID-19 outbreak.

The Rapids came close to playing a number of times, with the first few games postponed no more than a day in advance. Head coach Robin Fraser was among the club's ranks to test positive for the virus which has been impacting the globe for months. He is fully recovered, as is the rest of the club, and the Rapids are finally on the precipice of a return to action.

"We’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to play again," Fraser told media on a virtual press conference on Thursday. "I don’t even know what normal is anymore, but we’ll start with being able to play games.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Kortne Ford (D) - knee injury
• Suspended: Kellyn Acosta (M)
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty:  None

Series Matchup at Sporting KC

• Sporting KC: 20 wins, 64 goals
• Rapids: 6 wins, 33 goals
• 5 draws

Officials

• Referee: Drew Fischer
• Assistant Referees: Ian McKay, Matthew Nelson
• 4th Official: Victor Rivas
• VAR: Sorin Stoica