Colorado Rapids will have the chance to move above Nashville SC in the MLS Western Conference standings with a victory on Saturday over their visitors with kickoff at 4 am.
Both sides have had decent starts, playing each other for the first time this weekend. Nashville has only played two full seasons in the MLS, and they were spent in the Eastern Conference, so a switch to the West for this year has presented their first opportunity to play Colorado.
In their two campaigns so far, Nashville has finished inside the playoff positions, so they are currently around where they expected to be. However, whether the same can be said for Colorado is quite a grey area after they finished top of the Western Conference in 2021.
But Colorado’s top scorer, Diego Rubio, has only six goals this year. Nashville’s top scorer, Ropapa Mensah, has just four goals. Both teams need their forward line to step up.
Therefore, remaining defensively solid has allowed them to push for a playoff position in the early stages of this MLS season.
Dallas has conceded fewer goals than Colorado (14), with Nashville shipping just one more than this weekend’s opponents. That should give both sides confidence for the season.
Colorado Rapids vs. Nashville Head to Head
This marks the first encounter for both sides at this competition stage. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Colorado 1-0 Seattle
- Kansas City 2-1 Colorado
- Colorado 2-0 Los Angeles
- Minnesota 2-1 Colorado
Away
- Louisville 1-2 Nashville
- Nashville 2-2 Atlanta United
- Nashville 2-1 Montreal
- Houston 2-0 Nashville
Colorado Rapids Team News
After serving a suspension in the previous game against Seattle Sounders, Colorado defender Auston Trusty will be available for selection. Meanwhile, the home side will still be without Braian Galvan, who is out for the long-term with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Nashville Team News
The list of unavailable players for Nashville is a lot more extensive, with Irakoze Donasivano and Robert Castellanos both out. They are joined by Randall Leal, who suffered an ankle injury last week, while Teal Bunbury has been sidelined with a knee problem since March.
Prediction and Odds
These two sides are evenly matched and have been searching for consistent form. They both have strong defenses and struggle upfront, so a low-scoring draw is likely.
- Draw
- Double Chance
- Both Teams to Score
