Rapids Aim to Improve After Historic Season

By Brian Jennings

Can the 2017 Colorado Rapids show that 2016 was no fluke-that they are for real and are now running on a culture of success?  As they opened pre-season camp last week in Boulder CO, prior to leaving for stints in balmy Southern California and Tucson AZ, forward Kevin Doyle and his teammates are ready to do just that as they build up to the season opener at home March 4.

“The challenge is how do we beat it?” says Doyle, fresh off a winter break back home in Ireland.  “We’ve talked about it already-how do we keep those standards and go a step further-repeat last season, get to the playoffs again, and obviously that would be building on what we’ve done.”

Asked if the Rapids are in a better position than they’ve been in beginning the most recent pre-seasons, Doyle replied emphatically, “Miles better just in belief.  We have a similar squad, the staff stays basically the same as well, but just confidence-belief, which is 90 percent of football, from how we did last season.”

After the historic success of 2016 and a 3-yr contract renewal, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni also has the luxury of not rebuilding half the squad and being able to focus on smaller portions of the game instead of a big-picture band aid this campaign. 

“In this game, you need to be the best defensive team when you don’t have the ball, and you need to be the best attacking team when you do,” said Pablo from inside the bubble at Colorado University during the first few days of training.  “We were one of the best defensive teams in the league.  That part of the game we can rest assured we have a good starting point this year".

Doyle also tells us that Colorado has hit the ground running instilling that need-for-improvement balance between attack and defense.  “We’re working from day one on our attacking play.  Last season, we got into second, first, second all season long and didn’t let that standard drop.  You get that roll, you get belief, and it seems easy.  It wasn’t easy at all. How many games were 1-nil, or 2-1, really tough and tight at the very end.  We build on that.  Can we have a few more comfortable games?”

Where the team knows improvements must be made is on the attacking end-that part is no secret to any of the players or coaches.  The additions of veteran Alan Gordon, who has a nose for goal, and the pending arrival of Ghanaian Bismark Adjei-Boatang (Nana to Rapids fans going forward) from Norway, should provide help on that end.

“The attacking side of things we want to continue to improve, add a little more structure to, be a bit more determined-dynamic in the way we attack,” Mastroeni explains to The Voice of C38.  “So from day one it’s been buildup play, then we’re getting into the middle third, and then we’re gonna end up in the final third so that’s been the focus and that’s the area we really need to focus our time on.”

In hindsight, the Rapids have shown fans that they have learned how to win and how to overcome dire situations.   “We might finish second in the Supporter’s Shield, that’s our aim to be there or better-to win it,” says a hopeful Kevin Doyle regardless of any goals left on the table in 2016. 

“We didn’t win it but we were proud of ourselves.  Our fans were proud to be supporters of the club at the end of the season.”   That hasn’t always been the case in recent history and is hopefully proof enough for fans to continue feeling good about their team as the Rapids start on even ground with 21 other teams.