This is the third meeting of the year between the Kansas City Wizards and the Colorado Rapids, with the season series at 1-1. On April 13th - which was actually three days after the first game they had played this year - Wells Thompson found the net twice leading the Rapids to a 2-1 win in a US Open Cup Qualifying match-up. Turns out that game really wouldn't matter as the burgundy and blue would wind up getting knocked out of the cup the next game by the New York Red Bulls.
In the game that actually wound up counting for anything on April 10th, KC won on a free kick from Kei Kamara in the 48th minute. At the time, the Wizards were at 2-0-0 and looking forward to a successful season, while the Rapids looked like they were going to stick to business as usual from last season, with a 1-1-1 record.
My how things change!
The Rapids currently sit at 6-4-4 and are establishing themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the league, especially now that Kosuke Kimura has returned to the squad. Offensively they're getting a boost with Claudio Lopez back as well and are looking toward a successful playoff run. The Wizards are now 4-8-3, stuck at fifth place in the Eastern conference and with very little chance of coming back to storm the league at the halfway point of the season.
The Rapids should have little trouble defeating the Wizards at The Dick, hopefully this game will spark some fight into the stalling offense as well since KC has the fourth worst Goal Differential in the league, a paltry -7. That combined with the stalwart defense the Rapids have put together since they and KC first met should give them more than a fighting chance to take this one. Mehdi Ballouchy is also back - if we never play in Canada again it will be too soon - which should give them a boost.
Time to start another unbeaten streak! Go Rapids!
In the game that actually wound up counting for anything on April 10th, KC won on a free kick from Kei Kamara in the 48th minute. At the time, the Wizards were at 2-0-0 and looking forward to a successful season, while the Rapids looked like they were going to stick to business as usual from last season, with a 1-1-1 record.
My how things change!
The Rapids currently sit at 6-4-4 and are establishing themselves as one of the best defensive teams in the league, especially now that Kosuke Kimura has returned to the squad. Offensively they're getting a boost with Claudio Lopez back as well and are looking toward a successful playoff run. The Wizards are now 4-8-3, stuck at fifth place in the Eastern conference and with very little chance of coming back to storm the league at the halfway point of the season.
The Rapids should have little trouble defeating the Wizards at The Dick, hopefully this game will spark some fight into the stalling offense as well since KC has the fourth worst Goal Differential in the league, a paltry -7. That combined with the stalwart defense the Rapids have put together since they and KC first met should give them more than a fighting chance to take this one. Mehdi Ballouchy is also back - if we never play in Canada again it will be too soon - which should give them a boost.
Time to start another unbeaten streak! Go Rapids!