COMMERCE CITY, Colo – After a dominating 4-1 home victory over the LA Galaxy last weekend, the Colorado Rapids (2-1-0) will hit the road to face Eastern Conference leaders New York City FC. Kickoff is set for March 14 at 5:30 p.m. MT, to be played at Yankee Stadium.
Though still being early in the season, Colorado enters the match with momentum after securing two consecutive wins on home turf and are now in search of their first on the road victory.
The Rapids opened the regular season in Seattle last month, falling 2-0 to the Sounders. The following weekend scores were reversed, with the Rapids bouncing back, responding with a 2-0 shutout win over the Portland Timbers before producing another big win last week defeating the LA Galaxy 4-1.
“Satisified with many elements, but many elements to improve as well. Obviously a great result… back to back wins,” head coach Matt Wells said. “The guys are showing ‘winning mentally,’ which is something I’ve been insistent on from the beginning. A great response to a poor performance in Seattle.”
In his first season with the Rapids, Wells has promoted a dynamic roster management approach, showcasing a variation of starting lineups, rotations and substitutions leaving viewers on their seats for what’s to come.
In last week’s match, starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen was ruled out due to a shoulder injury sustained during practice that allowed for backup goalkeeper Nico Defreitas-Hansen to step into the starting role and produce four saved goals and only one goal against the LA Galaxy.
Earlier this week, Wells announced that both Steffen and midfielder Connor Ronan are on a “day-(to)-day” basis regarding their injuries, but that both Steffen, Ronan and defender Reggie Cannon will all be out from the match due to injury.
Opposing players Alonso Martinez, Andres Perea and Malachi Jones were also all ruled out due to leg injuries.
The New York team, which Wells prizes for their good players and organizational tactics, will be coming off a 5-0 win against Orlando earlier this month and has scored eight goals across three matches, led by midfielders Nicolás Fernández Mercau and Keaton Parks.
NYC head coach Pascal Jasnen, who joined the club in January of 2025, praises his team for their flexibility and overall versatility, crediting the aggressiveness and unity of the team to their success thus far.
“We will never settle for a good game. We do our work the same every week and keep the consistency going,” Jansen said. “Of course we did a few things pretty decent against Orlando and that’s the mentality that is a big part of this dressing room.”
The focus on mentality has become a key theme for both clubs heading into the weekend matchup.
Rapids defender Jackson Travis said his and the team’s main focus is on playing aggressively, winning aerial duels and showing versatility on the field. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining tactical discipline throughout the match in an attempt to avoid cards, noting that team mentality for the full 90 minutes will be key against a strong opponent.
“The team mentality for this weekend is that we have a hard game ahead of us,” Travis said. “They’re a top team in the East, so we know we have to go in there, from the first whistle to game the mentality has to be top.”
The homegrown defender has started each of the club’s first three matches this season and has become a name that Rapids community knows well. In the teams matchup against the Portland Timbers, he assisted central midfielder Hamzat Ojediran on an early goal, helping the Rapids set the tone of the match and begin the lead for the eventual 2-0 victory.
The Rapids will be on the road for the next three weeks following the matchup, facing upcoming opponents of Kansas City and Toronto before returning to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park April 11, to face off against Houston.
