Former Rapids midfielder Mark Chung helped out his old team Saturday, scoring first in San Jose’s 3-1 victory over Los Angeles to ensure Colorado the No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
The Rapids (13-13-6) will face the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed FC Dallas (13-10-9) in the first round Saturday at 7 p.m. at Invesco Field at Mile High. The two-leg, aggregate-scoring series will conclude Oct. 29 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
“I thought it was a team we matched the best,” Rapids coach Fernando Clavijo said Saturday of FC Dallas, which tied the Kansas City Wizards 2-2 on Saturday to finish the regular season with one victory in its past six games.
L.A. could have bumped the Rapids from the No. 3 spot with a win or a tie against top-seeded San Jose but now must face the Earthquakes in the first round.
The Rapids are 0-2-2 this season against FC Dallas. On Oct. 8, the teams played to their second scoreless draw of the season.
FC Dallas outscored Colorado 5-2 in the two victories, including 3-1 at Invesco Field on June 25, the Rapids’ worst home loss since July 13, 2002.
“We had some growing pains in the beginning of the year,” Clavijo said. “I thought the last time we played we outplayed them.”
The Rapids are unbeaten in their past six matches, going 4-0-2 primarily against Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA – the two worst teams in the MLS.
