🏔️ SUMMIT BRAND REVEAL

We’re back! Catch me at the Switchbacks game this Friday! Lets get into it!

Topics:

• 🗻Summit FC Brand Reveal
• 📲 Rapids Transfer Season
• 🎓 New Assistant Coach
• ⭐ US Club Soccer Wraps Up
• 📷Pic of the Week

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NWSL Denver → Denver Summit FC

The wait is over. The Denver NWSL project finally has a name and a look and it’s Denver Summit FC. Last Tuesday, shortly around the time this newsletter dropped, the team announced the name and the crest. I was under the impression it was to be revealed at the event this past Saturday, but nonetheless it was a pleasant surprise even if it left me a bit irked they announced it shortly after the newsletter dropped.

I am a big fan of the color scheme, the badge shape, and the name. The sub logos and iconography, especially the “D” design were nice touches as well. They could have gone with a simple “Denver FC” but I’m really happy they decided to go with the Summit name. There’s plenty of puns and symbolism to come with this as the name so if anything it’s a copywriter’s gold mine. The only thing I dislike is the “FC”. (I’m a sucker for a good ole “SC”.) DSFC is pretty neat though, I guess.

Their branding feels fresh with a bit of familiarity. This green is very reminiscent if not almost identical to the Rapids former green color scheme which they recently went back to for their archive kit. They are sure to recapture some of that magic of a green themed soccer team playing in the heart of the city. I think they knocked it out of the park and it’s exactly the kind of branding that will resonate with a lot of folks.

The event held over the weekend was a massive success. The city turned out in a way I’ve never seen prior. Denver as a soccer city showed up and they showed out. There was always very likely to be an initial boom period and the first few years they’ll have a lot of excitement to carry them through. However, it’s hard not to get excited and with the way the city showed out and the genuine excitement that was palpable amongst everyone. It’s great to see something fresh and exciting entering the scene and it can only mean good things for the space moving forward.

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Rapids Personnel Shakeups

I touched on Kevin Cabral’s departure last week. Beyond that, the Rapids have sent Chidozie Awaziem to Nantes for a rumored fee of $1.7 million dollars. I was a big fan of Awaziem, but he struggled to adapt. The player was looking to return to Europe to be with family and the club found a good deal for him.

For as much as I enjoyed having Awaziem, he was making north of a million dollars on a bad defensive team. The Rapids are ranked at the bottom of the league when it comes to Shooting G+ Against and Dribbling G+ Against1. Those are two stats you shouldn’t be in the bottom of given how much money they’ve spent on the backline. A recent survey concluded the Rapids staff were towards the top analytically involved teams. If that’s the case, they need to reconfigure their strategy as they’ve been routinely missing on these big contract players. Full credit to them for finding a deal here, but overall this one leans closer to a flop than a great signing.

With Awaziem’s transfer, the club freed up a lot of salary room. A confirmed signing that won’t affect much of this room is the loan agreement for Noah Cobb; confirmed by the club last Friday, July 25th. Atlanta United’s backline has never looked the same since Miles Robinson left making this a puzzling decision for Atlanta. I like Cobb as a project/third string back more so than a guy like Nate Jones or Michael Edwards; two players who haven’t raised their status at all at the club.

However, that’s not the center back that the Rapids are looking at to replace Chido. The club are very close to signing Rob Holding of Crystal Palace. I can’t say for sure whether Holding will solve the Rapids problems at CB. He has recently fell out of favor at Palace, was relegated to their U-21 team eventually being loaned to Sheffield United, and the club are really looking forward to offloading the English defender. Either way, if he’s to join, I’m hoping its for a considerable less amount of salary than Awaziem. All signs are pointing towards a free transfer which is good. I just hope this is not another poor contract that the team will be on given Holding’s injury history.

Beyond that, the Alexis Manyoma rumors have cooled down a lot. I wouldn’t be that upset if he doesn’t sign but I did take some time to study up on the player via film and game logs; just like I did with Stav Lemkin. Maybe I should stop researching these guys until they’re done deals.

DU Women’s Soccer Bolster their Coaching Staff

I mentioned the collegiate soccer season getting underway in last week’s newsletter. This week, we’re going back to school with some more college news as the Denver University Women’s Team has added assistant coach Tom Poole to their coaching staff ahead of the 2025 season. Poole boasts a rather impressive resume occupying a variety of different roles throughout the Box State.

Looking through his website you’ll find his credentials and prior work experience. Whether it was at the Rapids, at Rush, Regis University, or as an educator in health fitness, Poole boasts a wealth of experience and should be a big add to the DU staff. This will be his second role at DU having formally been the Director of Soccer Operations with the Men’s side.

US Club Soccer Wraps Up

The Rapids weren’t the only Summer footy in town at DSGP. US Club Soccer hosted its 23rd Annual National Cup Finals to DSGP; their longest running competition. 145 youth teams across U-13 to U-19 age groups representing 19 different states descended upon the youth fields surrounding the beloved ground. This is a big event for many of the hard working youth players who look forward to this day. Afterall, this event requires prior qualification via regional and state titles; the Champions League of Youth Club Soccer one might say.

However, beneath the surface of “development” lies the uncomfortable price tag and ever burning question of American youth soccer. A scan of just a few of the winning clubs shows annual player fees averaging nearly $1,900 per year, per player. This is what you have to pay before travel, tournament fees, and meals. That number jumps even higher when you factor in flights, Ubers, and hotel rooms just to compete in a competitive environment. One has to wonder where the stomping grounds for the less affluent players are and which model stands as the true level for the sport.

Pic of the Week:

Even Rapidman is excited for a new team!

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