The bottom two teams in the MLS' Western Conference go head-to-head when Colorado Rapids host Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday.
The visitors are one point ahead of Colorado, having played one match fewer than them, with time running out for both sides to make up ground on the playoff positions.
Match preview
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Having missed out on qualifying for the play-offs for the sixth time in nine seasons last time out, Colorado appear almost certain to fall short once again having collected only 13 points from 16 games to sit rock bottom of the Western Conference.
The Rapids, who are led by English Premier League side Arsenal's owners Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, fell to a seventh defeat in eight matches away to Orlando City in their last league match, with a lack of discipline seemingly setting in at the club given that Braian Galvan and Lalas Abubakar both saw red during the loss.
That means Colorado have now failed to score in four of their last five matches, with a record of one point from eight matches making it unsurprising that reaching the playoffs appears to be an absolute longshot at this stage of proceedings.
As such, Robin Fraser - who has been in charge since 2019, most notably guiding the team to finishing first in the Western Conference before crashing out at the quarter-final stage of the playoffs two seasons ago - is facing huge pressure to hold onto his job, with anything shy of a victory against LA Galaxy on Sunday almost certainly condemning his side to end-of-season disappointment once again.
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Likewise, fallen giants LA Galaxy are facing the prospect of an increasingly familiar feeling in recent seasons, having failed to qualify for the play-offs in four of the last five seasons.
Greg Vanney's side have struggled to get going this season, with their inability to hold onto a 2-1 lead against Sporting Kansas City in midweek summing up their campaign, as Alan Pulido salvaged a point for the visitors by dispatching a penalty in injury time.
Those two dropped points could prove extremely costly for the Galaxy, who would have moved six points behind Austin FC and Vancouver Whitecaps - who currently occupy the two final series playoff positions - had they managed to survive the onslaught from their opponents.
Instead, Sunday's meeting at DSG Park surely represents a must-win encounter for both teams if they are to stand any chance of being involved in the business end of the MLS season, with both managers desperate to see their teams go on winning streaks sooner rather than later.
Team News
Colorado will be without Galvan and Abubakar due to suspension after both players were shown red cards during their side's defeat to Orlando, but Moise Bombito will be available for selection once again having missed out on that match through his own ban.
Alex Gersbach, Abraham Rodriguez and Jack Price are all expected to remain sidelined through injury, with Steven Beitashour and Michael Barrios likely to come into the hosts' starting XI.
LA Galaxy, meanwhile, will remain without their star striker Javier Hernandez, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this month. Memo Rodriguez and Sega Coulibaly are also out of action due to thigh and knee issues respectively.
Efrain Alvarez could return to the visitors' lineup after being rested against Sporting KC in midweek, but Vanney may not make many changes after coming so close to earning a crucial victory.
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Ilic; Beitashour, Maxso, Wilson, Rosenberry; Ronan, Acosta; Barrios, Bassett, Lewis; Cabral
Los Angeles Galaxy possible starting lineup:
Bond; Calegari, Caceres, Mavinga, Aude; Delgado, Brugman, Puig; Costa, Judd, Alvarez
We say: Colorado Rapids 1-2 Los Angeles Galaxy
Colorado's form has been desperately poor of late, whereas LA Galaxy have been scoring more freely and picking up more points, so we expect the visitors to claim a crucial victory.
Whether Vanney's side have left it too late in terms of making the play-off spots remains to be seen, but we can envisage them going on a run at some point during the remainder of the campaign.
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Top tip
Brett Curtis
