What a difference a win makes. After going five matches without collecting three points, LAFC defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 on Wednesday and vaulted back into the top half of the Western Conference playoff teams.
On Sunday, the Black & Gold finish off a string of three home matches in a row. Visiting Banc of California Stadium are the Colorado Rapids, a team once rooted to the bottom of the conference, but now on a three match unbeaten run that has them slowly climbing up the standings.
Here's a look the first-ever match between LAFC and the Colorado Rapids:
Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC vs. Colorado Rapids, August 19 at 7 pm PT
TV: YouTube TV (prematch show starts at 6:30 pm), UniMás 46
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form
The Rapids seemed to have righted the ship recently. After going on a five match winless run of their own, Colorado is unbeaten in its last three including consecutive 2-1 wins at home to the Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes, before grabbing a late draw against the Galaxy on Tuesday.
What The Team Is Saying
Steven Beitashour on what channged in the shutout win over RSL: "We stopped making simple mistakes. I think that's the main thing. You look back at the last three games that we've given up leads, whether it's a loss or it's a tie, there are just simples mistakes. If you knock those out, all of a sudden, we're winning games."
Jordan Harvey on the team's mindset at the opening whistle: "We're always trying to start well. Start bright and control the game, make it our tempo and our style. This Sunday will be no different. So we'll try to to that."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3): Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Laurent Ciman, Danilo Silva, Steven Beitashour; Eduard Atuesta, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen; Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, Carlos Vela.
What To Watch For
Ramirez Stays Hot: It didn't take long for Christian Ramirez to get acclimated to LAFC, did it? The former Minnesota United striker was inches away from scoring his first goal in Black & Gold in a cameo performance against Sporting KC, and followed that up with a brace in his first start for the Club. With Adama Diomande still getting back to full fitness (I do expect him to be available as a substitute though), Ramirez will likely be tasked with leading the line once again. Getting more minutes can only help Ramirez in getting familiar with his fellow attackers' patterns of play. Once again, LAFC have a center forward addition clicking right away.
Revamped Colorado Side: A lot has been made of the way Colorado has reinvented itself as of late. Adding Kellyn Acosta from FC Dallas, the Rapids have looked much more stable in midfield using a narrow setup. But while that midfield has looked good against the likes of the Galaxy and San Jose, how will it stack up against the passing-oriented trio of Benny Feilhaber, Eduard Atuesta, and Lee Nguyen. Expect Colorado to keep its midfield narrow to clog the center of the pitch. LAFC will have to work to move those pieces around, either by passing through them in tight spaces or forcing them to commit into the half spaces.
Potential To Keep Climbing: Both these sides are in need of points, albeit for very differing reasons. Colorado's recent run has them climbing out of the basement in the West and within three points of overtaking Houston for 10th in the Western Conference. LAFC on the other hand, are three points from the top. If the Black & Gold can go on a good run of form, they'll quickly rise the ranks again to solidify a spot near the top of the conference. There's no true frontrunner in the West, so even just three wins on the bounce can greatly improve your position in the table. And that goes from top to bottom.
