After picking up their fifth win in their last six matches over the weekend, St Louis CITY2 (6-2-2, 21 points) looks to maintain its torrid pace with a weekend clash against Colorado Rapids 2 (2-7-1, 7 points) on Sunday, June 2. Kickoff is slated for 9:00 p.m. CT, with the match streaming on mlsnextpro.com.
There is already familiarity between St. Louis and Colorado, as the two teams met in Matchweek 1 to open the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro regular season. Rapids 2 grinded out a 2-1 win on the night, extending CITY2’s winless all-time status against them (0-3-2). However, both draws in the all-time series have occurred in Colorado, including last season’s 0-0 stalemate that was one of only two regular season instances where the eventual MLS NEXT Pro Western Conference point leaders failed to score a goal.
Following a midweek road loss against Houston, CITY2 responded with a dominant 1-0 victory over The Town FC in their last match. Severe thunderstorms delayed kickoff by approximately two and a half hours, but the team came out firing once the weather cleared up. CITY2 eventually broke through in the second half, with Akil Watts drawing a foul in the box that led to a penalty kick goal from Mykhi Joyner in the 72nd minute.
CITY2 registered 16 shots in the match, tying the team’s performance against Portland Timbers2 for the second-highest single match total this season (trailing the team’s 26-shot tally against North Texas SC). Defensively, St. Louis held TTFC to two shots and zero shots on target, marking the eighth time this season they held their opponent to three or fewer shots on target. The fourteen-shot difference between the two teams is tied for the seventh-highest shot margin in team history.
Joyner’s goal against The Town FC pushed his team-leading mark to four goals this season. It marked the third consecutive home match in which he registered a goal.
Goalkeeper Nick Bishop earned his first professional clean sheet in the shutout win against TTFC. He has allowed just six goals this season, tying him with Jonathan Burke and Javier Otero Leon for the fewest goals against in the league among goalkeepers who have played at least five matches.
Away from home this season, CITY2 is 3-1-0 and has a plus-one goal difference. The three road victories are the most by any team in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Colorado Rapids 2 are 1-4-1 with a minus-six goal difference at home this season.
Colorado will be wrapping up a three-match homestand when CITY2 visits them this weekend. In their last match, Rapids 2 fell 2-0 to MNUFC2, going scoreless in a match for the third time this year. Midfielder Marlon Vargas has been the team’s offensive catalyst thus far, topping the team in goals (5), shots on target (9) and key passes (18).
