Colorado Rapids vs. Ventura County Fusion | 2019 Preseason Match Preview

Colorado Rapids vs. VC Fusion - 2019 Preseason
PREGAME SUMMARY:
2019 MLS Preseason presented by Advocare
Colorado Rapids vs. Ventura County Fusion
Chula Vista Elite Training Center | Chula Vista, California
Saturday, Feb. 9 - 3 PM ET


The Colorado Rapids, in the midst of preseason preparations in Southern California, will take on USL2 side Ventura County Fusion Saturday at its Chula Vista training grounds. This is one of a number of friendlies in a run up to the team's March 2 home opener against the Portland Timbers; the Rapids will also test themselves against Toronto FC and LA Galaxy later in the month. 


Colorado Rapids


This match will allow the team to run out defender Keegan Rosenberry, who has been away from the club on US men's national team duty. Kei Kamara is joining the squad in Chula Vista, but will be rehabbing a pulmonary contusion that was suffered on Jan. 16. The timetable for his return to training is 4-6 weeks.


"Fitness wise there is a lot of work to do," said Rapids head coach Anthony Hudson, in an article on the Rapids' official site. "Getting the endurance work, the minutes in and also strength work I think is something that is going to be a big focus as you'd expect in preseason."



Ventura County Fusion 


Founded in 2006, the Fusion entered the Premier Development League the following year and has been playing at that level of competition since. Now part of USL League Two, the Ventura, Calif.-based squad is coached by former player Rudy Ybarra, whose career started with the Los Angeles Aztecs of the NASL in 1978 and concluded with Real Santa Barbara of the American Professional Soccer League.