Previewing Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids with Burgundy Wave
(image via Colorado Rapids)
The Houston Dynamo make their first road trip of the MLS regular season, visiting Colorado to take on the Rapids. We talked to our friend Matt Pollard from Burgundy Wave to get some insight on the Rapids ahead of tomorrow’s match.
Bayou City Soccer (BCS): Chris Armas has taken over as head coach for the Rapids. What is different so far this season in how they are playing under Armas compared to years past?
Burgundy Wave (BW): Armas is doing everything he can to win over people around the club. He's met with, thanked, and empathized with supporters. The players have praised his positivity and energy, a big contrast from the stoicism and calm of Robin Fraser. Vibes aside, the team's still a work in progress. They're pressing way more than last year, but it's disjointed. The front four in particular haven't been on the same page in terms of when to press and the shape. They're making it hard for the opponent to play out of the back. It's just not leading to turnovers and transition opportunities. That would be unacceptable at Red Bulls. They're more sound defensively and in possession. They've gotten better at everything each game. Can they take another step forward against Houston? I think so.
BCS: The Rapids had a bit of a roster makeover this offseason, similar to what we saw the Dynamo in 2022-23. Jack Price, Diego Rubio, and Danny Wilson are some of the veterans who left and Colorado has brought in Omir Fernandez, Djordje Mihailovic, Sam Vines, and Zack Steffen, among others. How are the new signings fitting into the lineup so far?
BW: The new signings are a mixed bag but fans are hopeful. Zack Steffen has been fantastic. He's making saves Rapids goalkeepers of the past just were not making. He looks really comfortable with a settled center back partnership in front of him.
Take away the missed penalty and Djordje Mihailovic had his best game for Colorado at Seattle. He looked way more natural playing centrally rather than on the left. He just hasn't gotten it done in the final third, yet.
Take away the own goal in the season opener and Sam Vines looks as good as he was in 2021 when he made the move to Europe. Armas has him playing the Vines back role. He's progressing the ball forward in the attack. Defensive work rate could be better. Vines vs Griffin Dorsey should be fun to watch.
Omir Fernandez hasn't done much other than run and miss three big chances. A minor injury limited him in preseason, so he should be given more patience than the others.
BCS: Like the Dynamo, a big question for Colorado seems to be where the goals will come from. Is Rafael Navarro ready to shoulder the load as a big-time goal scorer in MLS and who else will the Rapids rely on offensively?
BW: That's the $4.5 million question. That's how much Navarro's purchase option is come the summer. He does so much dirty work and has been selfless in the box. He's really trying to create chances for himself and others in the final third. It just hasn't clicked yet. Teammates have left him isolated in possession. He's also not doing enough with the service he's gotten. His only goal last year was a fortuitous bounce on a set piece. Rapids fans were hoping that PK goal against RSL would spark something. Then Mihailovic took the penalty against Seattle and missed. Navarro needs to start scoring from the run of play and soon. If he doesn't, he won't be retained. That leaves Armas with Darren Yapi (who's yet to score in MLS) and the bust that is Kevin Cabral. Strikers, we have a problem.
BCS: We've talked about some of the similarities between these two teams but in the grand scheme of things, could this Colorado team kind of copy and replicate what Houston did in 2023 to find success as a team that is flying under the radar coming into this season?
BW: There's a lot of similar narratives between Colorado this year and Houston last year. An underwhelming coaching hire who's a retread. A removal of veterans and some young exciting players brought in. Some under the radar TAM/DP signings. Armas is saying all the right things. There's no doubt if everything goes right, Colorado can do what Houston did last year. That's their ceiling though. They need to win most of their home games. They need a reliable goal scorer to emerge, Navarro or otherwise. They do that, they can absolutely get a home playoff game. Any chance Houston wants to loan Hector Herrera once he's healthy?
BCS: How is the health of this Rapids team coming into this match?
BW: Colorado's way healthier than they were this time last year. New stadium and practice pitches have the team in a safer training situation. Connor Ronan will be out with a knee injury. That's the only noteworthy absence right now. That'd normally be a concern but Cole Bassett and Oli Larraz were great at Seattle in the double pivot. Jasper Löffelsend missed that game as well with a hamstring injury. If he's available, he'll provide some grit to match up against Artur. Lamine Diack is still waiting to make his debut. What Colorado does at center mid is a good question. The team sheet otherwise is writing itself at this point.
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We want to thank Matt for his time and wish our friends in Colorado the best of luck tomorrow night. Be sure to check out our answers to their questions about the Dynamo over at Burgundy Wave.
