Colorado Rapids vs Charlotte FC: 1 v 1 battles to watch

By Brian Maurer

Wilfried Zaha (Photo courtesy of Cisco's Art)

Charlotte FC is off to its best start in club history. The Colorado Rapids are coming off a bad 3-0 home loss to the Portland Timbers. The Crown should see this as an opportunity to grab points on the road against a team that has been giving up the third most attacking volume (9.6 xGA) in MLS. Here are three 1 v 1 battles that could dictate the result of Saturday afternoon's matchup.

Djordje Mihailovic vs Nathan Byrne

Djordje Mihailovic leads the Colorado Rapids in chances created with 14. He is the key man in the Rapids' attack and will look to create more opportunities for Rafael Navarro, Kevin Cabral, and Cole Bassett. Last year, Mihailovic played a central attacking midfield role; the last few games, he has been playing out wide on the left.

Nathan Byrne will need to make sure he keeps Mihailovic closed down by limiting his time and space on the ball, otherwise, he will create several chances. Last week, San Jose's Cristian Espinoza created 11 chances against Charlotte. If Byrne allows Mihailovic to have the space to create that many scoring chances on the road, the Crown could be vulnerable making this a key matchup to watch.

Reggie Cannon vs Wilfried Zaha

It's been three games since Wilfried Zaha's debut Charlotte FC goal, and it feels like he is due for one. At the very least, he needs to put in a strong performance to put the Charlotte fans' expectations at ease. Zaha was promoted by Dean Smith as a "goal grabber" and the rate of one goal every four games is below expectations. Two weeks ago, Liel Abada and Patrick Agyemang needed goals, and they found them against FC Cincinnati; this week it's Zaha who needs to find a finish.

The Ivory Coast international will be up against Reggie Cannon and a Rapids defense that has struggled through the early part of the season. The opportunities should be there for Zaha, whether he can lead Charlotte from the front on the road is going to be pivotal not only in this game but throughout the season.

Cole Bassett vs Ashley Westwood

Cole Bassett has the most passes into the final third, and progressive passes for Colorado. The young American midfielder is key for setting up Colorado's attacks and helping them set up possession in dangerous areas. Ashley Westwood will need to monitor where Bassett is and cut off his access to the ball before he can distribute it forward to attackers like Mihailovic and Navarro.

Summary

This is a matchup where both teams should feel they can get a win. The Rapids need a home win as they have yet to get one, and they just got beaten badly 3-0 by Portland in Colorado. Charlotte FC has built up a lot of early momentum, and they will be looking to take that momentum on the road to get their first road win of the season.

These two clubs also recruit and structure their rosters very differently. Colorado recruits heavily from domestic markets and uses intraleague mechanisms a lot. Their starting eleven has consisted of seven or more Americans in most of their MLS matches so far this season. Charlotte FC recruits far differently, as the majority of their starting lineup is made up of international signings.