MLS Season Pass Goes Live And Another Keeper Rumor

On Wednesday Apple and MLS officially launched MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the new home of every league game for the next 10 seasons.  To be very clear up front for people who are still confused, the ONLY other place MLS games will be broadcast are simulcasts of the same video feed on FOX (approx 1 game a week).  No games on Altitude.  No games on ESPN.  No games on Univision.  Just on Apple.  But also, no local blackouts either.

Full season ticket holders get a free subscription with their tickets, for everyone else its $99/season ($79 if you already subscribe to AppleTV+).  And to be clear on this point as well, this is a separate subscription from AppleTV+ and you don't need the latter to get the former.  Most season-ticket holders got their sign-up link on Wednesday and report a very easy sign-up process.  I say most because those of us who buy our tickets through Centennial 38 had our codes delayed due to administrative issues but we will have them before the season.

That said, my first look at MLS Season Pass was a good one.  Its easy to fine, being front and center on all versions of the Apple TV platform I've looked at (iPhone, PS4, Xfinity X1, and my LG Smart TV).  You can set your favorite team so the Rapids selections are always listed first.  Even without having the subscription there's a lot that can be watched with just your Apple login.  For the Rapids they have a great 16+ minute team overview narrated by Drew Moor with appearances from Jordan Angeli and Marcelo Balboa among others (including C38's David Wegner).  There's also a 3-4 minute video with Drew Moor finding out the history of C38's Man of the Match Oar presentation.

On Wednesday the Rapids also announced Jordan's Angeli's return home from her time with the Crew to lead most of the Rapids on-screen work with MLS Season Pass.  She will be joined at times by Drew, and 'Celo will contribute during the week.  Balboa is also serving as a Spanish language commentator for MLS and will work various games on the weekend (not necessarily the Rapids match).  It sounds like Jordan will be the lead presenter for any Rapids generated pre/post-game shows as well as sometimes serving as a sideline reporter for the MLS broadcast of matches and sometimes joining Connor Cape and Brian Crookham on the radio call.   Drew Moor will also appear at times on gameday, both the pre/post game shows and on the radio call.  It sounds like he and Jordan will do the heavy lifting putting together features to be available between gamedays as well.

The one name missing, obviously, is Richard Fleming who will be sorely missed.  If we can't have him though, getting Jordan back and teaming her with Drew is a great backup plan.  With the obvious exception of Mr. Fleming you have to go back to Marc Stout to find somebody who has been involved in Rapids broadcasting who's as good as this crew.  I'm looking forward to what they're going to bring us this season.  One the season starts not only with the first team games be there, but so will MLS Next Pro (Rapids 2) games as well as regular updates on MLS Next (academy).

On another subject Colorado has been linked with another international European goalkeeper.  This time its Serbian international Marko Ilic from Belgium side Kortrijk.  Ilic turned 25 yesterday and has made 60+ appearances over the last 2.5 seasons for Kortrijk.  Before that he made 60 appearances in two seasons for Serbian side Vozdovac.  He's also been capped once for the Serbian National Team had has been the regular backup in recent camps.

There was a report that the Rapids submitted a 600,000 Euro offer for him, and there's another report that he's settled with his new team and ready to leave.  Kortrijk is hovering just above the relegation zone and Ilic has been out since November, reportedly due to a finger injury.  Good chance he sees it likely that the team will stick with his backup, especially if they get relegated and need to cut salary, and he sees his chance to move is now,

Its also fairly clear that Colorado really wants to sign a starting-level keeper this window to push Yarbrough.  He's going to be  34 years old and in the last guaranteed year of his contract.  He also played better when Irwin was a real threat to his starting role than last year, when Irwin dropped to third choice behind a young Abe Rodriguez.  Bringing in a starter-level keeper will force Yarbrough to up his game if he wants the team to pick up their option on him for 2024, and if he doesn't Ilic, or whomever we sign, will be able to step in.