Colorado Rapids v Charlotte FC: Armas says home advantage must count for more

The Rapids, who finished seventh in the Western Conference last season, occupy that same position after five games of 2025, with eight points to their name.

However, including last season's playoffs, they have lost four of their last five home MLS matches, including a resounding 3-0 defeat to the Portland Timbers last week.

They had only lost four of their previous 25 such games before this run began (W13 D8), and Armas knows they need to start making more of home advantage.

"We're excited to get back out there in front of our fans. We want to turn some of these performances at home into points," he said.

"We're excited for that challenge and we know we have a really good team coming in, Charlotte are one of the hottest teams in MLS.

"They've had a really good start to the year, they have weapons all over the pitch, they have real power in their frontline, so it's a great challenge but we love that and we're excited."

Reflecting on last week's defeat to the Timbers, Armas said: "We know that we learn a lot from victories but we always learn even more from the losses.

"We understand that we're going to lose games in MLS. There are different ways you can lose and, on that day, it was a game of moments.

"We created a bunch of really good opportunities. I wouldn't say they were big chances but if we were sharper, we'd have scored. We have to keep doing some of those things and getting into those positions."

Charlotte, meanwhile, are flying high under former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith, who penned a new long-term contract with the club last week.

They are second in the East, behind only the Philadelphia Union, after moving into 10 points from five games with a last week's 4-1 rout of the San Jose Earthquakes.

Only five players have outscored Navarro in MLS this campaign, with the Brazilian netting three times from just nine shots in 2025.

He has outperformed his underlying attacking statistics, with his efforts on goal only accumulating to 1.83 expected goals (xG).

Biel and Brandt Bronico both scored from outside the box in Charlotte's win over San Jose, the first time the Crown have scored multiple goals from outside the box in a regular-season match.

After that strike, Biel has six goal involvements this season (two goals, four assists), the joint-most of any player in MLS.

Charlotte have only lost one of their last seven away matches against Western Conference opposition in all competitions (W2 D4), including opening this season with a 2-2 draw against the Seattle Sounders.

However, the Rapids have lost only two of their last 14 home matches against Eastern Conference opposition (W6 D6) dating back to August 2019.

That run includes going unbeaten through their last five such games (W3 D2), and a closely contested affair is expected here.

This will be the third all-time meeting between Colorado and Charlotte, with the first two ending in draws, including a goalless stalemate on the Crown's only previous visit to Dick's Sporting Goods Park in April 2022.

Colorado Rapids – 36.2%

Charlotte FC – 37.7%