Chris Armas believes that the Colorado Rapids’ 2-1 defeat to the Portland Timbers will solely make his aspect higher forward of dealing with Austin FC this weekend.
Djordje Mihailovic put the Rapids forward simply previous the half-hour mark with a superb solo run, however Antony levelled the scoring within the 59th minute.
Colorado suffered a critical blow when Wayne Frederick II was proven a straight purple card after 67 minutes, leaving them all the way down to 10 males for the rest of the match.
Portland made the a lot of the numerical benefit, with substitute Kevin Kelsy scoring 14 minutes earlier than time, firing a low end into the underside left nook.
Regardless of the loss leaving the Rapids in eighth place within the Western Convention standings, Armas remained optimistic, saying: “Consider it or not, video games like this are going to make us higher.
“There’s lots we’ll take from it, whether or not meaning we are able to create probabilities being down a person, nonetheless follow who we’re, that we are able to sit within the mid to decrease block and be very, excellent for lengthy durations of the sport.
“We’ll take some positives from this, I’m certain of it.”
Armas additionally praised the resilience his aspect confirmed following Frederick’s sending-off, including: “I’m pleased with my workforce, you recognize.
“The best way they confirmed up tonight and the best way they performed, the best way they caught to what we got down to do, the best way they stood tall within the robust second after the purple card.
“I’m pleased with the hassle. I’ve to just accept that the sport does this to you.”
Are you not entertained by this class objective from @DjoMihailovic ?
Vote for DM10 and our different Burugndy Boys for MLS All-Star » https://t.co/rLfco6E4CE #Rapids96 pic.twitter.com/SfLqo5WNhY
— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) Might 29, 2025
Colorado have an opportunity to interrupt free from the mid-table tussle they discover themselves in as they host Austin at DSG Park on Saturday.
Austin are coming off a equally robust 2-0 defeat to San Diego FC, leaving them tenth within the Western Convention standings, two factors behind Colorado.
Luca de la Torre broke the impasse within the sixtieth minute, whereas Milan Iloski netted within the second minute of stoppage time to seal the win for San Diego.
The loss marked Austin’s eighth-straight MLS match with out a win, their joint-longest winless streak (together with August 21-October 1, 2023) within the competitors.
After a difficult month throughout Might that noticed Austin decide up three losses and 4 attracts in MLS motion, head coach Nico Estevez known as for a reset.
“It’s vital to mentally and bodily get away from the month of Might,” Estevez mentioned forward of Saturday’s match.
“It was actually heavy, and loaded with video games of various competitions.
“We performed in opposition to some actually good groups this month, and we ended the month studying lots about ourselves, what we are able to do and enhance.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Mihailovic (seven objectives, three assists) has been concerned in additional than half of Colorado’s 18 objectives this season, together with scoring the workforce’s solely objective of their 2-1 defeat to Portland final trip.
He ought to take pleasure in a return to DSG Park too, the place he has scored 5 of his seven objectives this season.
Austin FC – Diego Rubio
Rubio netted his first objective of the season – a stoppage-time equaliser for Austin in opposition to Actual Salt Lake – earlier in Might.
With that objective, Rubio has now scored in each MLS season since 2016, making him one among 4 gamers to attain a minimum of as soon as in every of the final 10 MLS seasons (together with Diego Fagundez, Jonathan Osorio, and Cristian Roldan).
Aquí no se descansa. pic.twitter.com/zEwqWbFMvz
— Austin FC (@AustinFC) June 4, 2025
MATCH PREDICTION: COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
Colorado have gained 4 of their final six dwelling video games (D1 L1), together with a pair of 1-0 wins of their final two outings at DSG Park.
This marks the primary time Colorado has recorded back-to-back shutout wins at dwelling in regular-season play since a three-match run in April-Might 2022.
The Rapids have additionally gained three of their final 4 conferences in opposition to Austin FC (L1), together with a 1-0 away win earlier this season. In actual fact, Colorado have misplaced solely one among their final six conferences in opposition to Austin (W3 D2).
The Verde, in the meantime, are winless in eight straight regular-season matches (D4 L4), equalling the longest streak in membership historical past (fourth time). They’ve scored simply 4 objectives throughout this run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 44.9%
Draw – 26.9%
Austin FC – 28.2%
