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Ten Things To Know: Colorado Rapids vs. LAFC
Our Rapids play-by-play announcer, Richard Fleming, is renowned for being detailed in his preparation when calling MLS games, and he is offering us a little insight into some of his pregame notes.
Find below some things you may find useful ahead of the midweek game at home to LAFC. We have coverage on Altitude and AltitudeNOW from 6.30pm this Wednesday.
- LAFC will be without at least four players for the midweek trip to Commerce City. Brian Rodriguez and Diego Rossi - two of the three scorers from Sunday’s 3-1 win at Real Salt Lake - have been called into Uruguay’s 23-man squad for World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Ecuador. Ecuador’s squad will include LAFC teammates Jose Cifuentes and Diego Palacios.
- Rossi is LAFC’s leading scorer with 12 goals from 15 games. He’s followed by English veteran Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has eight.
- LAFC’s win at RSL on Sunday earned them their first road points of 2020 (1-4-0).
- Bob Bradley’s boys lie fifth in the Western Conference, two points and two places above the Rapids, but having played one game more. (STANDINGS)
- Carlos Vela, the 2019 MLS MVP, remains a doubt. The Mexico star has not played since suffering a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee during the 2-0 home loss to LA Galaxy on August 22.
- The last time these two teams met was October 6, 2019 and the final day of the regular season. It was also Tim Howard’s final game in MLS.
- Vela netted a hat-trick in the previous meeting as LAFC won 3-1. With it, he reached 34 goals for the season, beating the MLS record 31 scored by Josef Martinez (Atlanta United) the previous year.
- The Rapids will be minus Kellyn Acosta due to yellow card accumulation. He is still to serve his one game ban after collecting a fifth caution on the season in the 5-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes on September 23.
- This is only a fifth meeting with LAFC, who are in their third season in MLS. The Rapids are 1-3-0. Their solitary success came at home last season when a Danny Wilson goal gave them a 1-0 win.
- No MLS team has scored more goals in 2020 than LAFC (35). Only San Jose Earthquakes (40) and Vancouver Whitecaps (34) have conceded more than LAFC (30).
