First Touches can smell the mountain air and feel the atmosphere grow thin as it prepares for Minnesota United’s trip to Colorado to face the Colorado Rapids for the second time in league play this season. Read on to see what has changed since April.

• When Minnesota and Colorado first played this season, the clubs were tied with identical records and point totals; since Minnesota’s 3-1 win that day, the Loons have outscored Colorado by a further eight points, and the clubs find themselves at opposite ends of the Western Conference; Minnesota third from top, Colorado third from bottom.
• In that 3-1 win, both Abu Danladi and Bakaye Dibassy scored goals, which stand as their only goals of the season to this point.
• Despite Colorado’s low standing in the West, they rank fourth in the West by expected goal difference (xGD) with +4.3, and are one of just six teams in the West positive in that ranking; for comparison, Minnesota has the lowest xGD of any team in a playoff position with -3.6.
• Minnesota has now extended their season-best undefeated streak to seven games, in which they have acquired 17 points; an eighth consecutive result would mark their best such streak since 2020.
• Luis Amarilla’s brace on Saturday was his first in a Minnesota shirt; the Paraguayan is up to seven goals on the season, passing Robin Lod for second for the Loons this season.
• Amarilla has scored or assisted in five of the seven games in Minnesota’s current undefeated streak, with Saturday’s two goals and one assist marking his best single-game output of the streak and season.
• Bongokuhle Hlongwane, after scoring his first goal for the Loons against Houston, has now scored in consecutive games.
• Minnesota now has seven different players with multiple assists this season, after Franco Fragapane’s assist on Minnesota’s third goal on Saturday.
• Diego Rubio leads the Rapids with 10 goals on the season; Rubio’s ten goals are spread across ten different games.

Minnesota Connections

• Collen Warner was a part of Minnesota’s roster for its inaugural season in MLS in 2017 and stayed with the team through 2018, playing 42 games in total with a goal and an assist.
• Kervin Arriaga and Bryan Acosta have played significant time together in midfield for the Honduran national team.
• Gyasi Zardes and Wil Trapp played together for Columbus in 2018 and 2019.
• Ralph Priso-Mbongue and Kemar Lawrence played together for Toronto just last season.

MATCH INFO

Colorado Rapids v. Minnesota United FC

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, Colorado

08.06.22 | MLS Game 24

8:00 pm CT (MLS LIVE on ESPN+, Bally Sports North EXTRA, The CW - Twin Cities, 1500 ESPN)