Carson turns into a West playoff shootout
Saturday’s kickoff at Dignity Health Sports Park carries more weight than a normal late-September fixture. Colorado sit seventh in the Western Conference with 36 points, three clear of the Galaxy in eighth. Win, and Los Angeles draws level on points with the Rapids heading into the campaign’s final stretch.
Both benches will look thinner than usual. LA loses Hirving Lozano to Mexico duty and Harbor Miller to the U.S. under-20s, while Colorado is missing Georgi Minoungou, Wayne Frederick and Sayed Abu Farkhi, all called away by their national teams. Rapids coach Matt Wells made no secret of his frustration at the timing. “I don’t think we should be playing during the international break,” he said. “I think it’s madness that we are playing a game. But everyone here, right now, had a unique opportunity to grab a shirt while (players) are away.”
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Reus picks the perfect week to catch fire
Los Angeles enters full of confidence after last Saturday’s 3-2 comeback at Minnesota, where Marco Reus turned a game he was supposedly too banged up to start. Listed as out with a lower-body issue on the previous injury report, Reus came off the bench, set up the equalizer in the 76th minute, then scored the winner four minutes later. He leads the Galaxy with seven goals and nine assists this season.
Coach Greg Vanney could get further reinforcements back too. Joseph Paintsil, sidelined for three matches with a thigh problem, is in the “return to play” stage, and Sergi Roberto (shoulder) is a candidate to return after sitting out the Minnesota win.
Colorado can’t afford another late slip
The Rapids arrive off their own alarming collapse, blowing a two-goal lead in a 3-3 home draw with Seattle last weekend after conceding in the 79th minute and deep into stoppage time. “Now is crunch time,” Wells said. “We don’t have time to keep talking about things. We need to actually produce.” History leans Colorado’s way, at least on paper. The Rapids won the first meeting between these two clubs 4-1 back on March 7, with a Rafael Navarro brace doing the damage before his move to St. Louis City. Vanney was blunt about what’s at stake now. “Whenever you can take three points right now,” he said, “it’s massive.”
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