Cole Bassett thought his spot in the Olympics was secure.
One day, the Colorado Rapids midfielder was mentally preparing to hop on a plane and live out a childhood dream. The next, U.S. men’s soccer coach Marko Mitrović changed his mind.
Rather than join the 18-man Olympic roster headed to Paris, Bassett was told he was No. 19.
With only a few days to reflect on the snub before a game against St. Louis CITY on July 7, Bassett had a conversation with a close friend who provided him with a mantra anyone could get behind: “Be better, not bitter.”
From his play on the pitch to his demeanor off of it, he’s not once shown an ounce of bitterness.
And, man, has he been better.
“It’s awesome,” Rapids coach Chris Armas said after Saturday’s 3-2 thriller over Real Salt Lake. “He’s 22 years old and we put a lot on him.”
Bassett assisted the first two goals and buried the winner from the penalty spot in the 88th minute to keep the Rocky Mountain Cup in Colorado for the first time since 2020 — just days before the Olympics are slated to start.
It was the exclamation point on a four-game surge that saw Bassett emerge as an offensive force with three goals and three assists.
“Even playing next to (Rafael Navarro), he’s leading that front line with the pressing, with the structure, when to go and when not to go — it’s a lot for a young-ish guy,” Armas said. “He’s got some big experiences under his belt and he plays like a big player.
“… That’s probably his biggest strength: his self-belief. He’s a winner.”
Ever since watching the Olympics as a kid, Bassett made it a career goal to compete in them. Since breaking into the Rapids’ first team and becoming an impact player, he’s been outspoken about it.
Then came the call-up to the Olympic squad for a friendly against Japan in June. Curiously, he was an unused substitute in a 2-0 loss at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.
However, there was a week of camp and even a closed-door scrimmage the day before the real one — a game in which Bassett started and thought he had performed well.
He left the scrimmage believing he did enough to secure a spot on the roster and even said so after he scored in his first game back from the call-up.
Take that expectation, add in going unused in the televised friendly and Mitrović’s last-second omission, and it was a bitter pill for Bassett to swallow.
But as a response, he has played with a Paris-sized chip on his shoulder. In 22 games this season before his snub, he had nine goal contributions. In the four games since, he’s racked up six — two against St. Louis, one against LA Galaxy and three against RSL — while playing in Mihailovic’s No. 10 role while he’s in Paris. It’s a position Bassett has historically been more comfortable in but hasn’t played it much this year.
“I think I’ve just tried to respond in the best way possible and to be a role model for people who have setbacks,” Bassett said after beating RSL last Saturday.
Police Sgt. Justin Dodge visited the Rapids on Friday and spoke to the team about a major comeback of his own. Last year, he was run over by a fire truck during the Nuggets’ 2023 championship parade and lost a leg as a result.
During the visit, Dodge spoke about rejoining a SWAT team and having his recovery culminate in the capture of someone holding others hostage just a few weeks ago. The story touched Bassett.
“I think now, for me, I’m just trying to respond as well,” Bassett said. “(The Olympic snub) was a setback for sure. I definitely want to be there with Djordje and a lot of my friends and represent this country, but I can’t. You’ve got to make the most of what you’ve got here, prove yourself and show your quality.”
Ultimately, what has impressed Armas and teammates most has not been his play or contribution to wins. Instead, it’s been his maturity.
For right back and captain Keegan Rosenberry, who has seen Bassett’s growth in Colorado since 2019, disappointment like this is painful, but necessary.
“Sometimes, you need these setbacks, snubs or disappointments in your own career to push you to a different level and to motivate you to perform like you haven’t before. I’m really proud of him,” Rosenberry said.
“He talked about being better instead of bitter and I hadn’t heard that before, but that’s awesome. He’s still a young kid and to respond like that — Olympics only come around so often and you only have that opportunity once or twice throughout your lifetime — is just really mature.”
While one of Bassett’s goals wasn’t met, it was only fitting for him to reach another one of his preseason benchmarks on the game-winner against Real Salt Lake: Record 15 goal contributions on the year.
Be better, not bitter. What can come from one letdown can end up being satisfyingly sweet.
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Originally Published: July 23, 2024 at 6:58 p.m.
