Rapids players spoke to the media during the club’s 2023 Media Day. They made it clear that they’re looking to rectify last year’s failures.
The 2023 MLS preseason is underway. All Colorado Rapids first team players reported to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park last Friday. Players have done fitness testing and gym work, but have yet to have a full team training out on Field 20. Players spoke to Burgundy Wave earlier today as part of the club’s Media Day. One thing stood out clearly: 2022 was a one off and they’ll do everything they can to never have a season like that again.
“We’ve heard Robin say a couple times that we’re not going to have a season like that again. Not just how it went or certain statistics and results, but more so letting ourselves down,” said defender Keegan Rosenberry.
“We have high expectations. We know the potential of the group inside the locker room and don’t care what’s said outside of that. We’re more than capable of being a playoff team.”
Rosenberry has been impressed with new players Calvin Harris and Kévin Cabral have shown up in shape. Captain and midfielder Jack Price feels the same way:
He mentioned that straight after the Austin game [on Decision Day 2022]. We’re all in the changing room. We’re not going to have another year like this. It’s an anomaly. Make sure you come back in 12 weeks time ready to go. It looks like all the boys have come back in really good shape. You need to put the work in to make sure of that.”
Many things went wrong for the Rapids in 2022. Injuries aside, all the small things they did right in 2021 to win the Western Conference they did poorly in 2022 to miss the playoffs.
“We made the playoffs the two years previous. Maybe we got into it thinking we were going to be fine regardless. We didn’t play consistently well as a team,” said Price.
Rosenberry felt the mentality and intensity at times needed to be better.
“The margins are so small in this league. The points in game 1 vs game 34 are the same but it’s a completely different feel. Treating those first ten like the last ten and scraping for every point like we were at the end.”
Cole Bassett returned to the Rapids last month after a year spent in the Netherlands. He’ll elevate the quality in midfield. He’s got motivations of his own given how his loan ended, but has additional motivation as a local Homegrown.
“[I am] very motivated,” said Bassett. “It’s not fun when you have a bad team. When a team is winning it’s fun. We saw that in this city in 2021. It’s for the community that I’m motivated to bring [the club] back to where we were.”
Price made a very clear message to the fanbase in the wake of general pessimism on social media:
“It’s not going to be a year like last year. We’ll do our best. Last year, it hurt. The fans that turn out every single week are the heart beat of this club. We know as players we let them down. Stick with us. There’s times where you might want a little bit more from players coming in or money being spent. We’re doing our best as players who are here and want to be here.”
The Rapids head to Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico later this week. Their first preseason game will be next Thursday, January 19 against Celaya FC.