Commerce City, CO – The Philadelphia Union will be seeking their first win of 2013 when the club battles the Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
The Union got off to a flying start in their season-opener against Sporting Kansas City after Sebastien Le Toux scored in the 17th minute to give the Union the lead.
But it was a tale of two halves as Sporting equalized late in the first half and then scored a pair of goals in the second 45 minutes to claim a 3-1 victory at PPL Park.
After the loss, Philadelphia head coach John Hackworth was less than pleased with the outcome.
"I can't think of any way to feel good about anything that just happened," Hackworth said. "I am glad Sebastien is here I am glad he scored a goal in his first game back, but this is a team sport and from our perspective it's unacceptable to play at PPL Park and lose the way we did."
Philadelphia forward Conor Casey will have the opportunity to play against his former club for the first time. Casey spent six seasons in Colorado, where he led the Rapids to the 2010 MLS Cup title.
Casey had his contract declined by Colorado after last season and was selected by the Union in the second stage of the MLS re-entry draft.
The Union will also be looking for their first win against Colorado in franchise history.
Since joining MLS in 2010, Philadelphia is 0-3-2 in five meetings with Colorado. Last time the clubs met on March 18, 2012, Jaime Castrillon and Tony Cascio scored second-half goals to give the Rapids a 2-1 victory.
The Rapids will also be on the hunt for their first win of the season after suffering a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas last week.
Colorado had the better of the play for much of the match, but goalkeeper Steward Ceus's error allowed Jackson to tap home the only goal of the contest.
"I thought we were the best team on the field from the first minute to 90 full minutes. But we made a mistake and we paid for it," Rapids head coach Oscar Pareja said.
Rapids forward Danny Mwanga, who arrived in a trade from Portland last week, could start against Philadelphia -- the club that drafted him first overall in 2010.
"It's going to be huge," Mwanga said of facing Philadelphia. "I was part of that team and I know some of the guys on that team, so it can be an advantage. But at the same time they can try to make it hard for me. I'm ready for it. Once they come here I'll be looking forward to stepping in and hopefully I'll be on the side winning the game."
Forward Edson Buddle will miss his second straight game for Colorado with knee troubles, while Martin Rivero and Castrillon will also miss the contest.
Weather could also be a factor on Saturday as significant snowfall is expected in Commerce City.
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