WVHooligan - Soccer Blog

Two clubs looking to turn things around going into the final stretch of games this season. Colorado Rapids visit FC Dallas in a must-win for both clubs on MLS Primetime Thursday.

The Hoops are in a better position to reach the playoffs, just one point out of third place in the west, despite two losses and a draw over their last three games. The Rapids find themselves sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with eight games to play they’ve been shut out in four of their last five games.

So what are some key issues going into tonight’s Primetime clash?

Can the Rapids turn it around?: They’ve already started to make some moves, which has got some people thinking that they could be waiving the white flag on the season. If they can muster up a rare road win the Rapids would still be in a good spot to make the playoffs in the west – though playoffs may still be a lot further away than just a few points.

Can Dallas find a way to hold on to a lead?: Six of their eight draws and a few of their losses were leads that were blown. The biggest knock isn’t the defense of this club like most people thing it is the fact that they can’t hold on to the lead. The last time they played Colorado at home they couldn’t hold on to the lead then.

Is there any offense left in Colorado?: We know the club just traded Herculez Gomez but will there be anyone else to step up here? Colin Clarke? Christian Gomez? Conor Casey? Omar Cummings? Casey leads the club with five goals but is too hot and cold for my liking. I look at this Rapids club and the have on paper a great midfield but on the field it stinks for the most part. They haven’t scored a goal on the road since before the All-Star break.

Who to watch: Kenny Cooper. He’s been cold in the goal scoring department for a little while now and I think this is a good game for him to break out of that slump.

What the win will mean: For Colorado it means their season isn’t actually over like most of us think. For Dallas a win puts them back in the playoff picture for a day or two (depending on other results). A draw clogs things up more for Dallas but keeps Colorado where they are at. A loss for Dallas would tough at this point as they’ve played well recently but haven’t been able to get the results they’ve wanted.

WVH Prediction: Dallas 2, Colorado 1

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