Preview: Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors are aiming to record back-to-back wins for just the second time this year, currently in seventh spot in the Western Conference, having won four of their opening 11 matches.

Match preview

Peter Vermes's side have not recorded victory in the league in their last seven outings, but the morale around the squad was lifted with a triumph in the Open Cup last week.

However, Sporting Kansas followed that cup win up with a humiliating 7-2 defeat on Sunday, against ninth-placed Portland Timbers, who themselves have now only won three matches this season.

That was Kansas's sixth loss on their travels, so they will be more confident this Thursday being on home soil, where they have only lost once and conceded just four goals in five matches.

Despite being early on in the campaign, still, Vermes's side must improve their form quickly if they want to have a successful year and fight for a playoff spot, as they are already slipping away from seventh spot, and could potentially be nine points behind at the end of this round of midweek fixtures.

Robin Fraser's side departed the Open Cup last week after falling to defeat against Minnesota United, but they returned to winning ways in the MLS last time out, with a 2-0 win against Los Angeles FC.

Two penalties converted by Gyasi Zardes and Diego Rubio in the first half of that match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday sealed those three points, but the next step for the Rapids is to back that victory up with another win.

Taking maximum points off LAFC will be a major boost for Colorado, as only one other team has managed to defeat the Western Conference leaders this year, but the challenge on Thursday will be to repeat that performance away from home.

The Rapids' form on their travels is in complete contrast to their record on their own patch, where they are unbeaten this year, but on the road they have not recorded victory in five attempts.

This will be the second meeting between these two teams already during this campaign, after Colorado secured a 2-0 win against Kansas in March, when Rubio and Mark-Anthony Kaye were on target.

Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:

Sporting Kansas City form (all competitions):

Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer form:

Colorado Rapids form (all competitions):

Team News

Kansas City centre-back Robert Voloder will be forced to miss Thursday's encounter due to suspension, after being sent off for two bookable offences on Sunday, meaning that Andreu Fontas may come into the starting 11 alongside Kortne Ford in the heart of a back four.

Midfielder Jose Mauri was expected to make his return to the field at the end of last month, but he remains on the injury absentee list with Alan Pulido, Gadi Kinda, Graham Zusi and Nicolas Isimat-Mirin.

Daniel Salloi, Khiry Shelton and Johnny Russell will line up in attack for the hosts, and they may need to be in fine form if Kansas' defence is as vulnerable as it was on the weekend.

Colorado right-back Oliver Larraz is yet to make an appearance for the Rapids since returning from his loan spell in November, and he will remain sidelined with centre-back Aboubacar Keita and winger Braian Galvan.

After victory last time out, Fraser is likely to name the same starting 11, which will include a back three of Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson and Auston Trusty, with Lucas Esteves and Keegan Rosenberry providing the width from their wing-back roles.

Zardes and Jonathan Lewis will lead the line, with just three goals between them so far this year, a total that they will both be determined to improve.

Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:

Melia; Ndenbe, Fontas, Ford, Duke; Walter, Rosell, Espinoza; Salloi, Shelton, Russell

Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:

Yarbrough; Trusty, Wilson, Abubakar; Esteves, Kaye, Acosta, Rosenberry; Rubio; Lewis, Zardes

We say: Sporting Kansas City 1-2 Colorado Rapids

After being involved in a nine-goal encounter on the weekend, this game can also expect goals at either end of the field, but Colorado's win on Saturday may give them the boost to record their first away win of the season.

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