Real Salt Lake will play their last of three consecutive home matches this Saturday against Colorado Rapids and decide the Rocky Mountain Cup. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the match:
1. RSL is coming off a 0-2 home loss to league-leaders LAFC last weekend. It was the first time in 34 consecutive home matches that the Claret & Cobalt were held goalless. Aaron Herrera got a red card in the 62nd minute, making him unavailable for Saturday’s match against Colorado.
With the loss, RSL remained in fourth place in the Western Conference with a record of 12-10-4 and 9-3-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Albert Rusnak still leads the team with nine goals and four assists, Sam Johnson has nine goals, Jefferson Savarino has six goals and five assists, Damir Kreilach has four goals and five assists, and Corey Baird has four goals and three assists.
2. Real Salt Lake is 20-13-11 all-time against Colorado Rapids, 13-3-6 in Utah, and has won the Rocky Mountain Cup the last three years. RSL has the advantage heading into Saturday’s match after winning 2-3 on the road on May 11th. Real’s injury report remains the same with Tony Beltran (knee) and Nick Besler (foot) out. Corey Baird, alongside Herrera, will be suspended for the match against Rapids for yellow card accumulation.
3. Colorado Rapids sits in eleventh place in the Western Conference with a record of 7-13-6 and road record of 1-7-4. Interim Head Coach Conor Casey, who was brought in on May 1, has a record of 7-6-4. Colorado is coming off a 2-2 road draw with Houston Dynamo last weekend. Rapids were up 0-2 at the half thanks to a brace by Diego Rubio but Mauro Manotas got a brace of his own and stole a point from the Rapids.
Kei Kamara leads the Rapids with eleven goals and one assist, Rubio now has nine goals and three assists, Andre Shinyashiki has five goals and two assists, Nicolas Mezquida has three goals and four assists, and Kellyn Acosta has two goals and two assists.
Our coverage of Real Salt Lake vs Colorado Rapids begins on Saturday, August 24 at 7 PM.
