The temperature in Commerce City, Colo. is currently 31 degrees according to weather.com. By gametime, it’s supposed to be 28 degrees and about a 10 percent chance of snow.
Major League Soccer Playoffs, Conference Finals, Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes: Get Ready For The Orange Ball
Suffice it to say, there aren’t a lot of soccer players in the world who have played in temperatures that cold, let alone snow.
Tonight could represent one of the few times a MLS game has been played in a below-freezing conditions, and could warrant the use of a special ball.
One way or another, weather is probably going to impact this game. Who will benefit from that obviously remains to be seen. Neither team has many players who are likely to have experienced soccer in conditions like these on a regular basis, and even the Rapids don’t regularly train when its this cold.
The Rapids will undoubtedly have some level of home-field advantage, but just two of their players are actually from Colorado and Conor Casey is the only Coloradan in the starting lineup.
The Earthquakes have a Colorado native of their own — Bobby Burling — but have a similar number of players who grew up in colder climates.
Starting lineups
Colorado Rapids: Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor, Anthony Wallace, Brian Mullan, Pablo Mastroeni, Jeff Larentowicz, Wells Thompson, Omar Cummings, Casey. Available subs: Joyce, Palguta, Baudet, LaBauex, Lopez, Kandji, Amarikwa.
San Jose Earthquakes: Jon Busch, Tim Ward, Jason Hernandez, Brandon McDonald, Chris Leitch, Bobby Convey, Sam Cronin, Scott Sealy, Chris Wondolowski, Geovanni, Ryan Johnson. Available subs: Edwards, Alvarez, Burling, Eduardo, Opara, Ring, Stephenson
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