The MLS season continues at the weekend as the Colorado Rapids face Minnesota United at DSG Park in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Rapids come into the game in 13th place in the Western Conference table while Minnesota are currently seventh.
Match preview
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Colorado have endured a difficult start to the season as they are yet to record a victory in the opening fixtures and have lost two matches, leaving them second from bottom with just one point to their name.
The Rapids also have the worst goal difference in the league with minus five, due mostly to the 4-0 hammering they suffered against Seattle Sounders on the opening day.
The poor start to the season for the Denver outfit is a surprise given that they ended the last campaign in terrific form, winning three of their last six matches.
Robin Fraser's men suffered heartbreak at the end of the campaign by losing to Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup playoffs, and the hangover from that defeat has lingered into 2023.
Colorado come into this match off the back of a 1-0 defeat away to the San Jose Earthquakes after Cristian Espinoza scored the winner in the 78th minute.
The loss was their third consecutive match without scoring a goal and the Rapids could start a season with four goalless games for the second time in their history at the weekend.
Sunday's home fixture with Minnesota does give them an opportunity to kickstart their season as they aim to at least repeat the ninth-placed finish from last term so they can have another crack at the playoffs, and a victory over United could take them into the top eight depending on other results.
A leaky defence has been a problem for a while for the Denver outfit as they conceded 57 goals in the 2022 campaign, which was the joint-second highest in the division.
They will need to tighten up if they are to realise their ambitions and the arrival of centre-back Andreas Maxso from Brondby as well as the returning Michael Edwards from San Antonio should make them more solid moving forwards.
The loss of Diego Rubio to a knee injury in February was a massive blow to Colorado as the Chilean's 16 league goals in 2022 will be very difficult to replace.
Darren Yapi will be charged with leading the attack in Rubio's absence after he was promoted from the B team in December, and the 18-year-old will hope to get off the mark for the new season at the weekend.
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Adrian Heath's Minnesota United have taken four points from their opening two games of the season as a 1-0 win away at Dallas was followed up by a 1-1 draw at home to the New York Red Bulls last weekend.
United ended the 2022 campaign in wretched form with four losses in their last six fixtures so the solid start to 2023 is encouraging as they aim to improve on a sixth-placed finish and a loss in the first round of the playoffs.
A win over Colorado on Sunday could take them into second place depending on other results, but United will need to turn their fortunes on the road around if they are to secure a playoff spot as they have won only three of their last seven games away from Allianz Field.
The triumph over Dallas gives Minnesota the chance to record back-to-back victories in such matches for the first time since July.
Heath's side will need to look after the ball better against Colorado though, after they became the first MLS side since 2010 to complete less than half of their passes in a match during the draw with New York Red Bulls last weekend.
United completed only 172 of 350 attempted passes, which is a club-record low passing accuracy statistic.
Minnesota are aiming to win at DSG Park for the first time in their history having lost five of the six previous trips to Colorado.
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Team News
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Aside from Rubio, Colorado will also be without defender Aboubacar Keita and winger Dantouma Toure against Minnesota as they both have cruciate ligament ruptures.
Left-back Jackson Travis is out with an abdominal injury and Moise Bombito has injured his knee. Alex Gersbach and Danny Wilson will keep their places in the Rapids' 3-4-3 system.
Adrian Heath's side are missing centre-back Doneil Henry for the trip to DSG Park as he has tendonitis.
Fellow central defenders Bakaye Dibassy, Brent Kallman and Mikael Marques are sidelined with thigh, ankle and Achilles problems respectively.
Michael Boxall and Miguel Tapias are likely to start at the heart of United's defence.
Full-back Ryen Jiba has a knock so Kemar Lawrence will retain his place in the starting 11.
With his winning goal last weekend Bongokuhle Hlongwane became the first South African player to score in consecutive MLS seasons since Danleigh Borman scored in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and he should start again here.
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Yarbrough; Wilson, Abubakar, Maxso; Rosenberry, Acosta, Ronan, Gersbach; Bassett, Yapi, Cabral
Minnesota United possible starting lineup:
St.Clair; Valentin, Boxall, Tapias, Lawrence; Arriaga, Trapp, Lod; Hlongwane, Garcia, Fragapane
We say: Colorado Rapids 0-1 Minnesota United
Diego Rubio is a massive loss to an already goal-shy Colorado, and their lack of firepower combined with a poor defensive record means that the visitors will be confident of exploiting the Rapids' fragile confidence and piling more pressure on Robin Fraser to continue their own fine start to the season.
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Top tip
Ollie Hawthorn
