Sporting Kansas City 1 - 1 Rapids
Final
  for this game

K.C., Colorado both searching for much-needed win

May 27, 2011 - 5:11 PM Commerce City, CO (Sports Network) - Not a lot has gone right for Sporting Kansas City this season with the club having to play its first 10 games away from home while a new stadium is being completed.

So the fact that Sporting brings a five-game losing skid into its match with the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday should not come as any great surprise.

It has been a tough opening stretch to start the season for K.C. but the club is hoping that a 5-0 win over the New England Revolution in U.S. Open Cup qualifying in midweek represents a turning point.

"Internally, we all know what we are capable of," Sporting striker C.J. Sapong said following the win. "I think that's why that whole skid stung so much. We knew we were as good or better than the teams we were facing. We knew we could do a lot better. For us to finally come out and show what we could do, it felt like a training session out there. Everybody was just on point."

One player who could have a big impact on K.C.'s fortunes is designated player Omar Bravo, who has been limited to just three games so far this season because of injury.

Bravo has tallied two goals in those three games and he was a constant problem for the New England defense, so his presence in the lineup will be welcome.

The Rapids also bring a streak of sorts into the match with the club having drawn its last four games. The latest coming on Wednesday night in a 2-2 stalemate with Red Bull New York.

Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz scored both of the goals for the Rapids, but he couldn't help feeling a bit frustrated by the fact that his team failed to collect all three points.

"Maybe tonight more than other games just because we had opportunities to win," Larentowicz said of his frustration following the New York match. "I don't think in games past we have developed enough opportunities to say that we should have won, but I think tonight was a different story. We came in with a game plan and I thought we executed well and created opportunities off the counter attack."

It has been four games since Colorado's last win, while Sporting has now gone seven straight in league play without a victory.

To say that both are desperate for a win would be an understatement.






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