Colorado Rapids

The Colorado Rapids are an American football franchise of the Major League Soccer ( MLS) in Commerce City, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The franchise was founded in 1995 and participated in the inaugural season in 1996 on the game mode. The team colors are burgundy - red and sky blue.

The name Rapids refers to the rapids of the Colorado River. The home games are played in the Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City since the 2007 season. The Rapids in 2010 won the first time in its history, the MLS Cup.

• 4.1 fan groups
• 4.2 rival: Rocky Mountain Cup

• 5.1 Current Senior Squad
• 5.2 Existing Players
• 5.3 Coaching staff
• 5.4 Existing trainer

• 7.1 record this season
• 7.2 Club Records
• 7.3 Visitors section

History

The first ten years (1996-2006)

The Colorado Rapids are one of the ten founding members of Major League Soccer. Owner was the Anschutz Corporation or its subsidiaries later Anschutz Entertainment Group. At the end of the first season, the Rapids occupied the last place in the Western Conference and were only able to achieve 11 wins in 32 games. The team had made ​​Denver a number of experienced players in the squad, as Marcelo Balboa, Chris Woods and Shaun Bartlett. The first coach of the football franchises was the Englishman Bob Houghton, who but was dismissed at the end of the season. Roy Wegerle took over as player-coach for a short time the position of the coach on an interim basis.

The following season was much more successful. Under the new coach Glenn Myernick and the new general manager, Dan Counce, a number of new players has been committed, such as Marcus Hahnemann, Wolde Harris and Paul Bravo. The first games were not very successful, but the team was able to escape the end of the season to the last place in the Western Conference and so came into the play- offs. After victories against the Kansas City Wizards, who were regarded as favorites, and Dallas Burn the team was on 26 October 1997 at the final of the play-offs, the MLS Cup, DC United against. Colorado lost the game 2-1, but failed to qualify in 1998, where one was eliminated against Club Leon for the qualification round for the CONCACAF Champions ' Cup.

The following years were for the Rapids to a roller coaster ride. In 1999, the Rapids the final of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The final was lost 2-0 against the Rochester Raging Rhinos. To date, the Rapids the only MLS club that has lost the cup final against a team unterklassige are. 2001 Tim Hankinson coach of the Rapids. His defensive play and questionable player obligations being more than once for controversy among fans. After several years of mediocrity, he was released after the 2004 season.

In 2005, the Rapids were taken over by the company Kroenks Sports Enterprises. In addition to a new logo has been committed with Fernando Clavijo a new coach. The Rapids reached after a dramatic victory on penalties against FC Dallas the semifinals. In the 2006 season the Rapids reached only on the final day of the regular season, the playoffs and once again reached the semi-finals.

On the way to the MLS Cup (2007-2010)

In early 2007 gave the club announced that it has entered into an agreement with the English Premier League club Arsenal, the two sides will bring both financial and sporting benefits. As part of this partnership, the Rapids changed their logo. The club colors are now no longer blue and black but that burgundy- red and sky blue. Same time, a partnership with the Mexican club CF Pachuca was received.

2010 the association succeeded for the second time in its history, participation in the MLS Cup. The game against FC Dallas was won 2-1 after extra time, so the championship was won for the first time.

Recent events (2011 - )

The team was little changed for the 2011 season. The best-known newcomer was the former Irish international Caleb Folan. With a fifth place in the Western Conference, the team for the play-offs to qualify. There, however, they failed in the quarter- finals ( Conference semifinals ) at Sporting Kansas City. By winning the 2010 MLS Cup, the Rapids played in the CONCACAF Champions League, but eliminated in the group stage. In November 2011, the contract of coach Gary Smith was not renewed.

Crest and colors

Since 1996, the crest of the Colorado Rapids has been amended twice. The first logo reflected the environment resists in Colorado. The lettering Colorado Rapids got up rapids and in the background you could see the mountains of the Rocky Mountains. 2001, changed the coat of arms and merged with the until then also exist second logo. It was a round icon with a green frame football in the middle. Since 2007 there is a red logo, which again leads the hint of the Rocky Mountains with it.

Just as the coat of arms, so did the team colors changed over the last few years. Until 2003, the team played in green and white jerseys. Although this changed again and again in their appearance, as the team had different equipment, but the color basic pattern remained the same. For the 2003 season, the players of the Rapids wore blue-black jersey, similar to Inter Milan. This resulted from the fact that the Mexican sporting goods manufacturer Atletica had taken the jersey design. In 2007, the appearance of the Rapids was again changed completely. The jerseys were now burgundy red and white.

Colorado Rapids Logo (2001 to 2006)

Colorado Rapids Logo (since 2007)

Stadium

• Mile High Stadium; Denver, Colorado (1996-2001)
• North Area Athletic Complex; Arvada, Colorado ( 2003) 1 game in U.S. Open Cup
• Dick's Sporting Goods Park; Commerce City, Colorado ( since 2007)

The home games of the rapids are played in the Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The football stadium was opened on 7 April 2007, and can accommodate 19,680 spectators. The park is one of Kroenke Sports Enterprises.

Fans and rivals

Fan groups

Even though the Rapids in their history have always had relatively high audience numbers has been unsettled the history of fan groups. A handful of organized fan clubs came and went. In the years 2005 and 2006 are two new fan set up. While the " Centennial Firm" trying to build an ultra scene, is in the group " Class VI " an organization of season ticket holders.

Before the 2007 season, the Rapids have moved to a new stadium. A part of the stadium is built for the " Centennial Firm" and will be called " The Front Range". This is the name and the official fan club of the association.

Rivals: Rocky Mountain Cup

Through the MLS Expansion 2005 Real Salt Lake became the second team from the Rocky Mountains in the MLS and the nearest neighbor of the Rapids. The fans of both clubs then created the Rocky Mountain Cup to cement the rivalry between the two clubs. Winner of the Rocky Mountain Cup is the team that wins the most points from the direct duels during the regular season.

The Rocky Mountain Cup is similar to the Atlantic Cup, the Brimstone Cup and the Honda Superclassico.

Players and staff

Current Senior Squad

As of June 25, 2013

Existing players

• Main article: List of Players of the Colorado Rapids

Coaching staff

As of June 25, 2013

• Óscar Pareja Colombia ( Trainer)
• Colombia Wilmer Cabrera (assistant coach )
• Ireland Paul Caffrey (assistant coach )
• United States David Kramer ( Goalkeeper Coach )
• United States Jaime Rojas ( Fitness Trainer)

Previous coach

• England Bobby Houghton (1996 )
• United States Roy Wegerle (1996, interim coach )
• United States Glenn Myernick (1997-2000)
• United States Tim Hankinson (2001-2004)
• United States Fernando Clavijo (2005-2008)
• England Gary Smith (2008-2011)
• Óscar Pareja Colombia (2012 - )

Achievements

• MLS Cup Winner (1 ): 2010
• Finale ( 1): 1997

• MLS Eastern Conference Winner (play- off) (1 ): 2010

• MLS Western Conference Winner (play- off ) (1): 1997

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finale ( 1): 1999

• Other successes MLS Reserve Division ( 2) 2006, 2007
• Rocky Mountain Cup ( 2) 2005, 2006

Statistics

Record this season

Club Records

These records relate to the regular season up to and including the 2011 season:

• Most Games: Pablo Mastroeni, 216
• Top goals: Conor Casey, 48
• Most Assists: Chris Henderson, 53
• Most clean sheets: Joe Cannon, 25

Visitors section

Women's Soccer

Since 2012 it has with the Colorado Rapids Women his own women's soccer team, which went from a merger with the Colorado Force FC forth. The club currently plays in the USL W-League and wearing its home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado from. For cadres of the 2013 season include the Canadian national team Pascale Pinard, the Australian selection player Brooke Spence, the Japanese national Shino Kunisawa, as well as the German U -20 national team Sophie Howard.