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Rapids hope to keep rolling over Chivas

Aug 9, 2013 - 8:38 PM Carson, CA (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rapids will attempt to run their unbeaten streak to eight games on Sunday at Chivas USA as the club continues its climb up the Western Conference table.

The Rapids enter the weekend only three points behind Real Salt Lake, and confidence will be high after the club took back the Rocky Mountain Cup from RSL for the first time since 2006 with a 2-2 home draw against Salt Lake last weekend.

"The boys wanted the cup and the cup is back home and we are happy," said Colorado head coach Oscar Pareja. "It's not in Salt Lake, it's in Colorado. And it's going to stay here for long. That's what matters today, we're going to get the points that we missed today because we deserve the three points, but I want the boys to enjoy that cup because it means a lot for us, for the club, for the boys, for the players, for the fans and now the cup is back home so we're happy for that. We'll see how it goes against Chivas but once again the cup is back here and we are happy."

Now that Pareja and his team have had a chance to enjoy that moment, they will surely be hoping to take all three points from a Chivas side that has lost three of its last four games and has languished at the foot of the conference table for the majority of the season.

The Rapids have already won both meetings between the two sides this season, winning 1-0 in April before a 2-0 triumph in late May.

In fact, Colorado is 8-0-2 against Chivas in the last 10 games, including four straight wins at the Goats.

Chivas is the one team in the West with little hope of making the playoffs, and head coach Jose Luis Real has already started to look to the future after his team's latest setback, a 2-0 defeat at the San Jose Earthquakes.

"The season is not good because we've lost many games," said Real. "But the most important thing is the transition for next season. Our team is very young. It's a new team. I'm happy with the development of the players, especially today, because San Jose is a very important team."

Veteran defender Carlos Bocanegra was expected to bring an element of stability to the back line since joining the club in July, but he was sent off in just his third game with Chivas after a poor challenge on San Jose's Shea Salinas and will miss Sunday's match through suspension.