The Colorado Rapids take the field against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on February 22nd, exactly 365 days after last season's opener. There's a lot that has happened within that year: An unsuccessful CONCACAF Champions Cup campaign, the Djordje Mihailovic cashfer, the club waived Kevin Cabral (still unsure if he has waved back or not), Colorado missed the playoffs and head coach Chris Armas was let go. To say the club's dynamic has changed between now and then would be quite the understatement.
The above list is non-exhaustive and scantly scratches the surface. Off the pitch, Haley Durmer was appointed Chief Business Officer, Kevin Demoff introduced himself to Rapids fans, and the home kit this season is not burgundy. On the pitch, Cole Bassett was traded to the Portland Timbers, Oliver Larraz was let go, and new head coach Matt Wells has begun to shape the culture of the locker room emphasizing a strong and hardnosed culture of intense footy. Change is upon us.
Year in, Year Out
Going back to August 2017, "The Rapids way" op-ed set the initial expectations for the Rapids to be a "perennial playoff team". For a team with an absentee owner in Stan Kroenke, there was something commendable about this approach. It was honest, reflected the ambitions of the front office, and was always meant to be a first phase into then establishing a platform for the Rapids to compete for MLS Cup consistently. So long as you're in anything can happen right?
In the nine years since, the club has struggled to string together three consecutive seasons of playoff soccer that would validate that "perennial playoff" status. Now, the focus has shifted to "competing for an MLS Cup" and with how few Championship windows the team has had, it is a lofty goal.
Given there's been more years without playoff berths than playoff wins themselves, is this looking like a Cup or bust year for President Pádraig Smith ahead of his expiring contract at the end of the year?
What does the 2026 Version of the Rapids Look Like?
Perhaps the most intriguing question for this season lies in the unknown of Matt Wells' tactics. For as much as fans and pundits alike obsess over the manager's formations, tactics, and their control of the game states, the most important thing to note, when it comes to understanding how this team will play, is evaluating the game model that dictates the rest of the decisions.
The club wouldn't have hired a manager that wouldn't be able to execute on a top-down plan. So what is that top-down plan? When thinking about the Colorado Rapids, what exactly is the game model and how has it varied? What is the identity of the Colorado Rapids?
The identity of this club...is this aggressive, front-foot, attacking and entertaining soccer. That's what we're looking to play... (Wells') game model is absolutely top drawer... We're a club that values young players, homegrown players, likes to develop talent, bring them through and help those players reach their full potential. -Pádraig Smith
Unfortunately, for Smith, it wasn't the goalscoring or the lack of attacking soccer that has plagued the team for much of his tenure. In fact, attacking soccer failed many a team last season. San Jose scored 60 goals, fourth best in the West, and still missed the playoffs. Colorado scored more goals than Portland, Salt Lake, and Austin all of whom made the playoffs while the Rapids sat at home.
When Smith outlined in the 2017 Op-Ed that he was going to bring an attacking identity to the team: he has done just that. Yes, 2023 was comically bad and 2022 before then was quite mediocre, but other than that the team has largely suffered across the backline as a result of the attacking approach.
These possession stats from John Muller's Futi app show just how middling the Rapids tend to be with the ball. The 2025 Rapids spent a lot of time idling whilst progressing the ball and their lack of fast breaks was just as concerning. While the Pids did score, the eye test didn't always match up with their "attacking" style of soccer that the club desperately want to deliver on.
After a surging 2024, teams eventually caught on to Chris Armas' tactics and without the emergency services of center back Moise Bombito to help platform more of the press, it quickly led to exposed central areas across all of 2025. Teams would allow the Rapids plenty of space because, despite having the attacking numbers and goals, this team still struggled to affect the match in leveled game states which lead to plenty of conceded leads.
The above chart was made with some season still left to play, but the Rapids had a better xGD whilst trailing than when ahead. This in turn would result in them having more of the ball and Futi's "buildup" possesion phase confirms that.
Why did I take a long way to get to what we already know about this team? Well, because simply scoring goals and "attacking soccer" are not enough in this league anymore. Controlling game states, making the most of your leads (which the Rapids did not do in 2025), and having a clear structure out of the back is what matters most. Which leads us to the first hypothesis.
Going back to ten years ago, the Rapids haven't qualified for the playoffs when conceding more goals than they've scored. This seems like quite the cop-out of a prediction, but Dallas in '25, Montreal and Atlanta in '24, Red Bulls, Charlotte, RSL, SKC, and San Jose in 23 are some exceptions. It happens, just not for this team. And despite doubling down on the attacking style of play again, I'm ready to see what this team and front office think about the defensive principles of their game model.
A Culture of No Limits
Wells followed up Smith's tangent above with some words about his philosophy and outline of the culture.
I want a culture here of no limits. I want the guys to not put a limit on anything. It's impossible to say 'what is possible?' for us this season. It's about changing that mentality. For me, giving the guys something exciting in terms of a brand of football, an identity on the pitch, that they can buy in to that is bigger than themselves. So far, I've made some good strides with that but we have to keep improving and keep building. - Matt Wells
It's no surprise that Wells has had a very commanding presence in his first few weeks as the new head coach. In preseason, the English manager emphasized how much work had to be done. Just when players think the work is done, Wells lines them up and begins to go again. In a way, this is a mentality that had been lost throughout the years following the 2021 Best of the West season.
Reader, thinking back to any of your Rapids gripes over the last few years, which ones stand out? Goals conceded five minutes before the half? Last year's trend of conceding three unanswered? Still experiencing withdrawals from the madness of '23? I think a lot of this comes from a slow degradation of the culture first instilled by former head coach Robin Fraser in mid -2019 which later became solidified in 2021. Since then, and with the stripping of its parts, the defensive identity of the team has been severely lacking. When Eric Ramsay oversaw the operations at Minnesota United, his entire ethos of playing against the ball came with some highs but it wasn't flashy or attacking (Otherwise Colorado wouldn't have finished ahead of them in those possession stats above). They simply knew what they were.
Over the years, there's been enough players on the roster who have failed to uphold a standard and culture within the squad. This year, from the outside, it does seem like everyone is bought in. Admittedly, it is much easier to buy-in when the squad make up is mostly young players looking to break into first team opportunities-Colorado's 23.75 average age is 9th youngest in the league. Still, I wonder about this team out of the gates.
How will the team respond if the results don't come their way? Is there enough of a talent floor to sustain a playoff level standard for a whole season? What if players get pushed to a breaking point?
I think Wells steady the ship enough for a strong U.S. Open Cup run, even though that's not outwardly the primary objective of the club. Still, I think there's a lot of merit to the "nose on the grind stone" mentality here that is useful for a USOC run.
I think for all the questions you may have about the Wells hire, the one thing that stands true is it's among the most intriguing hires in recent years. Wells does get the benefit of a long leash, but it'll be equally interesting to see who becomes his lunch pail guys.
Inflated Defense Budget
Did you know the Colorado Rapids spent more on their backline's salary than every team in the West?
How is it that a team like San Diego FC spent less than half of that on their backline and managed a fairytale-like start to life in MLS? Look closer, you'll see the Western Conference teams in the bottom five of defensive spending all made the playoffs and conceded less goals than the Rapids.
The 2025 defense was a contingent of players that were paid too much to let Zack Steffen out to dry week after week. With Andreas Maxso no longer on the team, the team did feel some cap relief this winter but by no means was he the only culprit. Rob Holding, reportedly making 1.2 million, has to show up and prove that he's not the next overpaid center half on the roster. Holding has until the end of the year to justify his contract status as he was only signed for a year and a half. A smart move albeit a rather expensive rental. Besides him, Lucas Herrington and Noah Cobb are sure to cut the defensive spending down by a considerable amount. I'm hoping that either one, if not both, mature into starter level center backs. They should both be pushing veteran Rob Holding to compete for his position and force the starting spot into a toss up.
I have been very tentative with my criticisms of Rob Holding especially coming out of last year. He hadn't played consistently, was coming off an injury, and joined right in the middle of the season. The slate is wiped clean for him heading in to 2026. His contract is the biggest detractor against him and with rumors of a new center back to join in the Summer, I can't see how the club would offer him a contract if it meant he wasn't a commanding and undeniable piece in that backline. Given Wells youth background, I'm inclined to believe they go with the younger center back options and reinvest Holding's salary towards another position.
Rostered Center Backs:
- Rob Holding
- Noah Cobb
- Lucas Herrington
- Ian Murphy
Oh, Give it a Rest Already...
Staying with the defense, we turn to the fullbacks who also contributed to the large salary spend.
The ugliest thing about the fullbacks here lies in the advanced stats. Reggie Cannon, Jackson Travis, Keegan Rosenberry, and Rafael Santos all accumulated negative Goals Added ratings in 2025.
Cannon's -1.79 G+ above average was the worst amongst Rapids full backs in the last nine years. You'll have to go back to 2017 to see a worse tally with Mike Da Donte's -1.85 G+ above average.
Vines' G+ above average of 0.48 was good but it was not because of anything he did on the ball (Passing -0.29; Shooting -0.02; Dribbling 0.10) mostly doing a lot of defensive work (0.37 interrupting G+) to mitigate the rest of the negatives.
When looking at Net G+, there's not a single fullback on the roster who cracked a positive score. Revisit some of the goals conceded in 2025, combined with the knowledge of team's structure above, and you'll notice a similar trend.
The goals the Rapids conceded in 2025 were mostly due to poor rest defense. They allowed far too much down their flanks, left their center backs exposed, and had very little control over their channels. Despite Cannon's bad advanced stats, I know he's a much a better player than what the stats suggest. There were plenty of goals he was at fault for but also plenty of goals where the ball bounced unluckily out of his favor. I also think too much of him was being asked going forward and thus his play as a sharper defensive plug suffered.
In short, I'm blaming last years defensive deficiencies on the coaching and am hoping that Wells can utilize his fullbacks in a much simpler capacity than Armas did. Or at the very least instill a better rest defense across the board.
Rostered Full Backs:
- Sam Vines
- Reggie Cannon
- Miguel Navarro
- Jackson Travis
- Keegan Rosenberry
Keeper, She's Yours
Zack Steffen had a historically low PSxG+/- in 2024 but bounced back resurgently in 2025 and solidified himself as the true #1 in between the sticks. Steffen showed a lot of quality in the 2024 Leagues Cup but since then the club haven't had much of a strong showing in tournament play.
One tournament Steffen is sure to be keeping his eye on is the 2026 World Cup. Far be it from me to project a USMNT roster squad, but it's no secret that US head coach Mauricio Pochettino prefers his goalkeepers playing consistently and has even called up Steffen to some camps.
With Steffen's World Cup ambitions in mind, the club took some precautions in ensuring their keeper core remains in tact, in the event of any possible suitors, with Nico Hansen's contract extension.
MLSsoccer staff
Hansen has shown starter level ability, when the defense in front of him isn't completely collapsing, and could start comfortably in any of Steffen's absences.
I still am not a fan of Steffen's lofty contract. The Rapids are one of nine teams who have spent more than a million on their goalkeeping core. I'd much rather that salary be spent on experienced midfielders and forwards but, for now, Steffen's premium price is one the team is willing to take a hit on given he's also been a leader amidst the locker room. I'm mostly hoping there's not a regression to his 2024 season even with a revamped backline.
Rostered Goalkeepers
- Zack Steffen
- Nico Hansen
- Adam Beaudry (On loan)
The Good Stuff is in the Middle
Much like my favorite kind of donut, the most interesting aspect of this team is in the middle. New signing Hamzat Ojediran has had glowing reviews from both the head coach and the players on the roster.
One of Jason Maxwell's latest blog posts points out just how much the club have gone to the well in terms of getting a first team left back. I am here to echo this sentiment just in another part of the field: holding midfielder.
Before Ojediran, there was Joshua Atencio who, while not outright a 'destroyer', still has very strong defensive capabilities and was meant to solve the initial defensive woes from 2024. The 2025 Pids still conceded goals, but Atencio's advanced numbers and defensive work remained excellent. His 0.82 Interrupting G+ above average was the squad's best.
And yet, the club still felt they needed another holding midfielder. Going back to 2022, incoming players at the position include Bryan Acosta, Felipe Gutierrez, Mark Anthony-Kaye, Sidnei Tavares, Danny Leyva, and Lamine Diack; all came and went. Oliver Larraz, a homegrown product that quickly made Diack surplus to requirements, was let go. The only mainstay in midfield since then is Connor Ronan.
I don't fault the team for acquiring Ojediran, in fact, I'm quite excited to see him in Burgun-erm 'black and colors'- but I also wonder what the plan in midfield is. With Atencio and Ojediran as double pivots, the team will have a solidified midfield at the expense of positive progression with Paxten Aaronson playing out of position as an attacking midfielder. With one of the two as a lone six behind dual eights, you bench a defensive player but get Aaaronson in his best position alongside Ronan as a fantastic complimentary piece.
How this midfield shapes up will be very telling of the kind of season the Rapids have. The one game in 2025 where the Rapids played with a lone six (@SKC) was a game that Atencio had missed. The Rapids showed some dynamism within that setup, but Larraz defensively did not hold his own in the base of the midfield. In letting go of Larraz, you lose a complimentary two-way player but in exchange you get an even more aggressive and hardnosed Ojediran. Again, I can't fault the tactical profile switch.
The problem areas for both Atencio and Ojediran are in their attacking transitions Ojediran's impressive defensive highlights cut right before he has to make a decision after winning the ball. Atencio's bottom five G+ subcategories include carries away from goal, carries towards goal, regressive passes, receptions in danger zone and long balls.
Ideally, this is where one of Aaronson or Ronan can help to connect to the attack. I would prefer to see both, but then you have to drop one of Atencio or Ojediran. Aaronson has gone on record of preferring to play as an 8. If we see him as an attacking midfielder ahead of the two defensive pivots, I think we'll see a lack of dynamism from the team here and thus a stalling in the overall attacking structure. This season, we'll be sure to see more of a style "toggle" depending on who's on the pitch. I wonder if Wells, Smith, and Demoff came to this same conclusion and felt best to cash in on Bassett.
Rostered Midfielders:
- Paxten Aaronson
- Josh Atencio
- Hamzat Ojediran
- Connor Ronan
- Wayne Frederick
- Ali Fadal
New Flavor of Winger
Of the eight wingers on the 2025 roster (not including Sydney Wathuta but he's technically the ninth winger on the roster), four of them are returning with those being Ted Ku-DiPietro, Alex Harris, Kimani Stewart-Baynes and Alexis Manyoma. These four together made up 32% of the minutes accumulated by all Rapids wingers last season. Take out KDP's minutes and that number drops dramatically down to 2.87%.
To some degree, Alexis Manyoma can be categorized as a "new" signing but I would have hoped to have seen more from him than the 60 minutes he played in 2025 to feel good about him heading in to this season; even with a preseason under his belt. He showed some flashes, (I use this term very lightly) but when you're a team looking to make the most out of a championship window, flashes are just not good enough to have some sustained belief in their attacking prowess. Harris, Wathuta, Stewart-Baynes are still developing and far from finished products.
Incoming wingers Bryce Jamison, another unfinished product, and Dante Sealy, unproven, are looking to add more competition to the ranks. It's a brand new winger core for a team who have lacked a strong wide presence since the 2021 days of Michael Barrios.
Of all the wingers, the only one nailed in as a starter is Sealy. His ability on the ball and 1v1 capabilities stand clear ahead of any of the wingers rostered on the team.
Aside from that, early signs indicate that Darren Yapi will be filling in at wing; this is concerning for two reasons. The roster is thin as it is at the striker position and the signings of KDP and Manyoma, the two likely to have been the starters at the wing, are trending towards "lackluster signing" territory. For as much as the front office emphasize an attacking football identity, they've consistently cheapened out at the winger position; a position of luxury within the league.
They did spend a heavy amount of GAM on Sealy, but that figure is offset by Sealy's lower contract. He'll be looking to prove his quality and earn a pay bump from the team in due time, but I'm sure the team are keen to keep him on a team-friendly deal especially if he also starts trending towards "lackluster signing" territory.
I'm not here to say Sealy is a less expensive Kevin Cabral. But are there similar talking points between Cabral last year and Sealy this year? Sealy is a much more robust player, offers more as a ball carrier, and can be a threat on set pieces. Immediately, he clears the low Kevin Cabral bar of expectations, but where the scouting team was banking on positive regression from Cabral, with Sealy there's a hope for sustained success. If that sustained success doesn't come, I shutter to think what it means for the attack the rest of the season. Manyoma and Ku-DiPietro are right behind, but it does seem to be the Dante Sealy show this season.
Rostered Wingers:
- Dante Sealy
- Theodore Ku-DiPietro
- Alexis Manyoma
- Bryce Jamison
- Kimani Stewart-Baynes
- Sydney Wathuta
- Alex Harris
Gostava Tanto de Você
I have been a very ardent Rafael Navarro doubter. The Brazilian forward has scored double digit goals in back to back seasons, and yet I've thrown a lot of criticism his way. My biggest point against him being that he struggles to create for himself. During Diego Rubio's absence in 2023, and in his subsequent departure, Navarro has filled a variety of tactical profiles on the Rapids. No other season has emphasized his ability off the ball more than Chris Armas' first year as head coach. He regressed in 2025, but with the Mihailovic transfer I can't fault the Brazilian striker for losing a touch of the magic that highlighted his standout 2024 season.
This year, the tactical profile and coaching playing style are harmoniously linked. I can't think of a better striker for Wells to make the most out of. Navarro works exceptionally well off the ball, can find himself in dangerous places in the box, and embodies the rugged mentality that Wells is implementing.
The year I've finally come around to appreciating Rafael Navarro will also be the year it bites me with a South American giant sure to be sniffing around for his services in the Summer. Especially if he starts playing at his 2024 level. This will only really happen if he sees less of the ball and allows the supporting cast behind him to do the progressing work around him. He's sure to force turnovers and get into dangerous spots himself but I don't see him as part of a patient and calculating Rapids team.
If he does get sold, it opens the door for a one Darren Yapi who's breakout finally came last year. The hungry Denver-born striker is already slated to start at the wing, but as a striker he possesses all the attributes you could want out of a young striker. In a league of Idan Toklomati's, Zavier Gozo's, and Kevin Kelsy's, there's no reason why Yapi can't be in the conversation as well in terms of young forward prospects. The one concern here being that if he shows out just a bit too much, clubs will also be calling for his signature.
You can laugh now! Still, with all the GAM existing in the club's bank right now, I can't see why they wouldn't go and make a blockbuster move in the absolute worst case scenario where both Pids strikers are sold. Donovan Phillip is right behind both options, and it's more realistic they force him into the starting spot like they did a one Ralph Priso in 2023, but with the team's recent outbounds it's not out of the realm of possibility.
Rostered Center Forwards:
- Rafael Navarro
- Darren Yapi
- Donovan Phillip
KSE DNA
Before we get to a conclusive prediction, there's an omission in this preview from the front office side. Mr. KSE himself: Kevin Demoff.
If it weren't for Demoff's involvement this year, I'd be a lot less compelled to devote as much time as I have towards covering the Rapids this season. I like to think that after years of bemoaning the lack of KSE involvement that it's finally caught up to us now and there's a real emphasis on revitalizing the Colorado Rapids on the field as team, outside of it as a brand, and in its identity as a club.
"Our expectation is to compete for an MLS Cup. A successful season is taking meaningful steps in that direction and being in that conversation... Matt (Wells) just talked about players can't talk about themselves being young they have to see themselves as first teamers and leaders- we talked about this in the last press conference: champions act like champions before they're champions. That's the mentality this group has to take both on the pitch and off the pitch. There's no reason to water down expectations just because others have. I want for us to be championship DNA and hold ourselves to that standard... Nothing short of being competitive, playing attractive football, drawing people here, (and) growing the brand is acceptable. There's no reason to lower the bar... We've been willing to take mediocrity of success. For me that's not an option. I think for ownership and for KSE mediocrity is not an option." - Kevin Demoff
Still, I can't blame anyone else for still feeling very tentative towards this front office, this season, and the larger future of the Colorado Rapids. The team has lost a lot of fans and this season they could stand to lose more. There's already some detractions happening from an ethos perspective: The Miami game being moved to Empower (in pursuit of higher revenue, no doubt), the potential rebrand, the lack of stadium renovations; the club is not trending towards a positive direction. The buck stops at Stan Kroenke and it always will. As much as fans have called for Padraig Smith's firing and for the club to move on from the undeniable slew of failed signings, playoff crashes, and nightmare seasons: one constant remains.
Neither Smith or Demoff can tell you honestly what the culture of this team is besides Stan Kroenke and by extension Josh Kroenke. For all the talk of "KSE DNA", I would venture to guess that there aren't many Colorado Rapids mentions in Arsenal, Nuggets, Rams, or Avalanche season pressers. KSE as a sport conglomerate is a behemoth; the same can not be same for the Rapids and their imprint in the soccer landscape here in America. This team could be so much more. And yet, it remains mired in the same retread of culture talks and promises.
For as much heart, passion, and love that people put into this team-from the supporters, the front office, the players, and the technical staff- the same cannot be said about the Kroenkes. When Cole Bassett makes it a point to mention how much he sees the owner in Portland, it should be telling just how true these sentiments really appear to be. So while there's all this talk about "KSE DNA", it certainly isn't from any of the Kroenkes. They'd have to actually be physically in the building for any of their DNA to actually be present in this team.
Conclusive Prediction
I like how intriguing this season is shaping out to be. I like what Matt Wells has had to say so far. I like the signing of Hamzat Ojediran. I even like the new kit! (Though not as the home kit; they definitely whiffed there.) I can name as many things as I like about the Rapids this season and it still doesn't change my larger point about this team slowly inching towards zombie franchise status. There's a real charm to the people orbiting this club from in and out of the team but so long as Kroenke remains absent there's nothing that anyone can realistically do that will turn this around.
Final Verdict: This team is not a playoff team. Their MLS Cup window depends on a lot of unknowns becoming sure fire products and contributors within one season. This is a building year. The business in the Summer will really determine how wide of a window this team really has-if they can ensure one remains open by the end of the break.
Thank you for reading my season preview! Be sure to share it and consider subscribing for more insights and coverage of Colorado Footy.
Thank you to Sharon Mendoza for her photography talents and work in this project. All images above were provided by her.
