In just the franchise’s second season, it’s yet another milestone moment for the Northern Colorado Hailstorm.
The Hailstorm and Colorado Rapids will face off in the third round of the US Open Cup, the national knockout tournament and oldest ongoing soccer competition in the country.
It’s the first-ever meeting between the two Colorado teams and potential future rivals, with the winner advancing to the Round of 32.
Here’s a look at their matchup in the 108th edition of the US Open Cup:
Rapids vs. Hailstorm game information
When: 7 pm Wednesday, April 27
Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City)
How to watch: The game will be streamed live on the Colorado Rapids’ YouTube channel: youtube.com/@ColoradoRapids.
How to listen: The radio broadcast will also air live on Altitude Sports Radio 950 AM in Denver. Other statewide Altitude affiliates can be found at altitudesportsradio.com/static-pages/affiliates/.
Tickets: General admission tickets are $10 and on sale at coloradorapids.com/tickets/single-game.
Coloradoan coverage: We’ll have a behind-the-scenes look at this in-state showdown during and following the match at coloradoan.com/sports.
US Open Cup history for Hailstorm, Rapids
The Hailstorm (a USL League One team) have been strong in this competition, going 3-1 in four matches.
Northern Colorado beat Major League Soccer squad Real Salt Lake in last year’s third round and took down in-state USL League One rivals Colorado Springs Switchbacks in the second round this year (3-1) and last year (1-0).
As an MLS squad, the Rapids received a bye into this round. They reached the Round of 32 in seven straight US Open Cups but haven’t advanced past the Round of 16 since 2017. Colorado hasn’t made the quarterfinals since 2006.
This is just the Rapids’ third official meeting against an in-state team, with a pair of wins over the Switchbacks during this tournament in 2015 and 2016.
How they’ve fared in MLS, USL League One play this season
Rapids: Colorado is 10th in the 15-team MLS Western Conference through eight matches, with eight points via a 1-3-5 record.
Colorado has fielded a stingy defense but struggled to get the offense going, scoring just six goals in over 800 minutes of game action. The Rapids are 0-1-3 in home matches.
Hailstorm: Northern Colorado is fifth out of 12 teams in the USL League One table, totaling five points with a 1-0-2 record.
The Hailstorm have yet to allow a goal in those three matches, all of them on the road.
Players to watch for the Hailstorm, Rapids
Both teams have been strongest defensively, meaning goals could be hard to come by.
Here are some players to watch for each squad:
HAILSTORM
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Irwin Parra: The forward combined for 24 goals in the 2021-22 season, tied for third-most in USL League One during that span. Expect him to be at the center of NoCo’s offensive push.
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Nortei Norty: The English-Ghanian center-midfielder is one of the best at his position, controlling the action for NoCo after seven years of English National League experience and 26 starts for NoCo last year.
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Marky Hernandez: Don’t be fooled by the 5-foot-4 frame. Hernandez flies around the pitch from his left winger spot and has already scored one of NoCo’s three goals this season.
RAPIDS
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Michael Barrios: Another 5-foot-4 forward who gains a bigger edge with his speed. Barrios has sparked Colorado off the bench this season with two goals and two assists, both tops on the team.
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Cole Bassett: The homegrown, 21-year-old favorite helped spur Colorado’s 2021 first-place Western Conference finish and quarterfinal playoff push. The attacking midfielder has one goal and a team-high 10 tackles this season.
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Connor Ronan: The first-year Rapids player and Irish footballer has already made a big impact, facilitating Colorado’s offense and defense from the midfield.
Hailstorm coming home soon
The Hailstorm played its first season last year as nomads while awaiting further construction on their home site, Future Legends Sports Complex in Windsor.
That led to home games at Severance High School, Colorado State’s Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins and University of Northern Colorado’s Jackson Stadium in Greeley.
The Hailstorm should settle down this season. Their home opener is slated for May 27 against Central Valley Fuego.
While the Hailstorm will eventually play in the 6,500-capacity TicketSmarter Stadium, it’s likely they’ll play this season in the 2,500-capacity auxiliary site Future Legends Field.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: US Open Cup soccer: How to watch, what to know for Rapids-Hailstorm