Minnesota United vs. Colorado Rapids

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Allianz Field
Stream: Apple TV Season Pass
Radio: KSTP-AM 1500
Weather: 77 degrees, 5 mph south wind
Betting line: MNUFC minus-110; draw plus-280; Colorado plus-240

Form: Minnesota (12-12-6, 42 points) won its first regular-season game in Kansas City since joining MLS in 2017 with a 2-0 result last Saturday. Loons have three wins in their last four. Colorado (15-10-5, 50 points) has won four of five with a 2-0 victory over Toronto on Saturday.

History: Loons and Rapids played to a 3-3 draw on May 25, with Colorado scoring two second-half goals to pull out the tie. Kevin Cabral and Sang Bin Jeong each scored twice.

Quote: “That’s the big elephant in the room: we’ve got to win a home game between now and the end of the year, if we really want to make a mark,” head coach Eric Ramsay said about a lower rung 5-6-4 record in St. Paul this season.

Look-around: Ninth-seed Minnesota is two points behind eight seed Portland, which plays seven seed Vancouver. If those two clubs draw and Loons win, MNUFC and Timbers are level on points with three games to go.

Absences: Teemu Pukki (adductor), DJ Taylor (hamstring) Zarek Valentin (lower leg) are out. Jefferson Diaz (adductor) is available to play. Pukki will be on the shelf through the international break, meaning he will miss two games next week as well. Taylor is expected to be available next week.

Projected XI: In a 5-3-2 formation, FW Kelvin Yeboah, FW Tani Oluwaseyi; MF Joaquin Pereyra, MF Wil Trapp, MF Hassani Dotson; LWB Joseph Rosales, CB Micky Tapias, CB Michael Boxall, CB Jefferson Díaz, RWB Bongi Hlongwane; GK Dayne St. Clair.

Stast: Kelvin Yeboah is averaging 0.41 goals minus penalty kicks per 90 minutes this season and 1.08 total goals per 90 minutes this year. He has three from the PK spot and two from open play for a total of five in five games.

Scouting report: Cabral and Cole Bassett — 14 combined goals — are out injured, but Rafael Navarro and Djordje Mihalovic — 25 total goals — are available to play. Navarro also scored in the six-goal May draw with MNUFC. He’s the main danger man.

Prediction: Minnesota has been on the upswing since MLS play resumed in late August, but Loons have not been able to consistently beat teams ahead of them in the table. That changes with a statement win Saturday. Loons win 2-1.