MLS is aiming this league to be roughly equivalent in quality to USL League One, a step below the USL Championship where the Switchbacks play. USL League One is where Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC out of Greely is playing starting next season. This is designed to serve as a bridge between Academy and MLS play.
For 2022 the Rapids 2 will be in the Western Conference of the league along with most of its current Western Conference brethren. Austin, Nashville, and both LA clubs won't join until 2023 however. St. Louis, who will join MLS in 2023 will have a MLS Next Pro team in the West in 2022.
The Rapids 2 team will be made up of Academy kids on amateur contracts, first team players getting playing time with Rapids 2, and players signed specifically for the Rapids 2 squad. Expect most of the players we've sent on loan over the last couple years to be the type of players we now see playing for Rapids 2. As part of their announcement the Rapids included that their official partnership with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks has been concluded. That's a logical step to take given the new team, but I wouldn't be shocked to see the occasional loan to the Springs given the higher level of play there.
As part of this Brian Crookham has stepped down as GM of the Switchbacks and has been named GM of Rapids 2. That fits in well with his on-going role as Senior Director of Soccer Development with the Rapids.
I'll be expanding the coverage on the blog to include as much Rapids 2 news as I can. It will be very interesting to see how the Rapids grow to include a second team like this.
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