Colorado Rapids vs Nashville SC Prediction: Rising Star Alert! “Forster Ajago"

Round 1 is over and the teams are getting prepared for round 2 of the new season. Neither Colorado Rapids nor Nashville SC had the desired result in the first round and it's important that they correct that in this round.

Colorado Rapids were battered by Portland Timbers in the opening game while Nashville SC were held to a goalless draw by the Red Bulls.

The Rapids will have the fans behind them in this one and they intend to use that to their advantage. However, Nashville SC are barely the type of team to be fazed by the opposition support.

Colorado Rapids

It's been the worst possible start for Colorado Rapids. And it's not just because they lost to Portland Timbers but the manner in which they lost. They conceded 4 goals in the first half including an own goal by Sam Vines and in the second half, they rarely made any attempts to reduce the deficit. Although they did manage to pull one goal back through Calvin Harris, that was about all they could get.

Colorado Rapids coach played a 4-2-3-1 formation in the game but the team struggled to play for most parts of the game. Zack Steffen was probably the poorest player on the pitch after conceding 4 goals and the defense didn't help either. Sam Vines was substituted in the 63rd minute after he scored an own goal in the first half. Rafael Navarro was also on the pitch for about 77 minutes until he was replaced by Daren Yapi. He managed just 1 shot on target during his time on the pitch and lost possession 11 times.

The Rapids will feel bruised by the defeat and they need a response. Whether Chris Armas intends to maintain structure is yet to be decided but there's still a lot of work to be done in the team.

Nashville SC

Nashville SC are likely going to get the win sooner rather than later according to their reputation. They were not at their best on the opening day of the season against New York Red Bulls but it's not going to disappoint them so much. However what they have to worry about is how they came second best in most parts of the game. Nashville SC manager Gary Smith opted for a traditional 4-3-3 system in the game but it was an abysmal display from the team. 

Statistically they had only 45% possession and 3 shots on target. They created 0 chances throughout the game and Carlos Coronel was forced to make 5 saves to keep them in the game.

There was an improvement to their game against Moca FC in the CONCACAF Champions League Round 1 game. They won comfortably by 4 goals to nil. Gary Smith played a 4-2-3-1 formation and it yielded positive results. 

Ghanaian youngster Forster Ajago played in the strike position throughout the game and he scored twice. He has certainly laid a perfect claim for a spot in the starting lineup and it will be ridiculous if he isn't considered for the upcoming game. 

Head to Head

Nashville SC and Colorado Rapids have played only 3 games against each other according to the h2h record. Nashville SC won all 3 games against Colorado Rapids.

Analysis and Predictions

Nashville SC should build some level of confidence after their win in the CONCACAF Champions League. There's some certainly that Gary Smith might stick to the same setup in this game and hope the team can build on that result. As for Colorado Rapids, there's just no real reason to trust them for any form of response. Forster Ajago has scored in 2 games he's played in for Nashville. Surely it's time he got the permanent call to the starting lineup.

• Nashville to Score First at 2.19 Odds
• Nashville SC to Win FT at 2.953 Odds
• Nashville SC to Win FT at 2.90 Odds