Djordje Mihailovic believes the Colorado Rapids should be grouped among the best teams in the Western Conference as they prepare for a trip to the Houston Dynamo.
The Rapids have won just one of their last four games, but a point against Minnesota United in a 3-3 draw was enough to keep them sixth in the table.
Colorado are now looking to get back to winning ways, and Mihailovic is hoping their form against the rest of the top six can translate against Houston.
"Last year wasn't great, and we're trying to move on, but we can't forget - it's the club's history," Mihailovic said.
"To know we're good against the top six in the West [only losing once], I think it shows we belong in that conversation. I know people won't say that on the outside, but we believe that in our group.
"It says a lot when we weren't happy with a draw [against Minnesota]. Now we go to Houston and Vancouver before our break, and it's a good opportunity to move up in the standings."
Houston sit four points behind Colorado in eighth place, but the teams below them are staying within touching distance.
After failing to win any of their last three matches, head coach Ben Osborn was asked what was missing from the team’s performances.
He said: "Goals are missing - finishing off some of these chances and I think the other part that's missing is understanding how to win games, or tie them, and find these moments where we are just more disciplined at times, so I think it's a combination of those two."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Houston Dynamo – Latif Blessing
Blessing scored his first goal of the season on Saturday, the tenth different Dynamo player to find the net this season. He is one of nine to have just one goal this year, as only Ibrahim Aliyu (four goals) has scored multiple times for Houston in regular-season play in 2024.
Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro
Navarro has the longest active goalscoring streak in MLS, having found the net in five straight appearances. Navarro is the third Rapids player to score in five straight regular-season matches after Omar Cummings in 2010 and John Spencer, who did so in six straight games in 2003.
MATCH PREDICTION – HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN
Houston have won consecutive matches against Colorado after winning just two of the previous 16 meetings dating back to 2016 (seven draws, seven defeats). This is the Dynamo's first set of consecutive wins over Colorado since 2008-09.
However, the Dynamo's 2-1 defeat at the LA Galaxy on Saturday was their fifth loss in their last nine regular-season matches (two wins, two draws). Houston had suffered just two defeats in their previous 17 league matches dating back to last July.
Colorado came from 3-1 down in the final 30 minutes to draw Minnesota 3-3 on Saturday, ending a run of 19 straight losses when trailing by multiple goals. It marked the sixth time in team history, and first at home, that the Rapids had avoided defeat despite trailing by multiple goals after the hour mark.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Houston Dynamo – 55.2%
Draw – 24.3%
Colorado Rapids – 20.4%