Rocky Mountain Cup Kicks Off: Colorado Rapids Face Real Salt Lake

COMMERCE CITY, Colorado — The Colorado Rapids are set to face Real Salt Lake in the first Rocky Mountain Cup match of the 2025 season at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, May 18, at 2:30 AM UK time. Both teams come into the match seeking their first victories of the month.

The Rapids have struggled lately, losing three consecutive league matches, and have not won in their last five games, currently sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference. Head coach Chris Armas noted, ‘Saturday is our focus, all of our energy now spent on recovery. It’s a big match for the players, our club, and our fans.’

In their most recent match, Colorado lost 2-0 to San Diego FC. They have been unable to find the back of the net consistently, scoring only one or fewer goals in seven matches this season. The Rapids have not seen success at home recently, having a winless streak of two matches in league play.

By contrast, Real Salt Lake has shown slight improvement, drawing their last two matches against FC Dallas and Portland Timbers. RSL is just two points behind Colorado in the standings and looking to break their own five-game winless streak. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni highlighted the need for improvement in their attacking play: ‘What you need to score goals is to be able to unlock defenses.’

Notable absences for Colorado include key players dealing with injuries, which may impact their lineup. Only four players from the previous match against the San Jose Earthquakes retain their spots in the squad. Meanwhile, Salt Lake’s squad is also affected, with some players sidelined due to injuries.

The last encounter between these teams ended in a 3-2 victory for Colorado, but they face a tough challenge this Saturday as both teams aim to bounce back from disappointing runs in the league.