Chris Armas says the Colorado Rapids want to show performances into factors on residence soil if they’re to have any likelihood of difficult in MLS this 12 months, forward of internet hosting Charlotte FC.
The Rapids, who completed seventh within the Western Convention final season, occupy that very same place after 5 video games of 2025, with eight factors to their title.
Nonetheless, together with final season’s playoffs, they’ve misplaced 4 of their final 5 residence MLS matches, together with a convincing 3-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers final week.
That they had solely misplaced 4 of their earlier 25 such video games earlier than this run started (W13 D8), and Armas is aware of they should begin making extra of residence benefit.
“We’re excited to get again on the market in entrance of our followers. We wish to flip a few of these performances at residence into factors,” he mentioned.
“We’re excited for that problem and we all know we’ve got a very good workforce coming in, Charlotte are one of many hottest groups in MLS.
“They’ve had a very good begin to the 12 months, they’ve weapons everywhere in the pitch, they’ve actual energy of their frontline, so it’s a terrific problem however we love that and we’re excited.”
Reflecting on final week’s defeat to the Timbers, Armas mentioned: “We all know that we study rather a lot from victories however we all the time study much more from the losses.
“We perceive that we’re going to lose video games in MLS. There are alternative ways you may lose and, on that day, it was a recreation of moments.
“We created a bunch of actually good alternatives. I wouldn’t say they had been massive possibilities but when we had been sharper, we’d have scored. Now we have to maintain doing a few of these issues and stepping into these positions.”
Charlotte, in the meantime, are flying excessive beneath former Aston Villa supervisor Dean Smith, who penned a brand new long-term contract with the membership final week.
They’re second within the East, behind solely the Philadelphia Union, after transferring into 10 factors from 5 video games with a final week’s 4-1 rout of the San Jose Earthquakes.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro
Solely 5 gamers have outscored Navarro in MLS this marketing campaign, with the Brazilian netting 3 times from simply 9 pictures in 2025.
He has outperformed his underlying attacking statistics, along with his efforts on purpose solely accumulating to 1.83 anticipated targets (xG).
Charlotte FC – Pep Biel
Biel and Brandt Bronico each scored from exterior the field in Charlotte’s win over San Jose, the primary time the Crown have scored a number of targets from exterior the field in a regular-season match.
After that strike, Biel has six purpose involvements this season (two targets, 4 assists), the joint-most of any participant in MLS.
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Charlotte have solely misplaced considered one of their final seven away matches in opposition to Western Convention opposition in all competitions (W2 D4), together with opening this season with a 2-2 draw in opposition to the Seattle Sounders.
Nonetheless, the Rapids have misplaced solely two of their final 14 residence matches in opposition to Jap Convention opposition (W6 D6) courting again to August 2019.
That run contains going unbeaten via their final 5 such video games (W3 D2), and a carefully contested affair is predicted right here.
This would be the third all-time assembly between Colorado and Charlotte, with the primary two ending in attracts, together with a goalless stalemate on the Crown’s solely earlier go to to Dick’s Sporting Items Park in April 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 36.2%
Charlotte FC – 37.7%
Draw – 26.2%