Chris Armas is aiming to continue Colorado Rapids’ impressive home form ahead of their fixture with St. Louis City this weekend.
The Rapids returned to winning ways following their defeat away to LAFC, as Djordje Mihailovic’s 94th minute penalty ensured Colorado maintained their three-game winning run on home soil.
Armas’ side sit fourth in the Western Conference table, three points ahead of Vancouver Whitecaps but looking to chase down the top three in the division.
The Rapids head coach is keen to make Dick’s Sporting Goods Park a fortress this season, praising the fans for their contribution to their recent home results.
“When I was a player, I played in Colorado against the Rapids and I didn’t like it,” Armas said.
“The fans are tough and I love that I got to team up with them now and put out an attacking team for them who goes after it and make them proud.
“We do try to have a mentality, and we have it home and away. At home, with our fans, with altitude and the energy of the building, our pitch, the comfort of our own home.
“You can see that teams will come here and try to slow the game down a bit. It can be frustrating at moments but what I love most, is the energy of the crowd.”
For St. Louis, Interim head coach John Hackworth marked his first game in charge with a much-needed victory over San Jose Earthquakes last time out.
It’s Hackworth’s second spell in interim charge following the sacking of Bradley Carnell after a run of nine MLS games without a win.
Their triumph sees them remain in 12th place in the Western Conference, a point behind FC Dallas.
Hackworth acknowledged the importance of the victory last time out, but insisted the win was just a step in the right direction and nothing more.
“It’s been a tough week, there is no doubt about that,” Hackworth said.
“The players, the staff, the club, when you make a change to the head coach it’s never easy.
“So, in a short amount of time I think you saw the resilience of this group. A group that has been successful in the past. It hasn’t happened for us this year, but I am really proud of them in this moment to come together in a tough moment.
“For us, while it’s very satisfying, it is not a game that we are going to go crazy about and celebrate and say we have turned out season around because we haven’t.
“It’s just the first step of trying to get us back in the right direction.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Djordje Mihailovic has been in fine form for the Rapids, with his stoppage time penalty against Sporting Kansas City the 10th goal the American has scored this season – his best tally in a single season.
Mihailovic has 18 goal contributions this season (10 goals, eight assists), only managing to record more in 2021 during his time with CF Montreal (20).
St. Louis City – Indiana Vassilev
Indiana Vassilev assisted both of St. Louis City SC’s goals on Wednesday against San Jose, becoming the first player to record multiple assists in a match for the team this season.
Vassilev’s nine MLS assists for St. Louis City have set up goals for seven different players.
MATCH PREDICTION: COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
Having won three home matches for the first time since September – October 2022, Colorado are heavily backed by Opta’s data-led simulations to continue their winning run on home turf.
The Rapids last had a longer winning streak at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park during a six-match run from August 2019 to March 2020.
But based on previous results, it looks set to be a tightly contested affair. Each team has recorded a win in their last three meetings, with a fast start expected. Three of the five goals scored in the last two meetings were netted in the game’s opening 11 minutes.
However, St. Louis will be buoyed following their recent victory over San Jose on Wednesday. City are still looking for their first away win of the season in all competitions (D5 L5), but will be hopeful of bursting the Rapids’ bubble.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 49.4%
Draw – 25.5%
St. Louis City – 25.1%
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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