The Colorado Rapids held their annual media day Monday to discuss what has so far been one of the most eventful offseasons in club history, and the upcoming 2024 campaign.
Fans and media were able to get a sense of the club’s direction from team president Pádraig Smith, new head coach Chris Armas and veterans Cole Bassett and Keegan Rosenberry. They also got to hear from new signings Omir Fernandez, Djordje Mihailovic and Zack Steffen for the first time in Rapids gear.
Anyone who missed 2023 never would have concluded this was a team coming off the worst season in club history. In many ways, it seems the players, coaches and front office members have turned a new leaf and are “excited” to go onto the next (no, really… every Rapid used the word).
Here are three takeaways from media day:
Lofty goals, realistic path
There’s little mystery in what the end goal is for any team, and the Rapids are no different. They want to win MLS Cup. But they also know it will take time, especially for a squad which finished dead last in the Western Conference.
So, a more natural, realistic goal for this year is to make the playoffs.
According to Smith, one of the best ways to do so is to capture as many home wins as possible. Since hiring Armas, the two have mentioned multiple times they need to utilize Colorado’s altitude advantage as best they can. For many years, it has worked — the Rapids are historically better at home than many other teams.
Last season, they finished with a home record of 3-6-8, good for 17 points — the first season below 20 points at home since 2001 (not including the shortened 2020 season).
“Something that we do as well as any organization is we start off with the destination and then work our way backwards with that,” Smith said. “We want to use the atmosphere, the energy (fans) bring to help us and then obviously, to have the altitude advantage that we know is here. So I think when we look at it, we know what the destination is. And we know to do that, we need to be in the playoffs.”
In essence, like Smith said numerous times during the latter half of last season, the goal is for the Rapids to return to the form they had in 2021, when they topped the west with 61 points.
That was part of Smith’s selling point to bring in U.S. Men’s National Team talents like Steffen and Mihailovic. The partnership between Smith and Armas, as well as “alignment” between players and the front office, played a role in making the pitch “a lot easier.”
Steffen saw the vision early on and, with USMNT teammate Mihailovic ready to sign with the Rapids, too, took the chance.
“I think just the situation, the city, the people, the club, the new coaches and (goalkeepers coach) Chris Sharpe, the conversations we’ve had really excited me and gave me motivation and confidence that we’re all on the same page on where we want to go individually and collectively,” Steffen said. “Chris Armas’ energy is electric. He has a lot of dreams and goals for this club not just this year but for the future, and so does Chris Sharpe and so do I.”
The Rapids’ goals are ambitious, but the current roster supports the idea of a big improvement. The talent has been upgraded. Players and coaches seem motivated. But more importantly, at least in theory, the pieces fit together.
Bassett, who signed a contract extension through 2027 last week, is as excited as anyone. He’s seen the highest and lowest times of Rapids soccer but is keeping things in perspective until the regular season comes around.
“The toughest thing to do is to get that chemistry and mesh. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it looks really good on paper what you’re bringing in and sometimes it takes a bit on the field to get those guys going,” Bassett said. “I’m hoping the transition is smooth, we’ve got to try to make it easy for all of them. Once we get down to Mexico, we need to make sure we’re on top of things so when that first game comes in Portland, you know, we’re ready to go.”
“Buzz in the locker room”
Smith went to the Rapids’ locker room upon the team’s report day on Jan. 12 to chat with the team and get a sense of the energy going into preseason.
“The buzz in the locker room … was palpable, and I know those players are incredibly excited to get back out onto the field,” Smith said.
In talking to Rosenberry — now the team’s oldest and second-longest-tenured player — Smith was reminded of a promise he made to Rosenberry not long after Armas was hired: “What I’m aiming for more than anything is for you to walk in the first day next season and say, ‘Damn, we are really ready to go.’”
If you ask Rosenberry, Smith came through on the promise, not just to him but to the entire team.
“Everybody in the room used the word excited. I am. I can’t wait. As a competitor, as a professional athlete, what eats away at you is when you can’t get results,” Rosenberry said. “I think at times, I sat in front of (the media) last year after games, and it was difficult to break things down and talk about why the struggles were there. I think everybody in the room that’s been a part of the team, or even the guys that are coming in there, we’re all looking for the same thing, and that’s results.”
From the inside of the team looking out, it can be easy to be excited about the club signing two USMNT players and numerous other starting-caliber guys to fill gaps. For Mihailovic, who the club acquired from Belgian side AZ Alkmaar via a club-record transfer fee, the excitement is certainly mutual.
“If anything, it makes me excited that I’m coming to an organization that believes in me that much,” Mihailovic said. “I had that feeling with Montreal a little bit when they brought me in. Maybe last year I went to a club where it wasn’t the same feeling, but now I’m coming back and I think it’s good for me.”
Navarro still the guy up front
Colorado has revamped a big portion of its midfield and defense while bringing in a national team goalkeeper. But as far as the attack, not much has changed outside of letting go of Diego Rubio and bringing in Fernandez (whose role is undetermined).
The transfer window is still young, but the club largely thinks Brazilian striker Rafael Navarro will still be the main option up front — at least until his loan is up in July.
Navarro scored one goal in 10 matches for the Rapids in 2023 but was rarely put into good positions. Because of that, Smith said it’s difficult to assess or judge his effectiveness or fit.
But, he’s still confident in what he saw Navarro do for Brazilian Serie B side Botafogo: 15 goals in 37 games.
“What I liked was the attitude he brought on the field, the pressing he brought to the team. I think when you start to provide him with opportunities, he will take those opportunities,” Smith told The Denver Post. “We know he can score goals, we’ve seen him do that in training, we’ve seen him do that in Brazil. It just hasn’t happened here. But I don’t put that blame on him. We needed to create more for him, you bring in Djordje, you bring in Omir, you secure Cole’s long term future, you put other attacking players around him, and I think all of a sudden, we’re gonna see the opportunities for him.”
Navarro was brought to Colorado on loan for $500,000 last July. The Rapids have until this July to make a decision to purchase him permanently for an additional $4.5 million — a figure which would by far be a club record. The club has no set performance metrics to factor into the decision but will take into account how he and the team do over the first portion of the season.
What’s next?
The team will travel to Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, on Wednesday and stay through the beginning of February, per a team release. During their time there, they will play closed-door friendlies against Liga MX side Querétaro FC on Jan. 29, along with Liga de Expansión MX sides Atlético Morelia and Atlante FC on Jan. 23 and Feb 2., respectively.
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