Rapids try for first win of season vs. Union (Mar 29, 2018)
The Philadelphia Union are averaging one goal in their two matches on the young season, but the good news is they've yet to allow an opponent to score.
They put that defensive perfection on the line when they play the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., on Saturday night.
The Union (1-0-1) are coming off a scoreless tie against the Columbus Crew on March 17. That came two weeks after a 2-0 win over the New England Revolution to open the MLS schedule March 3.
Saturday marks the first time Philadelphia will play on the road this season, and Colorado's mile-high altitude will be a test for the Union players.
Saturday's match will mark the first game for midfielder Haris Medunjanin since he announced he will no longer play for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team after playing in the team's scoreless friendly against Senegal on Tuesday.
"This is my last match in the national team of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Medunjanin said in the announcement on the Bosnia and Herzegovina FA's website. "I've been thinking about it for a long time and made this difficult decision. We have to think about the future, there are a lot of good players here. The fact that we did not qualify for the World Cup is a sign that we, a little older players like me, need to give the younger guys a chance and I want them success in the coming period."
Medunjanin will now be focused on his second season with the Union. He has played every minute of the first two matches of the MLS season and is expected to play Saturday.
Philadelphia will be facing a Rapids team looking for its first victory on the young campaign. Colorado lost its opener in New England on March 10 and settled for a 2-2 tie at home against Sporting KC last Saturday.
The Rapids led that game 2-0 after the eighth minute but KC rallied to tie it in injury time to spoil the home debut of new coach Anthony Hudson. The New Zealander was hired after a subpar 2017 campaign, and the roster was turned over to bring in 14 new players.
The Rapids (0-1-1) made another move this week. They sent defender Jared Watts to the Houston Dynamo for $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
Despite the turnover and the lack of a win in the first two games, Hudson sees positives to the start of the season.
"One thing I've seen is that we are creating chances in all our games," Hudson told the Altitude 950 radio station Wednesday. "We need to keep believing in how we are doing, which we are. As we have such a new team, new players and integrate everything is just going to take time, but we are definitely on the right path."
Hudson said he hopes that formula produces a much-needed win at home Saturday night against a stingy Union defense.
