Sporting Kansas City will be looking to try to snap a decade-long winless streak on Friday night when it faces the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, Colo.
Sporting KC (5-10-5, 20 points) is 0-6-5 in its last 11 trips to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since a 3-2 victory on March 29, 2014. Five of the last seven matches there have ended in a draw, but the Rapids rallied to win last year’s contest that was also played on the Fourth of July, 2-1, on a penalty kick by Djordje Mihailovic in the 94th minute.
Interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin was asked if the mile-high altitude could play a factor in his team’s lack of success. SKC is just 5-20-13 all-time in Colorado.
“It’s a fair point,” Zavagnin said. “I think there are certain things you have to get used to at the altitude. Don’t want to make a bigger deal of it than it really is. … (It’s) a place where you need to get your second wind. Usually you get it through warm-up.
“I don’t expect our group to be with less energy over the course of the 90 minutes. Some of the guys who have never played at that altitude might feel it for a minute. We don’t have any worries that we won’t be able to compete at a high level.”
SKC is 12th in the Western Conference, six points behind Austin FC for the final playoff spot, and comes in off a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake last Saturday. That improved SKC to 5-5-4 since Zavagnin took over for Peter Vermes after an 0-5-1 start.
Colorado (7-8-5, 26 points) is eighth in a crowded Western Conference, just four points behind the fourth-place Portland Timbers in the race to host a first-round home playoff series.
“Obviously a big game for us coming up, what those three points would mean to us, especially (being) at home on the Fourth of July,” Rapids head coach Chris Armas said.
Colorado defender Reggie Cannon and Kansas City midfielder Jake Davis will both miss the game due to suspension. SKC will also be without midfielder Nemanja Radoja (quad) and defenders Dany Rosero (ankle), Robert Voloder (clavicle) and Logan Ndenbe (hamstring) due to injuries. However, defender Zorhan Bassong returns for SKC from Gold Cup duty with Canada.
The Rapids remain without goalkeeper Zack Steffen (knee surgery) and also won’t have defender Sam Vines (groin).
–Field Level Media
