Two teams looking up at the rest of MLS have a chance to earn points — or make their seasons worse.
Sporting Kansas City (0-3-3, 3 points) will host the Colorado Rapids (0-3-3, 3 points) on Saturday night in Kansas City, Kan., in a matchup of the teams with the two worst records in MLS.
The Rapids are listed in last place in the Western Conference standings because of a worse goal differential (minus-6 to SKC’s minus-5). The Los Angeles Galaxy are also sitting at three points, but they’ve played only five games.
Losing to the “other” worst team in the league may be a new rock bottom for the side that comes away with another defeat on Saturday night.
Neither team has been able to find the back of the net much in 2023. They share the league-worst mark of two goals. The two sides drew 0-0 at Colorado in a March 4 matchup.
Things may be looking up for Sporting KC. Alan Pulido, a talented striker who had not played in an MLS match since the 2021 playoffs, came off the bench in the 63rd minute of Sporting’s last match, a 0-0 draw at the Philadelphia Union. He didn’t score, but he changed the way the Union were playing defense.
SKC coach Peter Vermes cautioned that it might still take a while for Pulido to get in full stride with his teammates.
“He’s such a high-quality player that his play is already there,” Vermes said after the match. “His movements are all the same. He sees the spaces. It’s all there. It’s now (about) guys just recognizing that and being able to play with him.”
The Rapids hope to welcome back midfielder Cole Bassett, who hasn’t been out as long as Pulido was and is less likely to return. He missed the last match, a scoreless draw against LAFC with a hamstring injury, and he’s listed as questionable for Saturday.
Coach Robin Fraser knows it’s a long season and there’s no time like the present to start their climb.
“The way that you work your way out of this is by grinding,” he told his team after the LAFC match. “Chances are coming, goals are coming, wins are coming.”
–Field Level Media
