It's a galactic clash folks as Colorado Rapids squares off against LA Galaxy this weekend. Now Galaxy's goalkeeper, Mr. John McCarthy, has a decent rating of 6.85 and a handsome, nay, a stunning total of 15 saves to his name this season. Not too shabby I must say. A stone's throw away, in the opposing end, we have Colorado's own Zack Steffen with a slightly higher rating of 6.93 and 17 saves under his goalkeeping belt. Not to be outdone, isn't he?
Moving swiftly on to the main act, we've got players of all shapes, sizes, and ratings. LA Galaxy's got a few heavy lifters in Riqui Puig and Gabriel Pec, with some eye-watering stats. Puig sports an 8.73 rating with 2 goals from just 4 shots on target, while Pec’s stats display a rating of 8.28, 3 goals from 12 shots on target, and an 88.8% accurate pass rate. Phenomenal stuff.
But wait, we're not done yet. Over on the Rapids side, we’ve got Đorđe Mihailović, who seems to be their go-to guy with one goal from four shots and a rating of 7.73. Complementing him nicely is the promising Michael Joseph Edwards with one goal from a single shot. Doesn't get much efficient than that, does it?
Now for the history buffs out there, these two teams have had a bit of a back and forth in the past. Most recent three face-offs show a Galaxy win, a colorless draw, and a Colorado win.
As far as the regular season goes, LA Galaxy is sitting pretty with 17 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses, while the Rapids have struggled a bit with 15 wins, 5 draws, and 11 losses. Recent form however, paints a slightly different picture with LA Galaxy’s form fluctuating more than a heart monitor in an emergency room, and Colorado Rapids' recent resounding 3-0 defeat against Minnesota United FC will surely have knocked the wind out of their sails.
Weighing in on all these elements, and keeping in mind that predicting a soccer match is like being a weather reporter in the Bermuda triangle, I'd venture to say that this one could turn out to be a tight squeeze. Hence, finally drumrolls please.. ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, dogs and cats, here is my prediction:
Albert’s Prediction: LA Galaxy by 1