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Fire-Rapids Preview

No Major League Soccer team has enjoyed a more dramatic turnaround this season than the Colorado Rapids.

The Rapids (8-2-4) sit atop the Western Conference after dominating at home. Colorado has not suffered a home loss in seven matches. That is not welcome news for a Chicago Fire squad that has not won a road match against the Rapids since 2009.

Credit for the strong start belongs to a stingy defense. Colorado has allowed a league-best 10 goals through 14 matches. Scoring on the Rapids only figures to get harder once goalkeeper Tim Howard joins the club next month.

Colorado is missing a pair of its best offensive weapons in midfielder Jermaine Jones and forward Shkelzen Gashi. Jones is away playing with the U.S. National Team in the Copa America Centenario -- although he will sit out the semifinal match after earning a red card against Ecuador on Thursday. Gashi is off with the Albanian national team as they play in the 2016 European Championship.

A defensive battle could be in store for Saturday. This does not favor the Fire (2-5-5), who have struggled to get on the board this season. Chicago has produced just 10 goals in 12 matches while giving up 14. Kennedy Igboananike and David Accam are the team's most reliable scoring threats with seven combined goals so far this season.

The Fire are 0-1-3 in their last four trips to Colorado. They battled to a 0-0 draw in the most recent match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in 2014.

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