Rapids: Midfield will be bolstered by the return of Brian Mullan, whose 10-game suspension has ended, and Jamie Smith, who was held out of last week’s game against the Los Angeles Galaxy because of a tight hamstring. Omar Cummings may make his first start since suffering a severe ankle sprain May 4. Last weekend he was a second-half substitute and gave the team a big lift, setting up a goal. . . . The Rapids and Crew split two games last season in the Eastern Conference finals. The Rapids won 1-0 here and the Crew won 2-1 at Columbus, but the Rapids won the tiebreaker on penalty kicks to advance to the MLS Cup final.
Crew: Central midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo makes the Crew go. “I think Ekpo has been the shining light for them,” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “He’s brought a change of pace and invention to the central areas of the field, and he’s a very good athlete.” . . . Andres Mendoza has four goals in his last five games. . . . Bernardo Anor, a rookie from the University of South Florida, made his first MLS start in a 2-0 win at Houston last week, recording a goal and assist. He was the MLS player of the week. . . . Columbus lost its last home game June 12 to Chicago 1-0.
Spotlight on Andres Mendoza: A Peruvian with 44 national team appearances, Mendoza came to Columbus as a “designated player” last year with a salary of $595,000 and scored two goals in eight appearances. This season, he has scored five goals in 12 games. “Given an opportunity, he’s a good finisher,” Rapids coach Gary Smith said. “When he gets a shot at goal, he is very bright.”
