COLORADO RAPIDS vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO
Dick's Sporting Goods Park | Commerce City, Colorado
Sunday, Oct. 23 | Week #34 | MLS Game #337
4 pm ET (MLS LIVE, Altitude, ROOT Sports SW)
The Colorado Rapids will try to do their part to snatch the Supporters' Shield away from FC Dallas when they close out a stunningly successful 2016 regular season vs. the Houston Dynamo on Decision Day. The Rapids are unbeaten at home this year, and can nip ahead of Dallas to finish as regular-season champs if they beat Houston and FCD lose at the LA Galaxy. The Dynamo have been a prickly guest under interim head coach Wade Barrett, however, with a 2-0-2 mark in their last four away games, and will take pride in their efforts to play the spoiler role.
- The Rapids had their three-game winning streak come to an end with a 1-0 loss at the Portland Timbers on Sunday afternoon. They are bidding to become the fifth team in MLS history to go through the entire season undefeated at home (11-0-5 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park this season in league play).
- The Dynamo had their winless streak extended to four matches with a third defeat in that time, suffering a second consecutive shutout in a 1-0 loss to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon in their final home game this season at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season, both meetings over the final three weeks of the season. Dominique Badji scored twice and Shkelzen Gashi hit for a late winner for the Rapids, overcoming a pair of goals from the Dynamo’s Mauro Manotas, in Colorado’s 3-2 win Oct. 8 at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Dynamo haven’t won at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since 2008, with the Rapids winning the last three meetings in Commerce City.
- When the Dynamo won 3-2 victory on Sept. 26, 2015 at BBVA Compass Stadium, it was their first win in league play in the series since 2009. The Rapids won five of the nine meetings in between, with four draws.
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REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Peter Manikowski; AR2 (opposite): Andrew Bigelow; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
MLS Career: 81 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 18; pens: 22
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
FINED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch, Dominique Badji, Mekeil Williams, Micheal Azira
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (23 meetings): Rapids 9 wins, 32 goals Ö Dynamo 8 wins, 30 goals Ö Ties 6
AT COLORADO (12 meetings): Rapids 7 wins, 15 goals Ö Dynamo 3 wins, 8 goals Ö Ties 2
Coaches record: Wade Barrett vs. POR: P1 W0 L1 D0 Ö Pablo Mastroeni vs. HOU: P5 W3 L1 D1
