5 Things That Have Happened In The MLS Since The Rapids Scored A Goal
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (CBS4) - What's this? Colorado has a Major League Soccer team?
Yes! The Colorado Rapids.
The who?
You know, they play in Commerce City at Dick's Sporting Goods Park!
Sorry, I guess I just forgot about them.
The imagined conversation above might easily be one you'd actually hear in a Denver sports bar this spring.
Why? It's not like we're in the MLS offseason or something. The Rapids season is well underway. They've already played four games.
But a sports-but-not-really-soccer fan who resides in Denver could easily be forgiven for now knowing much about the Rapids, or knowing they exist at all. After watching the sports segments of Denver TV newscasts over the past few months you might not know either.
Yes, the Rapids have to compete for airtime with Denver's four teams in the major pro leagues, and the MLS is really only considered a "major" pro league in certain cities.
But it's really more about how the Rapids are playing than anything else. The team hasn't scored a goal since Oct. 11, 2014.
What?
Yes. The Colorado Rapids haven't scored a goal in the past 600 minutes of play.
And they haven't won a match since June 25, 2014.
Ouch!
The Rapids have another chance to hit one in the net this Friday at Toyota Stadium in Texas against FC Dallas, but until then let's look at some of the things that have happened in the MLS world since they have actually scored:
1. The Los Angeles Galaxy won the MLS Cup
Remember when the Rapids were at the top of the Major League Soccer world? Their 2010 championship seems like a long, long way away now.
2. Pablo Mastroeni grew a mustache
During the offseason the Rapids head coach grew a mustache, and a fine one at that. The coach says he was inspired to grow it when his father "told him he has to change his mentality" from that of a player to that of a coach.
3. An MLS strike was avoided
Major League Soccer and the players union reached a new collective bargaining agreement last month.
4. The league expanded by two teams
The Rapids played the new team the New York City Football Club on March 21 and the result was a scoreless tie. The Rapids will play Orlando City SC, the other new expansion team, on June 24 in Orlando.
5. Colorado announced as host for MLS All-Star Game
The league announced in January that Dick's Sporting Goods Park will be the site for the 2015 All-Star Game. Right now it's not looking very likely any Rapids player will be on that team.
