DENVER — Returning from a bye week, the Colorado Rapids will be welcomed back to the pitch for one final matchup before heading back to Commerce City next weekend.
The Rapids, who have been on the road for the past three weeks, are set to face Toronto FC on Saturday, April 4. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. MT at BMO Field, and will feature the integration of new roster additions.
The organization announced last week that the club had acquired winger Georgi Minoungou and defender Kosi Thompson in exchange for General Allocation Money. Both 23-year-olds join Colorado from fellow MLS teams.
Minoungou joins the club from Western Conference opponent the Seattle Sounders, Colorado’s opening opponent of the regular season, where he spent two seasons. In 34 appearances across all competitions, he recorded three goals and seven assists.
Thompson, under contract through the 2026 season, will face former teammates this week, arriving at the Rapids from Toronto FC. Thompson has recorded notable MLS experience, making 113 appearances across all competitions, with two goals and one assist.
“We would like to thank Kosi for his service to our club,” Toronto FC General Manager Jason Hernandez said in an announcement from the organization. “As one of our homegrown players, Kosi dedicated many years of his football journey to TFC. We wish Kosi all the best in the next chapter of his career and he will always have a home at TFC.”
With familiarity of Toronto FC’s system and player techniques, Thompson is expected to integrate into a well-established Colorado defensive unit that includes Jackson Travis, Lucas Herrington, Rob Holding and Miquel Navarro. Three of which received yellow cards in the team’s most recent matchup against Sporting Kansas City on March 21.
“My goals for this next month are to hopefully get a goal and an assist while still stacking on the minutes at a consistent rate,” Travis said. “To do that, you have to keep putting your head down every day and working hard and training. (We) pretty much have to give 110% everyday in training.”
The late March matchup marked the team’s first away victory, securing a 4-1 Rapids win. The team recorded four goals from three different players throughout the match, as well as six yellow cards from both teams.
Paxten Aaronson began the scoring early, finding the net twice overall, starting in the 12th minute to bring the team to a quick 1-0 lead. Additionally, Rafael Navarro and Wayne Frederick each scored, marking Frederick’s first MLS career goal and Navarro’s third of the season, to lead the team.
Offensive pressure will be a key fundamental going into this week’s matchup. In the last three matchups, Toronto FC and starting goalkeeper Luka Gavran have held their opponents to one point or less. Gavran has recorded 12 saves across 450 minutes this season.
Gavran has recorded nearly double the amount of both minutes played and saves so far this season when compared to the Rapids senior goalkeeper and captain, Zack Steffen.
Steffen, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Thursday, has appeared in three matches this season, totaling 270 minutes and eight saves. His availability has been limited due to a sustained shoulder injury that has sidelined him for two matches, impacting his overall early-season statistics.
Though early in the season, Navarro leads the team with three goals and two assists, followed by Aaronson and Darren Yapi, each contributing two goals and an assist. Hamzat Ojediran, Alexis Anyoma and Lucas Herrington have each added one goal apiece as the team looks forward to more offensive contributions in upcoming matches.
Herrington is among the five First Team players who received national call-ups during the March international window. Herrington joined the Australia Senior Men’s National Team, Donavan Phillip for the Saint Lucia Men’s National Team, Bryce Jamison for the U.S U-20 Men’s National Team, and Noah Cobb and Yapi for the United States U-21 Men’s National Team.
During their time internationally, Rapids players made heavy contributions to their various international rosters, representing the club well.
Herrington, 18, made his debut with the Socceroos on March 27, during the team’s matchup against Cameroon. He started at center back and logged a full 90 minutes, helping the team to achieve a 2-0 shut out victory. Concluding the victory, he was voted as “Player of the Match,” finishing with 94 percent pass accuracy, 100 percent aerial duels won and 74 total touches. He started in the teams following the matchup against Curaçao and was subbed out at halftime, concluding his first call-up with the Socceroos.
For Saint Lucia, Phillip recorded his first career international goal, logging 90 minutes in his debut match against Azerbaijan. An additional goal by Yapi in the United States U-21 matchup against Japan helped Rapids roster members contribute to team wins across the globe.
With a combination of new roster elements and international call-up returns, the Colorado team looks forward to the upcoming match with goals in place of replicating the team’s training procedures to match play and complete both individual and team completing goals.
“All we want, all we demand in the games, is that you play exactly how you train. That is why we train the way we do. That is why it is hard in training. Because you play the way you train,” head coach Matt Wells said. “When the match day comes, anything that wants you to change is a figment of your imagination.”
Saturday will mark the team’s last consecutive away match before returning home to DICK’S Sporting Goods Park the following weekend to face Houston.
