Rapids Vs. Crew Preview: Colorado Kicks Off The New MLS Season

The Colorado Rapids begin the 2012 MLS season today against a familiar foe: the Columbus Crew. The Rapids and Crew have a bit of a history, with the teams meeting in the playoffs each of the last two seasons.

The MLS tweaked scheduling a bit this year, so this will be the only matchup of the season between the Crew and Rapids. Both teams will feature new faces. Columbus lost Robbie Rogers when he left for Leeds United in the offseason. Andres Mendoza, the team's leading scorer from last season, is also gone.

Here's what Burgundy Wave, SB Nation's Rapids blog, had to say about Colorado:

Omar Cummings will start to try and rebound from his dreadful 2011 season against a team we know he can score against; both previous games against Columbus have featured a Cummings goal including the only goal of that 1-0 win in the playoffs. This will be our first real intimate look at the new 4-3-3 formation for Colorado, so it's a game of great interest. We'll obviously all have a close eye on Martin Rivero if he ends up being able to play, though even if he's cleared it seems like he's going to start on the bench.

Game date/time: 4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 10, 2012

Location: Dick's Sporting Goods Park

TV: Altitude

For coverage of the Colorado Rapids all season long, keep it locked to SB Nation Denver. For in-depth analysis of the Colorado Rapids, turn to Burgundy Wave.