Rapids Game Day
UNION AT RAPIDS 5 p.m. Saturday, Altitude; 950 AM, 87.7 FM
Spotlight on C.J. Sapong: Born in Virginia and of Ghanaian heritage, Sapong is off to the best start of his career with seven goals, only two short of his best season totals (nine in 2012 and in 2015). He had a hat trick against the New York Red Bulls on May 6, and earlier in the season, he scored in three consecutive games. Sapong was drafted out of James Madison by Sporting Kansas City, where he was 2011 MLS rookie of the year. SKC traded him to Philadelphia after the 2014 season. He has made two appearances for the U.S. national team.
NOTEBOOK
Union: Philadelphia began a three-game winning streak May 6 with a 3-0 win over New York, and if it beats Colorado, it will have the first four-game winning streak in franchise history. Before the streak, they were struggling — winless with four losses and four ties. They are coming off a 2-0 win over Houston this past Wednesday and have outscored opponents 9-0 in the past three games. Wednesday marked its fourth straight shutout, a team record. Goalkeeper Andre Blake has gone 363 minutes without conceding a goal, which leads MLS this season.
Rapids: Colorado has been shut out in four of its past five games. In the one exception, last Saturday, Shkelzen Gashi scored twice, and one of his tallies was named MLS goal of the week. Colorado has lost all five road games this season and in them has scored only one goal — a penalty kick in stoppage time by Kevin Doyle at Sporting KC on April 9. MLS defender of the year Axel Sjoberg, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second game of the season that required surgery to repair, was on the bench for Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at Chicago. Sam Hamilton, a graduate of Evergreen High School and the University of Denver, made his MLS debut for Colorado on Wednesday by coming off the bench. Wednesday’s starting lineup marked the first time this season that the Rapids fielded the same team in consecutive games. After Saturday, Colorado’s next four games are at home. John