Rafael Navarro looks to continue his goal-scoring form when "Colorado Rapids" welcome "Austin FC" in a critical MLS fixture this weekend. The Brazilian forward, who netted the decisive goal in their previous encounter on March 9, will be crucial to Rapids' hopes of bouncing back from their recent 2-1 defeat to "Portland Timbers".
Colorado's attack has been notably lackluster lately, managing just four goals in their last six matches. Their midfield creator Djordje Mihailović provided their only bright spot against Portland with a 33rd-minute strike.
"We've been creating chances but struggling to convert them consistently," a Rapids insider suggested. "The team is focusing on sharpening our finishing this week."
Meanwhile, Austin FC arrive in poor form themselves after falling to "San Diego FC" in their previous outing. Despite controlling 39% of possession and generating eight attempts, they couldn't prevent goals from Luca de la Torre and Milan Iloski.
Interestingly, Austin's recent fixtures have been low-scoring affairs, with their last six games averaging just two goals total.
The head-to-head record favors the home side significantly. In their six meetings since October 2022, "Colorado Rapids" have claimed three victories against Austin's single win, with two draws completing the record.
Worth noting that the last time these teams met, Rapids secured a tight 1-0 victory despite Austin dominating possession (59%) and creating more chances (19 attempts to 6).
Expect Chris Armas to deploy Colorado in a 4-2-3-1 formation featuring Navarro leading the line, while Austin's Josh Wolff will likely counter with a 4-4-2 system built around Brandon Vazquez and Owen Wolff up front.
Can Austin break their poor run against Colorado? The form book suggests not, with predictions pointing to another narrow Rapids victory, potentially by that same 1-0 scoreline we saw in March.
