Another week flies by and we inch closer and closer to Spring Soccer in Colorado! With plenty of time left until the seasons kick off, we figured this newsletter should serve as a wrap up of all the offseason happenings with some local shouts sprinkled in as well.
How are Box State Footy teams faring ahead of the start of their seasons?
ICYMI: Last Week's Newsletter:
Juan Fernandez
Topics:
🌊 Rapids Check-In
⛰️ Denver Summit Check-In
🦁 Switchbacks Check-In
⚽ Local Tryouts
📸 New Box State Footy Photographers!
Colorado Rapids Offseason Recap
The Burgundy Boys started their pre-season a bit sooner than the rest of the pro teams. There's just one newsletter after this one and then the MLS season begins; quite the turnaround! The business seems largely done but the team is sitting on some GAM following the Cole Basset trade and some rumors from abroad have started to circulate. For as much as a signing now could change minds about the team, that signing will still need some time to get their visas in order, relocate to the states, and integrate with the team and by that point the Rapids could be at game five of the season and in the worst of cases (coughLamineDiackcough) could be deemed surplus to requirement.
And looking at the Rapids preseason matches, it's evident that a signing does need to come in fast and change minds about this team:
Now, I'm not one to bash on or even think too much about preseason games. I go back to the saying: "Preseason doesn't matter...until it does." This team could be undefeated in preseason and they'd still have the "oh but it's only preseason" caveat; it's a lose-lose.
Buuuuuut, given how much roster turnover there has been, I find myself sympathizing with the more hesitant fans about this season. According to my rough math, the Pids are getting rid of 46.43% of their minutes from last season.
Jason Maxwell has emphasized this point a lot when discussing the roster over at his blog: View from the Couch. The team has overturned a lot of minutes and are relying a lot on a mix of unproven players with an unproven manager to revitalize the team. If they figure it out and succeed in a remarkably savvy rebuild: more power to them! But, remember, the standard has been set at "competing for MLS Cup; year in, year out". This is not the kind of standard you'd expect to see from a team looking to compete for an MLS Cup.
There's still so much to learn about the way the team will play and until then, it's all speculation. But I don't fault anyone for eyeing the panic button if it hasn't already been hit for many already.
Summit FC Rounding Out It's Roster
Outside of the more notable signings, there hasn't been much discussion about the Summit's actual team developments and much less a proper transfer roundup. As of the writing of this Newsletter, Summit FC have 22 rostered players...
It has been reported that Pauline Peyraud-Magnin has signed meaning the squad is now up to 23 total players. They are below
Given this is a brand new team, there is no telling just how they'll line up. There's some ambiguity with Janine Sonis and whether they'll play more as a midfielder or as a defender as listed on the Summit's roster page. Amidst the team's 11v11 training at Infinity Park, a Bsky thread of the team's structure (with plenty of tactical notes) was posted!
Made a lot of notes on which players were playing where for Denver Summit in their 11 v 11 at training today, will share who I was able to identify 😅
— (@hals517.bsky.social) 2026-02-05T19:49:59.860Z
Shout out to Hallie Guardo of Summit Up! It's not often you can get a sneak peek of a team ahead of a highly anticipated inaugural season, this thread and notes made the rounds across various Summit fan spaces.
32 days still separate fans from the opening match of the NWSL season and Nick Cushing's first XI of the season... and, well, ever in franchise history. At least in an official capacity as there's still some preseason games to play!
We should start to see a more robust view of the squad as the preseason continues. Combined with the notes from above, an idea for how the team may play and what a possible starting XI lineup could look like should start to take form. Before you know it, the XI will take the field at Empower and it's on with the season!
Switchbacks Revamped Roster
It's still touch and go discussing the Switchbacks. On the one hand, they've made some great signings, are crushing it in preseason, have a jersey reveal party this week and overall seem like a team that's ready for a bounce back after last year's rather weak title defense.
And then I see that the USLPA and league remain at a stand still. Executive Director Connor Tobin explained in our recent conversation that the PA is at the table ready to negotiate; it seems the league remains stagnant.
A player’s reality in the 2025 USL Championship: poor travel, bad facilities, low pay, insufficient food, and unsafe housing.
— USLPA (@USLPlayers) February 9, 2026
This isn’t an exception. It’s the system.
Baseline standards aren’t optional.#StandUpForStandards pic.twitter.com/pF4ChXAKpq
I'll keep harping on this until a clear resolution is found. Box State Footy fully supports the efforts of the USLPA in ensuring professional standards and protecting players' working rights.
While the impasse continues, the Switchbacks are worthy of a sporting mention. The signings of Adrien Perez and Talen Maples stand as two of the big marquee names that should bolster the team. Losing Marco Micaletto was quite a big talent loss, but between Khori Bennett and Sadam Masereka, both players will look to make a strong impression with the latter having some decent college tape available.
There's also bringing back Yosuke Hanya who has settled into the Switchbacks system as a prominent attacking piece. This year, now signed as a Switchbacks player, he'll need to elevate his game and become a key focal piece for the club.
Lots to love about the Switchbacks, but also lots to worry about in regards to the working dispute.
Tryouts in the Box State
Are you looking to prove yourself beyond just recreational leagues and pickup scenes? Do you think you could help bolster one of these local teams in their push for wider prevalence and raise a teams' profile in the lower leagues of wider American domestic soccer? Check out these teams that are hosting tryouts across the month as they prepare for the upcoming seasons!
Timbers SC Men's Tryouts - Thursday 2/19 & Sunday 2/22
Timbers SC Women's Tryouts - Saturday 2/21 & Sunday 2/22
Harpos New Recruit Form (Link in their Bio)
Harpos FC W - Sunday 2/22 & Sunday 3/1
FC Denver Spring Tryouts - Saturday 2/28
Windsor Athletic - Register via the link in their bio
Colorado Storm | 2008 Born & Older - Sunday 2/22
Box State Footy Welcomes Two New Photographers to the Team
Finally, we'd like to welcome Payton Berman and Lakpa Sherpa to the Box State Footy crew! They'll be helping with their photography and adding more standout images to the site! Follow their Instagram accounts down below and show them some love. 🫶
Thank you for reading! Be sure to share with all your soccer savvy friends!
