Austin FC, Rapids looking to halt tough stretches

Austin FC will look to avoid a third straight loss when they travel to Commerce City, Colo., to face the Colorado Rapids in the first of two meetings this season.

Austin FC (6-6-5, 23 points) failed to pick up points in losses to Real Salt Lake and Portland over their past two matches. Austin has just one win in their previous four matches and points in just two of their past four.

Austin is sixth in the Western Conference, above the playoff line and five points out of fourth. They enter Saturday's match after a two-week international break and have three matches over eight days.

"We needed (the break). There are guys that have to get fit. You don't get too many breaks," Austin coach Josh Wolff said. "We've given the guys some time off to refuel (and) regenerate. Some guys got out of town, which I think is good. Some guys stayed local. I told them right away after the Salt Lake game to get away and recharge. We've got a half of a season left, and we've put ourselves in a decent spot."

Midfielder Sebastian Driussi leads Austin with five goals in 13 matches, while Alex Ring has a team-leading four assists in 17 appearances.

Colorado (6-7-4, 22 points) enters Saturday's match with just a single point in its past four matches, with its last win coming over Vancouver on May 15.

The Rapids enter Saturday eighth in the Western Conference and are coming off a 2-1 loss to Vancouver before the break.

"We're a work in progress (but) I do believe four-and-a-half, five months into this there (has been) real progress made in our team," Rapids coach Chris Armas said. "It's shown in the standings, where we were, where we are and where we can maybe be if we're a little better."

Midfielder Djordje Mihailovic notched the lone goal in the loss to Vancouver and has scored in back-to-back matches for the Rapids. He has five goals and six assists in 16 matches this season. Forward Rafael Navarro has a team-leading nine goals this season in 17 outings.

Colorado travels to Austin for the season finale on Oct. 19.

--Field Level Media