MLS

​Sporting Kansas City v Colorado Rapids: Armas hails visitors' professionalism

By Sports Desk September 17, 2024

Chris Armas has hailed the Colorado Rapids' professionalism as they close in on a playoff spot, ahead of Wednesday's trip to Sporting Kansas City.

The Rapids sit third in the Western Conference amid a fine first campaign under Armas, and they boast an impressive seven-point cushion to those outside the automatic playoff places.

Goals from Jonathan Lewis and Rafael Navarro handed them a 2-1 win over the in-form Portland Timbers last time out, but Armas says there is no chance of his men losing focus after that result.

"It was a big step for our team," Armas said. "The mood in the locker room is one where it's like, 'it's just another day in the office'.

"There's no big celebration but they understand that was a big step for us, to get three points in a decisive game, to put some separation there.

"We have our eye on the prize, which is the playoffs. The mood is good, we've learned, we've grown and when the whistle blows, it's just three points closer." 

Kansas City, meanwhile, look destined to miss out on the playoffs, sitting 12th and needing to make up an 11-point gap to the wild-card spots in just five games.

They were beaten 2-0 by the Seattle Sounders last time out, leading coach Peter Vermes to express frustration with their response to conceding first.

"I actually think we started the game really well, we were keeping them in their end, and we really didn't give them anything in our end," Vermes said. 

"They got their goal off us being in a position to play forward but we played backwards. We were for sure the better team at the time, but when they scored, it put us back on our heels."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Sporting Kansas City – Daniel Salloi 

Salloi has scored five goals in nine career matches against the Rapids. The only opponent he has scored more goals against is FC Dallas, netting eight against them.

Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic 

Mihailovic assisted both Rapids goals in their win over Portland last Saturday. 

He has 65 goal contributions since the start of the 2020 season (25 goals, 40 assists), and the only American international with more in that time is Jesus Ferreira (69).

MATCH PREDICTION – SPORTING KANSAS CITY WIN

The Rapids have won their last two matches against Kansas City, including a 2-1 home success on July 4. Colorado had won just two of the previous 13 matches between the sides (six draws, five losses) dating back to the start of the 2018 season.

Colorado's 3-2 victory at Dallas on their last road trip, on August 31, meanwhile, was their fifth away win this season. Only in 2021 (eight) and 2011 (six) have they won more on their travels in the post-shootout era.

However, this is a tough test for Armas' men, with Sporting winning six of their last eight home games across all competitions (one draw, one loss), their only defeat in that span coming against Toluca in the Leagues Cup.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Sporting Kansas City – 41.3%

Colorado Rapids – 32%

Draw – 26.7%

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    Minnesota United "justified the work" they did in preparing for a penalty shootout after beating Real Salt Lake, so says Eric Ramsay.

    Loons coach Ramsay invited the club's office staff to attend the training ground and jeer his players during penalty practice ahead of Minnesota's playoff opener against Salt Lake.

    After a 0-0 draw, Minnesota came away with a 5-4 shootout victory to take the edge in the best-of-three series, meaning a win at home on Saturday would get them into the next round.

    And Ramsay believes his unorthodox method of preparation paid off.

    "I would like to think that probably, without that, the players wouldn't have had the level of conviction they largely showed," Ramsay said.

    "It was a bit of fun. There was a real sense of us being intentional behind that.

    "I was really pleased that we included that as part of our prep.

    "I don't think there were big chances given up either way.

    "I sort of felt like as we opened up, we started to leak a little bit more space that wasn't there in the opening stages.

    "[Goalkeeper] Dayne [St. Clair] was called into action a couple more times, and so was [Salt Lake goalkeeper] Zac MacMath. So I think it was a very even game, and given that we're coming here as the away team under challenging conditions, that's hats off to us.

    “It felt like if we if we won, it would have justified the work. If we lost, there wouldn't have been anything we could have done differently.

    "We were very solid, very disciplined, and that's one goal allowed in six games, which is very difficult to achieve at this level.

    "I'm pleased with the defensive effort. I was also pleased that we were able to start to find a foothold in the game with the ball and create a couple of really good chances."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Minnesota United - Dawyne St. Clair

    St. Clair made six saves in Game 1, and has been in fine form as of late.

    United has allowed only one goal in their last six matches going back to the end of the regular season, going unbeaten in that time (W4 D2). This is the first time in club history that the Loons have allowed just one goal in a span of six matches in all competitions.

    Real Salt Lake - Cristian Arango

    Arango attempted five shots in Game 1, the most shots attempted by a Salt Lake player in a postseason match since Damir Kreilach had six attempts against Sporting Kansas City in the 2018 playoffs.

    MATCH PREDICTION: MINNESOTA WIN

    Salt Lake have managed just four wins in 21 all-time away playoff matches (D7 L10) including going winless in four straight (D2 L2). RSL lost on penalties in each of the last two away matches that ended in draws (2022 at Austin FC, 2023 against the Houston Dynamo).

    After Tuesday's win on spot-kicks, Minnesota have been involved in seven penalty shootouts in all competitions since joining MLS in 2017, winning six of them, including the last four in a row.

    The last five meetings between Minnesota and Salt Lake have been drawn after 90 minutes.

    Including playoffs, the only matchup that has been drawn six straight times in MLS play is between the Chicago Fire and the New York Revolution, who played in six straight draws from 2021 to 2024.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Minnesota United - 44.5%

    Real Salt Lake - 28.6%

    Draw - 26.9%

  • Campion College, Hydel book quarterfinal berths as former champions STGC, Wolmer's Boys, STATHS miss out Campion College, Hydel book quarterfinal berths as former champions STGC, Wolmer's Boys, STATHS miss out

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    Campion College 1, St Jago 0

    Mona High 3, St George’s College 0

    Hydel High 1, Wolmer’s Boys 0

    STATHS 1, Kingston College 0

    Saturday’s fixtures

    St Catherine vs Jamaica College

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    Excelsior vs Jonathan Grant

    Tivoli Gardens vs Eltham

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  • Sounders in control of their playoff destiny but must find ruthless edge, says Schmetzer Sounders in control of their playoff destiny but must find ruthless edge, says Schmetzer

    Brian Schmetzer believes the Seattle Sounders are in control of their playoff destiny after edging out the Houston Dynamo in Game 1 of their best-of-three series.

    After a goalless encounter, the Sounders held their nerve in the shootout, scoring all five spot-kicks before Erik Sviatchenko's miss proved costly.

    They also stopped their opponents from registering a single shot on target, marking the fourth time the Sounders have achieved that milestone in a playoff match, and will be looking to do the same in their second encounter.

    "Right now it doesn't matter how we played, really. We're in control and we won,” Schmetzer said. "This was going to be a tight series because the two teams are very good defensively.

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    For Houston, meanwhile, their cruel defeat in Game 1 was partly down to their own doing, so says head coach Ben Olsen.

    The Dynamo boss acknowledged his side did not do enough in the final third, not helped by Adalberto Carrasquilla’s red card, which will see him miss the upcoming encounter.

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    “It was hardly surprising. They are the best defensive team in the league. We are also one of the better defensive teams in the league, but then you add the playoffs to it,” Olsen said.

    “It’s a heightened game of being alert defensively. You have these kind of games in the playoffs. We didn’t do enough to create better opportunities for ourselves to win that game.

    “Some of that is our doing, some of it is that we’re playing a good defensive team. I said this leading up to the game, we are not going to get a lot of chances.

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    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Houston Dynamo – Amine Bassi

    In a team that is not filled with goals, Bassi has impressed for Houston, with his 10 goal involvements (three goals, six assists) in the regular season, a total only bettered by Ibrahim Aliyu (10) for the Dynamo.

    The Moroccan also created more chances (79) than any of his team-mates, and his creative flair will be needed to unlock the Sounders’ defence.

    Seattle Sounders – Albert Rusnak

    Rusnak has played a starring role for Seattle this term, with only Jordan Morris (17) scoring more goals in the regular season for the Sounders than the Slovakian.

    Despite not hitting the back of the net in Game 1, Rusnak notched four goal involvements (two goals, two assists) in three games heading into the postseason.

    MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN

    The Dynamo have lost only two of their 18 all-time home playoff matches (W12 D4), though one of those defeats was against Seattle in the 2017 Conference Finals. Houston won nine of their first 10 home playoff matches but have won just three of eight since (D4 L1).

    Seattle, however, have won six of their last seven away matches, including the last three in a row, all with clean sheets. This is the second time they have kept three straight away clean sheets in all competitions since joining MLS in 2009, also doing so between June and July 2011.

    They have also lost only two of their last 23 matches against the Dynamo in all competitions, including securing a shootout win after a scoreless draw at home in Game 1. Houston have also failed to score in 12 of their last 18 meetings with the Sounders.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Houston Dynamo – 42.1%

    Draw – 26.7%

    Seattle Sounders – 31.2%

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