July 17, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Colorado Rapids News Release
The Colorado Rapids hosted the annual Meet the Team Party on Sunday afternoon at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, where Rapids head coach Robin Fraser and General Manager Pádraig Smith addressed Season Ticket Members in the State of the Club, a Q&A hosted by Altitude TV in-game host, Richard Fleming. Here are the top five takeaways:
The Season’s Not Over Yet
Just 12 hours before Fraser and Smith addressed the fans, the Rapids were wrapping up one of their biggest wins of the 2022 season. Their victory over LA Galaxy on Saturday night at home proved, yet again, that the Colorado side is not to be counted out.
Despite the ups and downs of the season thus far, the Rapids are still in a position to make a playoff push come fall. A combination of new acquisitions, the remainder of the summer transfer window, and the motivation of the team makes the Rapids positive that the season is far from over.
Drive to Youth Initiative
Fresh in the minds of Rapids fans is the arrival of midfielder Ralph Priso, who arrives to the club from Toronto FC. The 19-year-old is the latest young player to be signed to Colorado this year, following Homegrown Jackson Travis and SuperDraft pick Anthony Markanich.
Smith and Fraser emphasized the importance of helping young players grow within the Rapids culture, making them better players, and giving them the opportunity to play overseas when the time is right. Homegrowns Sam Vines, Cole Bassett and defender Auston Trusty are all examples of recent departures for Europe.
“We now have proof of concept,” said Smith. “The best young players in the league can see our culture and business plan and know they have the opportunity to go on wherever their path leads them.”
A Global Audience
Next year, the Colorado soccer community will experience firsthand two major developments that will have the eyes of the world on the Rapids.
The 2023 Leagues Cup arrives to North America with a reimagined vision: to make history as the first major soccer tournament to feature every club from MLS and Liga MX. Sanctioned by Concacaf, Leagues Cup will pause the regular season competition for both leagues for one month in the summer to conduct a World Cup-style tournament.
Leagues Cup opens the doors for a global audience, providing a potential spotlight for the Rapids.
Like Leagues Cup, the recently-announced broadcast deal between tech giant Apple and MLS will allow for a worldwide audience. The…
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