Rapids-Sporting Kansas City Preview

Sporting Kansas City has been perhaps MLS' best team at home this season. Historically, they've dominated the Colorado Rapids there, too.

Sporting KC seeks a fifth straight home victory for the first time in 15 years Saturday night when it faces Colorado.

Kansas City (6-3-6) owns a plus-nine scoring deferential at home while going 5-0-3 with four shutouts in its last five matches there. The club hasn't won five straight regular-season games in the same season since opening 7-0 there in 2000. New England is the league's only other undefeated team at home.

Sporting had shut out three straight opponents before suffering its first defeat in its last eight matches overall Sunday, falling 2-1 at Real Salt Lake on a redirected goal in the 93rd minute. The team hadn't lost since April 18 versus Los Angeles.

Dom Dwyer scored in the 30th minute, marking his fourth goal in six games.

Looking to bounce back, Kansas City is 17-3-5 at home in the all-time regular-season series with the Rapids, not losing since Sept. 14, 2002.

"We're excited to be back at home," defender Jalil Anibaba said. "It's a good opportunity for us to keep improving and keep moving forward."

Sporting KC is also 3-0-5 in the last eight overall meetings, winning 3-2 on the road in last year's lone matchup. Dwyer scored the winner in the 92nd minute.

Colorado (2-5-9) sits last in the Western Conference and lost 2-0 Wednesday at Orlando City.

"It doesn't matter who we play. It doesn't matter where we play. It doesn't matter how we get there right now," defender Drew Moor said. "It's up to us as a 28-man roster ... It's up to everybody who steps on the field to be sure they're doing everything they can."

The Rapids' 12 goals are the fewest in MLS, and Wednesday marked the seventh time they've been shut out. They were blanked nine times all of last year.

This appears to be a mismatch, but Kansas City midfielder Roger Espinoza insisted otherwise.

"I think they've gotten unlucky many times. You see some games where they've been winning," he said. " ... The West is really tough. They're in last place but they're close to everybody else."

Benny Feilhaber, who has five goals and three assists in his last nine matches, has scored three times in his last four versus Colorado.