"We’re going to grow from it either way." Captain Keegan Rosenberry puts 2025 in perspective, writes @mlsfrom5280.bsky.social: burgundywave.com/2025/10/21/c...

. @hudsonriverblue.com did a great break down of MLS teams' performance relative to spend. Colorado Rapids were mid table with 2.65 pts/$1 million spent. This was with a payroll of ~$15.5 million (that number's not the full story). www.hudsonriverblue.com/points-per-m...

Podcast: Decision Day and 2025 Colorado Rapids season review. Chris Armas apology. Offseason preview. burgundywave.com/2025/10/21/c...

Update: Chris Armas reached out. We spoke on the phone. He apologized. I accepted his apology. He posted a public apology on the other site. “Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” - Seneca

Matt is out here showing a level of introspection and grace we should expect of all of the journalists we follow, regardless of subject, but especially in sports.

🧵 Hi MLS BlueSky. This is @bymattpollard.bsky.social, BW Managing Editor. It's been 24 hours since this exchange with Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas. I've given it some thought. Let's talk about it.

Rapids 2 are the 3 seed in the Western Conference bracket. Higher seeds St. Louis and The Town both won. Today was likely the R2's final home game of the year. NEXT Pro does the higher seed matchup selection for the Conference Semifinals.

Colorado Rapids 2 won their opening MLS NEXT Pro playoff game. Intensity and treating throw ins as set pieces won the day, Erik Bushey said: burgundywave.com/2025/10/19/c...

Sam Bassett with the winner for Rapids 2 in the 86th minute! Jailbreak counter. Wathuta bodies a guy and takes a quick throw in. Copeland gallops forward and finds Bassett for an open shot! R2 are headed to the Conference Semifinal! #Rapids96 www.mlsnextpro.com/video/goal-s...

Fulltime! Rapids 2 win 3-2! Second half goals from Harris, Bassett, and O'Neill. The R2 counter attack gets it done. Whitecaps got a set piece goal in the 91st from O'Neill. A brace for him. R2 ended up needing that third goal. Sam Bassett with the winner. R2 advance! #Rapids96

72' GOAL RAPIDS 2! Diop takes the throw in quickly. Cameron hustles and finds Alex Harris. Harris scores! R2 take the lead! Cameron now has 2 goals, 4 assists in his last 4 games! 2-1 | #Rapids96 www.mlsnextpro.com/video/goal-a...

Halftime from DSGP. 1-1. García and O'Neill with the goals. Vancouver was on top of it for stretches. Rapids 2 has been good in transition. Would like to see R2 make them more uncomfortable playing out of the back. It's anyone's game. #Rapids96

15' Goal Whitecaps 2. O'Neill. A bit sloppy from the back line. 1-1 | #Rapids96 www.mlsnextpro.com/video/goal-m...

7' GOAL RAPIDS 2! Battle for the ball in midfield. R2 goes in transition. What a half volley by Antony García! Alex Harris with the assist. 1-0 | #Rapids96 www.mlsnextpro.com/video/goal-a...

1' Kickoff! Colorado Rapids 2 playing in the opening round of the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs! Wathuta on the bench because of a knock. Otherwise an expected lineup.

Points against the bottom 7 teams in the West: Dallas: 25 FSL: 23 (with one to play) San Jose: 21 Colorado: 18 That's why we're probably going to miss the playoffs.

The Colorado Rapids drew LAFC and missed out on the MLS Cup playoffs. Here's why tonight summed up their 2025 season and what it means for Chris Armas' future: burgundywave.com/2025/10/19/c...

“I’m speechless right now. It’s the highest highs and the lowest lows.” - Darren Yapi

Chris Armas on Darren Yapi's clutch gene: It's in his DNA. It wasn't too long ago the player was in tears, thinking he'll never score. His mentality, we've showed him support. Give him confidence. He takes the rest. He'll score a lot of goals in the future. Yapi Hour.

Armas on his post game speech: I live in the moment. I've gotten better at this. I say what's on my mind, the truth * from my heart. It was close. This is what I told the guys. When you lose at the end of a year, there's not a lot to say. They're spent for a year's worth of work

Armas on Zack Steffen cheating up a bit but not going into the box on those late corners: He's way out of his goal, we smash one, it's a rebound, and it's a jailbreak. Our guys recovered. It's a risk.

Chris Armas on his future being out of contract, after being snarky and attacking our coverage as always being negative and wondering how many people read us: "It's fresh. It just ended (the season). We'll have discussions."

Paxten Aaronson on World Cup year: Not considering a loan option. Has a good offseason program in place with his dad back home. Ready to work on what I normally don't have time for during the season.

Paxten Aaronson on his first year with Colorado, what could have been better (paraphrasing): First 7 games were good. New guys trying to gel. The position I was playing...not normally used to playing. Used to playing deeper. Was a second striker at times. It took/takes time.

UC Health nominated John Babiak as a recipient for the “Jersey Off Our Backs” activation. He received a kit from midfielder Oli Larraz, who John has known since he was a kid.

Initial take aways: #Rapids96 missing the playoffs makes this season a failure. Tonight was disappointing, but not unexpected. This team missed the playoffs from those losses at LAG and SKC. Aaronson, one goal contribution. Not good enough. So close, yet so inconsistent, sloppy.

RSL drew St. Louis. If Colorado doesn't give up that goal, they would have been in 9th, at Portland Timbers for the Wild Card.

Fulltime. 2-2. Colorado Rapids miss the playoffs. San Jose has won so they're above Colorado on goal difference. The ending of the RSL game is irrelevant. 2-2 | #Rapids96

DARRENY YAPI www.mlssoccer.com/video/goal-d...

90+ St.Louis scored. A Rapids winner and they finish 9th. Steffen up for a corner. 2-2 | #Rapids96

90' Aaaaand goal LAFC. Andrew Moran. Rebound off the post and he passes it into the net. It was all for not. 2-2 | #Rapids96

88' YAPI HOUR! COLORADO RAPIDS GOAL! LARRAZ WITH THE CROSS AND YAPI HEADS IT! (The other teams are still winning. Colorado now needs them to collapse.) 2-1 | #Rapids96

82' Final Rapids sub window: Captain Keegan Rosenberry and Rafa Santos on for Vines and Cannon. 1-1 | #Rapids96

81' Rapids in transition. Navarro with a cross with Manyoma wide open. Lloris intercepts. Would have been a tap in. 1-1 | #Rapids96

76' Son subbed off to a round of applause. 1-1 | #Rapids96

Rapids need to win to have any chance of sneaking into the playoffs and so after getting this gift of an equalizer to make it 1-1, Armas... subs off an attacker to bring on another d-mid. Boy, I dunno.

75' Rapids second sub: Alexis Manyoma on for Ronan. Bassett and Larraz double pivot. 1-1 | #Rapids96

72' Chance Rapids! Cross to the near post. Navarro flicks out of the air. Outside netting. 1-1 | #Rapids96

70' Cross into the box. LAFC clears it. Darren Yapi pulled down but he was tugging on his marker. South stands wanted a pen. 1-1 | #Rapids96

Completely against the run of play, Paxten Aaronson has his first goal contribution for Colorado. #wpiootbgw. The Rapids have a pulse. Dallas and RSL still winning though. Rapids need help and another goal. www.mlssoccer.com/video/goal-p...

63' Rapids sub: Larraz on for KDP. Bassett moves up field. 1-1 | #Rapids96

62' GOAL RAPIDS! Out of NOWHERE Paxten Aaronson has his first goal contribution for Colorado. He pressed Lloris and deflected the pass in! A howler from the World Cup winner! 1-1 | #Rapids96

58' Free kick Ronan. Holding wins a tug-of-war and gets a header. Right at Lloris. 0-1 | #Rapids96

52' Reggie Cannon into space.. cross and Bassett falls down. Shot wide of the post. Same vibes as that missed chance at the end of the Minnesota game. 0-1 | #Rapids96

Attendance: 18,258. A sellout! More than the USMNT game on Tuesday and 4th of July! #Rapids96

46' Second half under way. No halftime subs. Reminder: Rapids cannot lose this game or they're out no matter what. 0-1 | #Rapids96

Not sure what the backline was trying to do here but allowing Son to go 1-v-1 at Maxsø couldn't have been the plan. www.mlssoccer.com/video/goal-s...

Halftime. 0-1. Son. Shots are 11-1 LAFC. Colorado's gotten into some good spots, but can't threaten. Typical Pids huffing and puffing against LAFC. Son scoring felt inevitable. We won't be checking other scores till Colorado scores. Lose and they're no matter what. #Rapids96

42' Goal LAFC. Son 1-v-1 with Maxsø. That goal had been coming. Goes upper 90 on Steffen. Crowd erupts. South Korean flags waving. 0-1 | #Rapids96

38' Play stopped. Navarro loses a battle with Segura. He goes down. Training staff is there. Hand injury. A finger might not be pointing the right way. 0-0 | #Rapids96