Long after the players and coaches left the training session on Wednesday, Colorado Rapids midfielder Jeff Larentowicz continued to fire free kicks with only the standup artificial wall guys to beat. When he smacked one in the head, it leaned back askew, like a loose yellow tooth. With a final snap that would put Charlie Brown in a wheelchair and Lucy laughing in court, Larentowics hit quite a few with topspin over the wall and under the crossbar. Secure in the grass, none pulled a Guzman and jumped out of the way.

Paired with captain Pablo Mastroeni in the middle of the middle, Larentowics said, “I think that the players we have in the midfield are confident in the way that we play. Regardless of being at home or on the road, we try to dictate the play. We try to focus on what we do well and impose that on them.”

Looking at D.C. United, Larentowicz doesn’t see a 1-6-0 team sharing the cellar with an expansion team.

“The results aren’t the results you expect of a D.C. team,” Larentowics said. “At the same time, that’s dangerous. They have a great following, and they’ve had a lot of expectations from the fans. It’s not going to be a game against a team with a record like that [1-6-0]. It’s going to be a completely different game.”

Angling for a sister-kissing point on the road may be shrewd, but that’s not how Larentowics approaches the game. “We’re there to win,” he said succinctly. “The big thing is scoring that goal and getting ourselves on a roll.”

Kickoff on May 15: RFK Stadium at 5:30 p.m. MT (live on KWGN-Channel 2).

Kickoff on May 26: Red Bull Arena at 6:00 pm MT (a final play-in match against New York Red Bulls for qualification for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match).