There will be a window open to the soul of the Rapids on Saturday.
Are they a team improved, but recently unlucky, or are they a team badly in need of key additions after two seasons of overhaul by coach Fernando Clavijo?
With two games remaining, the Rapids (11-13-6, 39 points) will be fighting for their playoff lives Saturday against New York (8-11-11, 35 points) in the last regular-season game at Invesco Field at Mile High.
A win won’t necessarily guarantee anything without a favorable result in Salt Lake City. A loss, however, could be the start of a long offseason for a team billed as much improved since advancing to Major League Soccer’s Western Conference final in 2005.
“If we can’t win at home when we absolutely need to win, then we don’t deserve it,” defender Hunter Freeman said. “I think anyone on the team would tell you that.”
After crashing to a 3-1 defeat Saturday at New England, where Clint Mathis was sent off in the 65th minute, the Rapids are just two points ahead of Real Salt Lake (10-13-7, 37 points) for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Colorado has played seven of its past nine games on the road and has just three wins in its past 12 games. The Rapids have dropped two consecutive games and have failed to score more than one goal in a game in their past 13 matches.
The good news? The Rapids are 9-3-3 at home, and New York, under the guidance of former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena, has the second-worst road record (1-8-6) in MLS.
The Red Bulls are coming off a 1-0 victory over Chicago.
The Red Bulls haven’t won on the road since July 19.
Playoff scenarios
The score of Saturday’s Real Salt Lake game against Houston will be nearly as important as what happens at Invesco Field. Colorado can seal a playoff spot Saturday if:
The Rapids win and Salt Lake loses or draws.
The Rapids draw and Salt Lake loses.
Any other outcome will give Salt Lake a chance to take the final playoff spot in the last week of the season.
The Rapids finish at Houston, and Salt Lake’s last game is at Chivas USA.
Footnotes
Kansas City forward Josh Wolff was named MLS player of the week after he scored one goal and had two assists in Saturday’s 3-3 draw against Real Salt Lake. …
The Columbus Crew needs to score six goals in its final two games to avoid setting an MLS record for lowest goals-per- game average in a season. The record, set by the 2004 Rapids, is 29 goals in 30 games. …
D.C. United announced forward Robert Ssejjemba has been called up by the Ugandan national team, as Uganda prepares for its upcoming match against Niger on Saturday.
