Three matchups to watch when the Sounders host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday

The Seattle Sounders are hosting the Colorado Rapids on Saturday (7:08 p.m. PT; FOX 13+, Prime Video, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS) in their final meeting of the regular season. Here are three matchups to watch:

Nicolás Lodeiro vs. Bryan Acosta

With the status of starting forward Raúl Ruidíaz (hamstring) still up in the air and entering the weekend in the midst of a three-match scoreless streak, the Sounders will need their captain to find gaps in attack. The Uruguayan playmaker has three goals and five assists in 13 starts in MLS play so far this season, and he’ll be up against first-year Rapids central midfielder Acosta. The Honduran international will have even more defensive responsibilities after Colorado traded away Mark-Anthony Kaye to Toronto FC a couple weeks ago.

Alex Roldan vs. Jonathan Lewis

The younger Roldan should be well-rested after coming off the bench in the second half against the Chicago Fire last weekend and will need to have a strong showing on both sides of the ball. His main task defensively will be slowing down Lewis, who enters off a two-assist performance last week and scored the lone goal in Colorado’s 1-0 win over Seattle earlier this year.

Xavier Arreaga vs. Diego Rubio

Now that he’s back from injury, Arreaga will need to try and keep Rubio off the score sheet. The 29-year-old Chilean leads the Rapids with nine goals on the year, including four in his last seven matches. The addition of Gyasi Zardes makes Colorado’s attack more dangerous, but Rubio is the one with the hot hand and his performance will almost surely dictate whether the Rapids return to Colorado with a point or more.