The first weekend in June is not too early to think about making the playoffs.
When they meet in Commerce City, Kolo on Saturday night, this will be for Austin FC and Colorado Rapids.
Rapids (6-6-4, 22 points) won two of their last three matches and standing eighth in the Western conference-up of the legend-line up-and they see their three-match three-match homestand as important on Saturday.
Rafael Nawaro said, “We have to take advantage of the next three matches, especially to play the standing forward.”
Austin (5-7-5, 20 points) is not far behind at 10th place, but the last eight MLS matches are 0-4-4. Coach Nico Estevez said that he is optimistic that his team would qualify for Postsen.
He said, “You have to build a team at the end of the season, because there are teams that actually start, really strong, and then they fade during the year,” they said. “And then there are teams that begin slowly … and they reach the playoffs, and they reach the finals, and they win the championship.
“If we have the mentality that we are making something right towards the end of the season, we can succeed.”
Until things change, it will not be easy. Austin has only 11 goals in this season, and its minus -9 goal is bound to the fourth worst in MLS.
While Brandon Vazakwez has four goals, he has not received much support, and Austin would further be without Mirto Uzuni, who is far away with the Albanian national team.
Colorado’s Combo of Jordez Mihlovic (seven goals) and Navaro (five) have dropped Austin FC, and Navaro has scored against him in three of the last four matches.
Rapids’ goalkeeper Zack Stephen was with the US National Team, when he injured his knee in training on Wednesday and would allegedly be out for four to six weeks.
However, coach Chris Armas said that the rapids should remain firm.
“We did simple mathematics and saw what three points could mean,” he said. “We want to build on what we are late.”
-Bield level media
