Open Cup Tonight, USL 2 Match In June

Ok, a quick post about a chance to see 4 Colorado teams over 2 games.  There's still time to get out to the Dick tonight to see Rapids 2 take on the Northern Colorado Hailstorm in the second round of the Open Cup.  Kickoff is at 7:30 and there are plenty of tickets floating around if you need one.  A few Rapids 1 players are eligible again, the same group that was available two weeks ago, so expect them to get some time.

Then on June 2nd I've worked with Albion Colorado SC (formerly Boulder County SC) to get a C38 trip to their USL 2 game arranged.  They'll be hosting Flatirons FC, which is based here in Arvada and playing at School of Mines soccer stadium this year, but they'll be the road team on the 2nd at Peak to Peak Charter School's stadium in Lafayette.   Kickoff is at 7:30 on that Sunday, with a USWL W (women's) game kicking off at 4:30, all on the same ticket.  If you're interested drop me a message, I'm working on a group ticket package.

Along with the Colorado International Soccer Academy in Parker those are the USL 2 teams playing in Colorado this year.  So tonight you can knock off MLS Next Pro and USL 1, June 2nd two of the three USL 2 teams, the Rapids full MLs squad at many points this year, and then we just have to work the USL Championship Colorado Springs Switchbacks in at some point.

Rapids 2 In The Open Cup Tomorrow

Because of the idiotic decision by MLS to withdraw most of the primary teams from the Open Cup this year, the Rapids only representation will be Rapids 2.  Since they are a MLS Next Pro team they enter in the first round instead of the normal 3rd or 4th round entry we're used to from the first team.  That means the RapiDos will start their Cup run tomorrow night at home facing local Colorado Premier League side Azteca 5280.  At home being at the Dick, with kickoff at 7:30.  Rapids season ticket holders got free tickets and there are enough floating out there that anyone should be able to pick one up pretty easily if they want to go.

Azteca are no strangers to the Open Cup, having qualified multiple times into the first round proper.  Even making it that far is a deep run for the amateur side but this will be their first chance to play an Open Cup game inside Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

For Rapids 2 the rules of the competition this year allow Rapids 1 players to play, but they have to be under the max salary (no TAM or DP players) and have averaged less than 15 minutes in the first 4 games this season.  Colorado has made the following first-team players available for eselection:

D Sebastian Anderson

GK Adam Beaudry

D Michael Edwards

M Wayne Frederick II

D Nate Jones

F Kimani Stewart-Baynes

D Jackson Travis

This doesn't mean they'll make the roster, just that they are available.  There is a loan requirement for anyone that plays that would make it hard for them to return to the first-team is they're on the gameday roster, so there are some decisions to make.

I plan to be out at the Dick tomorrow, so expect a quick recap on Friday before or as part of the preview for Saturday's home game against the Dynamo.

Worst. Season. Ever.

The Rapids drew Dallas on Saturday night "clinching" the record for worst season ever on PPG, regardless of what happens against FSL this weekend.  To credit the team they did look better than their average this year but really there's not much to talk about other than setting that record so like with the game preview we're going to move on to three other pieces of Rapids news.

We'll start with the Rapids 2 game last night.  I haven't covered Rapids 2 much this season here, which is my bad as they've had a really good season.  I blame the first-team being so bad that it sapped my will to blog about much.  Anyway Los Rapidos made the Western Conference Final of the MLS Next Pro playoffs and hosted Austin 2 at the Dick yesterday.  Sadly after a scoreless 120 minutes the home side lost in PKS 4-1.  Still a great season for the young guys, winning the conference and having the second best record overall. Hopefully we'll see some of them rewarded with playing time on Saturday against FSL.

Two pieces of info on the coaching search hit today.  First Arsenal correspondent Charles Watts urges Jack Wilshere  not to take the Rapids head coaching job.  He says there's lots of fan unrest at the club (true, see below) as well as a lack of support from ownership (ditto).  An article about his comments is here, while the video of him making them is on YouTube.

Secondly a rumor surfaced from TUDN tonight that Efrain Juarez is a finalist for the head coaching role.  Juarez is a 35-year old former Mexican national team player (d-mid & right back) and has spent the last 4+ seasons as an assistant coach at NYCFC (3 seasons), Standard Liege (one season), and Brugge (started this season).  I know nothing about his coaching style but combined with the Wilshere report its clear that the Front Office is looking for somebody young to lead this team.

As I was writing this another piece of news just broke, reportedly FIFA has removed SoFi Stadium from the hosting list for World Cup 2026 after KSE and FIFA had a disagreement last month over the costs and logistics of hosting.  The biggest newest stadium in the country will be dark and quiet during the world's biggest event.  Seems like KSE overplayed their hand here.

Speaking of, yesterday's Denver Post had a front page article about Victory Crossing and the lack of movement in almost 20 years in building up around DSG Park.  There's lots to digest here but the one thing that stood out to me was this:

On Monday night, Commerce City will once again try to move things forward, this time with an unconventional idea involving a contest for Colorado college students. The City Council will be asked to pay $25,000 to co-sponsor the contest organized by the national Commercial Real Estate Development Association, asking students to design plans for the site.

... 

If picked, six teams from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Denver will be paired with professional financiers, developers, architects and engineers to come up with workable plans for Victory Crossing, Aiken said. Those teams will figure out what density level is appropriate, the zoning and environmental hurdles the property faces, and what businesses could be successful at the site. 

Ideas would be presented in April, and the two sides could reach an agreement on what Victory Crossing ultimately will be, Aiken said.

To put this in context, here's what Josh Kroenke said in his response to Centennial 38's letter a month ago:

Over the next few months, we will be finalizing the master plan for our exciting Victory Crossing Project. When this is ready in early 2024, we will be hosting several open forums with supporters and members of the community to gather feedback on our plans for the club, stadium and entire project.

KSE must think we, as Rapids fans, are stupid.  Its only been a month since they had to respond to a letter from the team's biggest supporters group and their most substantial promise made in the response is to unveil plans for Victory Crossing in early 2024.  Now we find out KSE's big plan is to pay half of a $50K sponsorship to get college students to work on a design.  Does that sound like a project that's ready to be rolled out for "open forums with supporters" to gather feedback in "early 2024"?  Does KSE not think we can connect the dots between what they said on September 14th and what the Denver Post reported on October 15th and see they don't add up?

Even if they have bigger plans and this college competition is just a small part of it, their willingness to not engage with the Denver Post and allow this to be the story is almost as bad for an organization that was recently called out for their lack of communication.  Once again we see KSE is all talk and doesn't really care about the Rapids.

The badge, the fans, the players deserve better.  Make Rapids fun again.

Rapids 2 Adds Possible World Cup Defender

Today the Rapids 2 confirmed the rumored signing of Costa Rican international CB/DM Daniel Chcon to a multi-year deal.  Chacon was in the 18 for Costa Ricca's last 6 World Cup qualifiers, came in as a sub in 3 of them, and started and played the full 90 in the last match against the USA.  He was not part of the team that beat New Zealand yesterday to claim the last spot in the World Cup.

This is an interesting and surprising move for somebody who's fighting for a spot in Qatar.  He reportedly also had an offer from Costa Rican-giant Saprissa but chose to go with Rapids 2.  A team that, lets be honest, isn't very good.  I'm not sure how getting time in what amounts to a glorifies reserve league serves him better if he wants to go to the World Cup than playing in the Costa Rican top flight.  To be clear, he can't play for the Rapids first-team under a Rapids 2 contract.  He would have to be loaned or signed by the Rapids.

To me there's only a couple of ways this makes sense:

• He's already been told he's not going to Qatar regardless of what happens in the next 5 months and figures this is his best chance to get into MLS.
• He's already been told he's going to Qatar regardless of what happens in the next 5 months and isn't worried about losing his pot while he tries to impress and get a first-team contract with the Rapids.
• The Rapids have told him they'll loan him to the first-team before the end of the window but want to get the deal done before the window opens and he gets other options, and they need to wait to clear a roster/international spot in the window before they loan him in.

Regardless, I like this pickup for Rapids 2.  Even if he's not in Costa Rica's World Cup plans a young CONCACAF international is the type of player we should be evaluating.

Los RapiDos Start Their Season On Sunday

The new MLS Next Pro league starts this weekend with Rapids 2 (or as I prefer to call them, Los RapiDos) getting their first game on Sunday.  Earlier this week the Rapids announced that all Rapids season ticket holders can get tickets to Rapids 2 games for just a processing fee of $4.  Games will be held at the University of Denver soccer stadium on DU's campus.  3 games this season will be at DSG Park, two of them will be doubleheaders with the first team and the third will be the MLS Next Game of the Week.

The first game on Sunday will be a 4pm at DU's stadium.  Inconvenient timing with the USA-Panama game starting at 5.

Also this week the Rapids filled out the RapiDos roster by signing 10 academy players to amateur contracts and loaning a number of first team players to the second team.  Those loaned players are able to be recalled to the first team at any time.  The 8 players are Abe Rodriguez, Seb Anderson, Michael Edwards, Anthony Markanich, Jackson Travis, Philip Mayaka, Dantouma Toure, and Darren Yapi.  One player from the first team can removed from any cap hit if he stays with Rapids 2 all season (never appears on a first team matchday roster) and makes no more than the senior minimum.  My guess for that would be Yaya Toure.

All games will also be available streaming on mlsnextpro.com

2 Rapids 2 Follow in 2022

A big announcement from MLS today that includes the Rapids.  The league is starting MLS Next Pro in 2022.  This will be, essentially, a reserve league and the Rapids will be fielding a team called Rapids 2.  I don't know if that's a placeholder name or not.  19 other MLS teams will also be in the league along with one independent club, Rochester.  Then in 2023 8 of the 9 remaining teams will join.  Montreal is the only team that has not announced plans to join the league.  MLS has said they will also be inviting other independent clubs like Rochester to join the league in future years.

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.