Los Angeles FC vs Colorado Rapids Prediction: I wouldn’t bank on LAFC

Los Angeles FC woes this season has been quite shocking and their shock exit in the Leagues Cup is yet another proof that the team has been facing a dilemma this season. They were up against Monterrey; what many considered to be the easiest draw to the semi final, but they lost to a late goal and the game ended 3-2. And Colorado Rapids did not have any luck in the Leagues Cup either as they lost both games against Nashville and Toluca to exit the tournament. Now both sides can focus on picking up their season in the league.

Los Angeles are second place in the western conference with 37 points from 23 matches, they won 10 matches, drew 7 and lost 6. While Colorado Rapids are at the bottom of the conference with 19 points from 23 matches. They had just 3 wins, 10 draws and 19 defeats.

The psychology of the Los Angeles FC will be seriously questioned after their disappointing end at the Leagues Cup tournament. They were one of the favorites to make it to the final, but they were knocked off by Monterrey in a 3-2 defeat. Los Angeles showed some signs of promise earlier in the tournament, beating Juarez 7-1 and then Real Salt Lake 4-0 before the defeat to Monterrey.

Prior to the Leagues Cup, they had a very poor run in the MLS, picking up just 1 win in their last 5 MLS games. They drew 2 of those and lost 2. They won only the game against Saint Louis City (3-0), but lost both games against FC Dallas and LA Galaxy (2-0) and (2-1) respectively. Then they played a draw against San Jose Earthquakes and Minnesota United; 1-1 on both occasions.

Their home form in the MLS also looks disappointing, as they had 2 wins, 2 defeats and 1 draw in their last 5 home games. Their last home game ended in a 3-0 win over Saint Louis City. Goals came late in the match from Carlos Vela (72’), Stipe Biuk (82’) and Jose Cifuentes (92’). They were the better team according to the statistics, as they had 59% possession, 3 shots on target and 4 corner kicks.

The Rapids really don’t need too much introduction as their current state in the table speaks for them. They are currently at the bottom of the Western Conference with just 19 points. Colorado Rapids did not surprise anyone with their performance in the Leagues Cup as no one rated them anyway. They lost both games against Nashville SC (2-1) and Toluca (4-1) and crashed out of the tournament. Now they return to the league against a top table team.

Colorado Rapids played their last game prior in the MLS against Houston Dynamo before the start of the Leagues Cup and the game ended 0-0 at full time. That was the second 0-0 draw in a row for the Rapids who played the same scoreline against Portland Timbers. Their last 5 games in the MLS ended in just 1 win, 1 defeat and 3 draws. The win was against FC Dallas (2-1) and the defeat against Colorado Rapids (2-0). Then they played blank draws against LA Galaxy, Portland Timbers and Austin FC.

The Rapids have lost their last 4 matches away from home. They were all against Atlanta United (4-0), Columbus Crew (3-2), Orlando City SC (2-0) and Saint Louis City (2-0).

The game against Saint Louis City was their latest away defeat in the league. The hosts did not find too much trouble taking the lead in the first half, with 2 goals from Tim Parker (2’) and Jared Stroud (11’) and that was enough to send Colorado Rapids home with a defeat. Colorado Rapids however managed to get 61% possession, but registered only 3 shots on target and 9 corner kicks.

The head-to-head record shows Los Angeles and Colorado Rapids have played 10 matches prior to this game. Los Angeles have won 5 of the 10 games, while The Rapids won just 3 and they played out a draw in 1 match.

Analysis of Los Angeles FC shows they have scored 34 goals and conceded 25 goals in 23 matches this season. They scored an average of 1.5 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 10%. They take an average of 15.3 shots per game and 5.3 of those were on target. They also managed an average of 6.1 corners per game and retained 52.2% possession. They have conceded an average of 1.1 goals per game and currently have 8 clean sheets.

Analysis of Colorado Rapids shows they have scored 16 goals and conceded 30 goals in 23 matches this season. They scored an average of 0.7 goals per game and had a conversion rate of 6%. They take an average of 10.7 shots per game and 3.7 of those were on target. They also managed an average of 4.7 corners per game and retained 48.7% possession. They have conceded an average of 1.3 goals per game and currently have 8 clean sheets.

• Home to Score 2-3 Goals at 2.60 Odds
• Race to 2 Goals (Team 1) at 1.66 Odds
• Both Teams to Score at 1.80 Odds