Colorado Rapids facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colorado Rapids

Nickname(s)	Pids
Founded	June 6, 1995; 30 years ago (1995-06-06)
Stadium	Dick's Sporting Goods Park Commerce City, Colorado
Stadium capacity	18,062 (expandable to 19,680)
Owner	Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
Head coach	Chris Armas
League	Major League Soccer
2024	Western Conference: 7th Overall: 12th Playoffs: First round
Home colors Away colors Third colors

The Colorado Rapids are a professional soccer team from the Denver metropolitan area in the United States. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS) as part of the Western Conference. The club started in 1995 and was one of the first teams in MLS, playing their first season in 1996.

The Rapids are owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. This company also owns other famous sports teams like the Denver Nuggets (NBA basketball) and the Colorado Avalanche (NHL hockey).

Colorado won the MLS Cup in 2010, which is like winning the championship for soccer in the U.S. and Canada. They had reached the MLS Cup final once before in 1997 but lost. They also made it to the final of the U.S. Open Cup in 1999 but were defeated by a non-MLS team, the Rochester Raging Rhinos. The Rapids play their home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. They moved to this stadium in 2007.

Team History: How the Rapids Started

Early Days: 1996-2006

The Rapids played at Mile High Stadium from 1996 to 2001.

The Colorado Rapids were one of the first ten teams in Major League Soccer. Their first season in 1996 was tough, and they finished last in their conference. However, a player named Marcelo Balboa made history by scoring the club's first-ever goal.

In 1997, a new coach, Glenn Myernick, and general manager, Dan Counce, joined the team. They brought in new players like Paul Bravo and Marcus Hahnemann. The team improved a lot and made it to the 1997 MLS Cup final. They scored a goal in the final but lost 2–1 to D.C. United.

The Rapids continued to have ups and downs. In 1999, they reached the U.S. Open Cup final but lost to the Rochester Raging Rhinos. The year 2000 brought some memorable moments, including Marcelo Balboa's amazing bicycle kick goal, which won the Goal of the Year award.

In 2001, Tim Hankinson became the new head coach. He brought in talented players like John Spencer and Carlos Valderrama. The team made the playoffs every year under his coaching. During this time, the Rapids also set an MLS record for allowing very few goals at home in 2002.

A New Era: 2007-2013

The Rapids (in pale blue) playing against Houston Dynamo in 2009.

In 2006, the club changed its colors to burgundy and blue. This was done to match other teams owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises. They also built a new stadium, Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which opened in 2007. This stadium is one of the largest soccer-specific stadiums in the world.

The Rapids hosted the 2007 MLS All-Star Game at their new stadium. On the field, they had a mixed season and just missed the playoffs. In 2008, Gary Smith took over as interim coach and helped the team improve, but they still missed the playoffs by a small margin.

2010 MLS Cup Champions: A Historic Win!

The 2010 season was very exciting for the Rapids. They added new players like Jeff Larentowicz and Claudio Lopez. The team also built a special area for their biggest fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

The Rapids made it to the MLS Cup playoffs and defeated the Columbus Crew. Then, they won the Eastern Conference Championship against the San Jose Earthquakes, reaching the MLS Cup final for the first time since 1997.

In the final, Colorado played against FC Dallas. The Rapids were losing 1–0 at halftime, but Conor Casey scored to tie the game. In extra time, the Rapids scored again, winning the 2010 MLS Cup 2–1! This was the club's first major championship.

After their big win, the Rapids qualified for the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament for top teams in North and Central America.

The 2012 season brought more changes, with Oscar Pareja becoming the new head coach. The team tried to rebuild with new players but struggled and did not make the playoffs. In 2013, many players from the 2010 championship team left. The team focused on younger, faster players. They made the playoffs but were eliminated early. After the season, former Rapids star Pablo Mastroeni became the new head coach.

Recent Years: 2014-Present

Under coach Mastroeni, the Rapids had a tough 2014 season, missing the playoffs due to many injuries. In 2015, they finished last in their conference.

However, in 2016, the team made big changes, bringing in famous players like Tim Howard (a well-known goalkeeper). They had a great season, going 15 games without a loss and reaching the Western Conference Championship. They lost to the Seattle Sounders.

In 2017, the team struggled again, and Pablo Mastroeni was replaced by Anthony Hudson as head coach for the 2018 season. The Rapids continued to face challenges, finishing 10th in the Western Conference in both 2018 and 2019.

In 2019, Conor Casey became the interim head coach for a period, and then Robin Fraser took over as the permanent head coach. The team improved under Fraser, almost making the playoffs.

The 2020 season started well for the Rapids, but it was paused due to COVID-19. When games restarted, the team had some strong wins, including a 5–0 victory over Real Salt Lake. They clinched a playoff spot but lost in the first round. Young players like Sam Vines and Cole Bassett had excellent seasons.

In 2021, the Rapids had a fantastic year, finishing first in the Western Conference and second overall in MLS. They made it to the quarterfinals of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The 2022 and 2023 seasons were more challenging, with the team missing the playoffs. As of July 2025, Chris Armas is the head coach.

Team Colors and Badge

• 

  Colorado Rapids first logo (1996–2001)

• 

  Colorado Rapids second logo (2001–2006)

The Rapids' look has changed a lot over the years. They have updated their team colors and logos twice.

• Original Look (1996-2002): The team first wore green and white uniforms. Their first logo featured a river design.
• Second Look (2003-2006): The colors changed to black and blue stripes, similar to some European soccer teams. The circular logo became the main one.
• Current Look (2007-Present): When they moved to Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the team changed its colors to burgundy and sky blue. They also created a new shield-shaped logo. This logo includes a mountain to represent the Rocky Mountains and the number 96, which stands for their first season in 1996.

The Rapids' home jersey for 2013 even had the names of all their season ticket holders printed into the fabric! The team also had a special away jersey that year with the colors of the Colorado state flag.

A Scottish band called Little Eye, whose singer is the brother of former Rapids player Jamie Smith, wrote a song for the team called "Burgundy Sky." It is now the Rapids' official anthem.

For many years, the Rapids were the last MLS team without a sponsor on the front of their jerseys. They had a deal with Ciao Telecom in 2014, but it ended quickly. In 2015, Transamerica became their jersey sponsor. In November 2022, the Rapids announced a new partnership with UCHealth, which will be their jersey sponsor until the end of the 2029 season.

Home Stadium

Dick's Sporting Goods Park during a game between the Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy (November 2016).

The Rapids play their home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. This stadium is about 8 miles north of downtown Denver. It cost $131 million to build and can hold 19,680 fans. It's known as a soccer-specific stadium because it was built just for the Colorado Rapids.

The stadium opened on April 7, 2007. The complex also has youth soccer fields and shops. It is owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises (KSE), the same company that owns the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets. The team had wanted a stadium just for soccer since 1999.

Before Dick's Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids played at Mile High Stadium from 1996 to 2001. This was a large stadium they shared with the Denver Broncos football team. Then, they moved to the Broncos' new stadium, Invesco Field at Mile High, from 2002 to 2006.

The Rapids have a much better record when they play at home compared to when they play away. From 1996 to 2014, they won about 65% of their home games but only 29% of their away games.

Team Culture

Rocky Mountain Cup: A Local Rivalry

In 2005, Real Salt Lake joined Major League Soccer. They became the closest team to the Rapids. Fans of both clubs created a special competition called the Rocky Mountain Cup. Each season, the team that wins more games against the other in league play gets to keep the Cup.

Supporters: The Fans Who Cheer Loudest

Omar Cummings greeting the fans at the Supporters Terrace.

The Rapids have a strong fan base. In 2002, they had the highest average attendance in the league. For some international games, like those in the CONCACAF Champions League, fans in the standing-only areas (called terraces) had to move to seated sections because of tournament rules.

In 2013, the three main Rapids fan groups – Class VI, the Pid Army, and the Bulldog Supporters Group – decided to combine into one big group called Centennial 38. They are known for their loud cheering and support for the team.

Broadcasting Games

Rapids games are shown on Altitude Television, which is also owned by Kroenke Sports Entertainment. Since 2007, Major League Soccer has made sure that every game is shown on TV, either locally or nationally.

Richard Fleming, a former BBC sports broadcaster, is the main play-by-play announcer for the Rapids. He is joined by U.S. soccer legend Marcelo Balboa as the color analyst, who explains the game.

Since 2023, all Rapids matches are available to watch on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app.

Players and Staff

Current Roster

No. Position Player 1 GK Zack Steffen 2 DF Keegan Rosenberry 3 DF Sam Vines 4 DF Reggie Cannon 5 DF Andreas Maxsø 8 MF Oliver Larraz 9 FW Rafael Navarro 10 MF Djordje Mihailovic 12 MF Josh Atencio 13 MF Wayne Frederick 14 FW Calvin Harris 15 MF Ali Fadal

No. Position Player 16 FW Alex Harris 18 MF Sam Bassett 19 DF Ian Murphy 20 MF Connor Ronan 21 MF Ted Ku-DiPietro 23 MF Cole Bassett 27 FW Kimani Stewart-Baynes 41 GK Nicolas Hansen 45 FW Daouda Amadou 77 FW Darren Yapi 99 DF Jackson Travis

Players on Loan

Sometimes players are loaned to other teams to get more playing time.

No. Position Player 31 GK Adam Beaudry (on loan to Colorado Springs Switchbacks) 34 DF Michael Edwards (on loan to Charleston Battery)

No. Position Player 56 DF Nate Jones (on loan to Las Vegas Lights) FW Bryce Jamison (on loan to Orange County SC)

Team Management and Coaches

Head Coaches Through the Years

Name	Country	Years Coached	Games Coached
Bob Houghton	England	1996	31
Roy Wegerle (interim)	United States	1996	1
Glenn Myernick	United States	1996–2000	128
Tim Hankinson	United States	2000–2004	114
Fernando Clavijo	United States	2004–2008	124
Gary Smith	England	2008–2011	94
Óscar Pareja	Colombia	2012–2014	68
Pablo Mastroeni	United States	2014–2017	123
Steve Cooke (interim)	England	2017	12
Anthony Hudson	England	2017–2019	43
Conor Casey (interim)	United States	2019	18
Robin Fraser	United States	2019–2023	125
Chris Little (interim)	Scotland	2023	8
Chris Armas	United States	2023–present	0

Gallery of Honor: Rapids Legends

The Rapids created a "Gallery of Honor" in 2003 to celebrate their best players of all time. Their names and jersey numbers are displayed at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

• #17 Marcelo Balboa (inducted 2003)
• #9 Paul Bravo (inducted 2003)
• #19 Chris Henderson (inducted 2007)
• #7 John Spencer (inducted 2009)
• #25 Pablo Mastroeni (inducted 2014)
• #9 Conor Casey (inducted 2017)
• #3 Drew Moor (inducted 2023)

Team Achievements

• MLS Cup
  • Champions (1): 2010

Other Trophies

• MLS Reserve Division
  • Champions (2): 2006, 2007
• Rocky Mountain Cup
  • Winners (6): 2005, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2020, 2024

Team Records

Year-by-Year Performance

Here's a look at the Rapids' performance over the last few seasons:

Season	League									Position		Playoffs	USOC	Continental		Average attendance	Top goalscorer(s)
	Pld	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts	PPG	Conf.	Overall			CCL	LC		Name(s)	Goals
2018	34	8	19	7	36	63	−27	31	0.91	11th	21st	DNQ	R4	Ro16	NH	15,333	Dominique Badji	7
2019	34	12	16	6	58	63	−5	42	1.24	9th	16th	DNQ	R4	DNQ	DNQ	14,284	Kei Kamara	14
2020	18	8	6	4	32	28	+4	28	1.56	5th	10th	R1	NH			13,062	Cole Bassett Jonathan Lewis	5
2021	34	17	7	10	51	35	+16	61	1.79	1st	2nd	QF	NH			12,014	Michael Barrios	8
2022	34	11	13	10	46	57	–11	43	1.26	10th	18th	DNQ	Ro32	Ro16		14,473	Diego Rubio	16
2023	34	5	17	12	26	54	–28	27	0.79	14th	28th	DNQ	Ro16	DNQ	DNQ	15,409	Cole Bassett	6

1. Avg. attendance includes statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in League, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back Tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

International Tournaments Played

The Rapids have also competed in international tournaments:

Player Records: Most Games Played

Here are the players who have played the most games for the Colorado Rapids:

Rank	Player	Years	MLS Games	Playoff Games	US Open Cup Games	Continental Games	Total Games
1	Mastroeni, PabloPablo Mastroeni	2002–2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&0225.&&&&&0225	&&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01	245
2	Moor, DrewDrew Moor	2009–2015 2019–2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&0210.&&&&&0210	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	223
3	Henderson, ChrisChris Henderson	1996–1999 2001–2006	&&&&&&&&&&&&0178.&&&&&0178	&&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	197
4	Rosenberry, KeeganKeegan Rosenberry	2018–Present	&&&&&&&&&&&&0168.&&&&&0168	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011	179
5	Balboa, MarceloMarcelo Balboa	1996–2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&0151.&&&&&0151	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	168
6	Cummings, OmarOmar Cummings	2007–2013	&&&&&&&&&&&&0147.&&&&&0147	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	159
7	Beckerman, KyleKyle Beckerman	2002–2007	&&&&&&&&&&&&0145.&&&&&0145	&&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	155
8	Wynne, MarvellMarvell Wynne	2010–2014	&&&&&&&&&&&&0140.&&&&&0140	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03	153
9	Bravo, PaulPaul Bravo	1996–2002	&&&&&&&&&&&&0135.&&&&&0135	&&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00	151
10	Wilson, DannyDanny Wilson	2018–2023	&&&&&&&&&&&&0136.&&&&&0136	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05	147

Player Records: Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for the Colorado Rapids:

Rank	Player	Years	MLS Goals	Playoff Goals	US Open Cup Goals	Continental Goals	Total Goals
1	Conor Casey	2007–2012	50	2	1	0	53
2	Paul Bravo	1997–2001	39	5	1	1	46
3	John Spencer	2001–2004	37	2	4	0	43
4	Omar Cummings	2007–2012	39	1	1	1	42
5	Diego Rubio	2019–2023	38	0	1	1	40
6	Chris Henderson	1996–1998 2002–2005	31	2	4	0	37
7	Dominique Badji	2015–2018 2021	28	0	3	0	31
8	Jonathan Lewis	2019–2025	26	0	3	1	30
9	Wolde Harris	1997–1999 2005	27	1	0	0	28
10	Mark Chung	2002–2005	26	1	0	0	27

See also

In Spanish: Colorado Rapids para niños