Welcome back to First Touches! A fixture between the Loons and Rapids that has featured plenty of bad blood over the last five years returns to Allianz Field this week, and Minnesota looks for their first win over Colorado since the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs.
Stats and Notes
- Minnesota and Colorado enter this fixture with identical records (2-2-2) and identical goal differences (+0) on the season. Colorado has both scored and allowed three more goals over their first six contests.
- Across 12 total games between Minnesota and Colorado in MLS (regular season and playoffs), the matchup expectedly favors the home team: the Loons are 4-2-0 at Allianz Field and TCF Bank Stadium, while Colorado is 4-0-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The teams also drew in their matchup at MLS is Back in the Orlando bubble.
- Colorado swept the Loons across three matchups in 2021, two in Colorado and the last in Minnesota in October.
- In that most-recent matchup, Colorado won 3-1 at Allianz Field, scoring all three of their goals after going down a man in the 57th minute from Danny Wilson’s red card.
- This fixture has featured six total red cards since 2017. After going without a red in 2019 and 2020, two of last season’s three games featured a sending off.
- Minnesota’s five goals on the season are tied with several other teams for the lowest in the league to date. However, of the teams with five goals, only Chicago, who has the best scoring defense in the league with just two goals allowed, has scored more points thus far.
- Minnesota is one of the most foul-prone teams in the league; they’re one of just three teams to commit 100 or more fouls through six games. They have also suffered 84 fouls thus far, the fourth-highest total in the league.
- The Rapids are one of just seven teams in MLS to concede multiple penalty kicks in 2022.
- Only five teams have yet to score a headed goal this season. Minnesota is one of them.
- Colorado is the best team at winning headers in the entire league; 61.3% of headed duels are Colorado wins so far. Minnesota, as discussed previously, is bottom five in the league in this category (44.9%).
- Despite Minnesota’s loss, Michael Boxall was named to the MLS Team of the Week for Week 6; Boxy now leads Minnesota’s regular players with 85.1% pass completion on the season to go with his absurd goal-line clearance.
- Colorado lost 3-1 to FC Dallas on Saturday. Despite the lopsided scoreline, they had 64.9% possession, led 16-7 in shots, and led 2.1-1.4 in xG in the game.
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.
- Chase Gasper and Jonathan Lewis were called up to the USMNT for the January 2020 camp and game against Costa Rica.
- Mark-Anthony Kaye and Tyler Miller played together for LAFC in 2018 and 2019. Coincidentally, Kaye has a connection with another Minnesota goalkeeper, Dayne St. Clair, as the two are both members of the World Cup-bound Canadian National Team.
- Kervin Arriaga and Bryan Acosta have played significant time together in midfield for the Honduran national team; they started together as recently as Honduras’ 1-0 loss to Mexico two weeks ago.
MATCH INFO
Minnesota United FC vs. Colorado Rapids
Allianz Field | Saint Paul, MN
04.16.22 | MLS Game No. 7
7:00 pm CT (Bally Sports North, SKOR North)
