COMMERCE CITY — At last, the Colorado Rapids’ 2023 season is over.
Of course, it ended in a loss to arch rival Real Salt Lake for a fourth time this season Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, solidifying the worst season in club history.
Interim head coach Chris Little put out a strong starting eleven in the narrow 1-0 loss. Homegrown Players Sebastian Anderson and goalkeeper Abraham Rodriguez started, and a total of five, a club record, were on the field at one point in the match.
The tombstone for the Rapids’ season: 5-17-12, 27 points and 0.79 points per game. Colorado finished dead-last in the MLS Western Conference, 28th of 29 in the Supporter Shield standings, with 26 goals and 54 goals against.
Here are the final takeaways from a season full of frustrations.
The Homegrowns get “it”
Little was not afraid to “play the kids” as Cole Bassett (Littleton), Anderson (Highlands Ranch), and Rodriguez (Thornton) started, and Oli Larraz (Denver) and Darren Yapi (Green Valley Ranch) came on as subs. They spoke with pride about playing together with the top club after being a part of the same Rapids Academy Under-17 team.
“It’s always nice when you get to play out there with them and kind of had fun with it,” Larraz said. “There’s this connection out there and you’re really just enjoying the game. For me, personally, it’s nice to be back out there and going forward I would’ve liked to make more of an impact on this team, but it’s part of the experience of being a pro.”
The “it” is the experience Saturday. In the post-match news conference they were honest about the trials, tribulations and sacrifices it’s taken to play for the first team on a regular basis. To get rewarded was a priceless experience.
“It felt like it was one of those years where if I didn’t take it, it might be a slower path back to where I wanted to be,” said Larraz, who was named a MLS NEXT Pro MVP finalist. “But luckily I had a good team and coaches around me and people that cared. At the end of the day, I’m happy with it but hopefully I can make a jump from my performances this year into next year.”
RSL continues to be boogeyman
No matchup in all of Major League Soccer has been more one-sided since 2014 than the Rocky Mountain Cup, as RSL has won now an astounding 19 times, including all three matchups this year in MLS play.
Little, nor Robin Fraser, nor Anthony Hudson had an answer. No matter who is the head coach in 2024, the team has to start changing the tide.
“It’s something that hurts and I know it’s a derby and how much it means to our fans,” Little said. “It’s so disappointing. … We have to earn the right to play into those games, do the basics and we have to keep getting better at that. We’ve gotta turn the tide and momentum.”
Following the game, Little, who is confirmed to be in the running for the head coach role, said he “has a contract for an extended period of time,” but no matter the role, will be prepared to be back with the Burgundy Boys.
Rubio on the way out?
Minutes after full time, Rapids striker Diego Rubio posted the following to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Thank you Colorado, my family and I will miss you!”
Rubio, 30, is eligible for free agency per the MLS Players’ Association data released in September. The Chilean international did not suit up Saturday as a result of a late return from international duty for World Cup qualifiers and was not made available afterwards.
He is the club’s third all-time goalscorer as he has scored 38 regular-season goals and tied a single-season club record in 2022 with 16. This year, the oft-injured striker suffered back, knee, oblique and hamstring injuries, all of which led to a sizable portion of the season missed.
With Rubio all but confirming he is departing the club, Colorado has to decide on 10 other players who have contract options as well as the hiring of a head coach.
Captain Jack follows suit
On Sunday, 17 hours after Rubio announced his time with the club is up, so too did midfielder and club captain Jack Price.
Price announced the news on social media, thanking his teammates, fans and staff for his six seasons at the club saying in part, “The support and love shown towards (my family) from day 1 has been top class. Wish the lads all the success in the future. An honor and immense pride to captain this club for 4 years.”
Price, 30, had a looming one-year team option, which Colorado appears to have declined. He has missed most of the last two seasons with a variety of injuries, including a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in March.
“Pricey” joined the team in 2018 from Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He played 121 regular-season games and was the heartbeat behind Colorado’s rise to the top of the Western Conference in 2021. He is second all-time for the Rapids in regular-season assists with 34.
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