The 2014 Colorado Rapids season was the club's nineteenth season of existence, and their nineteenth season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids.
Finishing eighth in the West and seventeenth overall, the Rapids failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, after previously qualifying last year. Despite an upper-mid table performance to start the season, the club was plagued heavily by injuries, causing the team to go winless in their final fourteen matches of the season, twelve of which, were losses. In the U.S. Open Cup, the Rapids won their first fixture against Orlando City, 5–2. In the fifth round, they fell to the Atlanta Silverbacks. Additionally, they were unable to defend their Rocky Mountain Cup title, losing to rivals, Real Salt Lake.
Background
Club
Roster Updated July 20, 2014. No.PositionNationPlayer
Technical Staff As of February 18, 2014. Position Name Technical director Paul Bravo Head coach Pablo Mastroeni Assistant coach John Metgod Assistant coach Steve Cooke Assistant coach/Goalkeepers Chris Sharpe Director of Team Operations Jeff Mathews Team Administrator Erik Carlson Head Athletic Trainer Jamie Rojas Assistant Athletic Trainer Michael Heitkamp Equipment Manager Brandy Lay
Transfers
Transfers In
DatePlayerPositionPrevious clubFee/notesRef January 7, 2014 Marvin Chávez MF San Jose Earthquakes Acquired in exchange for Atiba Harris February 12, 2014 Joe Nasco GK Atlanta Silverbacks March 4, 2014 José Marí MF Real Zaragoza April 4, 2014 Thomas Piermayr DF Lillestrøm SK May 8, 2014 Gale Agbossoumonde DF Toronto FC Acquired in a three team trade, Colorado sent Marvin Chávez to Chivas USA May 14, 2014 John Neeskens DF Unattached Signed on a Free Transfer July 1, 2014 Carlos Alvarez MF Chivas USA Acquired in exchange for Nathan Sturgis
Transfers Out
DatePlayerPositionDestination clubFee/notesRef December 2, 2013 Diego Calderón DF Option Declined, later signed with LDU Quito December 4, 2013 Jaime Castrillón MF Option Declined December 6, 2013 Steward Ceus GK Option Declined December 9, 2013 Jamie Smith MF Option Declined, later retired December 9, 2013 Brian Mullan MF Option Declined, later re-signed January 7, 2014 Atiba Harris MF San Jose Earthquakes Sent in exchange for Marvin Chávez January 21, 2014 Tony Cascio MF Houston Dynamo Sent on interleague loan for the 2014 MLS Season in exchange for an international roster slot February 10, 2014 Anthony Wallace DF Tampa Bay Rowdies February 12, 2014 Hendry Thomas MF FC Dallas Sent in exchange for allocation money February 18, 2014 Kory Kindle DF Retired to go back to school March 20, 2014 Matt Pickens GK New England Revolution Waived, later claimed by New England May 8, 2014 Marvin Chávez MF Chivas USA Sent in a three team trade, Colorado received Gale Agbossoumonde from Toronto FC June 11, 2014 Brenton Griffiths MF Released July 1, 2014 Nathan Sturgis MF Chivas USA Sent to Chivas USA in exchange for Carlos Alvarez
Draft picks DatePlayerPositionPrevious clubFee/notesRef December 12, 2013 Marc Burch MF Seattle Sounders FC 2013 MLS Re-Entry Draft 1st Stage, 1st Round, 11th Overall Pick January 16, 2014 Marlon Hairston MF University of Louisville 2014 MLS SuperDraft 1st Round, 12th Overall Pick, Generation Adidas January 16, 2014 Grant Van De Casteele DF University of Notre Dame 2014 MLS SuperDraft 1st Round, 19th Overall Pick January 16, 2014 Jared Watts MF Wake Forest University 2014 MLS SuperDraft 2nd Round, 33rd Overall Pick January 16, 2014 John Berner GK Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 2014 MLS SuperDraft 2nd Round, 35th Overall Pick January 21, 2014 Tolani Ibikunle DF Wake Forest University 2014 MLS SuperDraft 3rd Round, 48th Overall Pick January 21, 2014 Albert Edward DF Lindsey Wilson College 2014 MLS SuperDraft 4th Round, 68th Overall Pick
Competitions
Preseason
MLS
U.S. Open Cup
Standings
Major League Soccer
Western Conference standings
Overall table
Note: the table below has no impact on playoff qualification and is used solely for determining host of the MLS Cup, certain CCL spots, and 2015 MLS draft. The conference tables are the sole determinant for teams qualifying to the playoffs
Results summary
Results by round
Statistics
Top scorers
PlayerMLSMLS Cup PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTotal1FW 26 Deshorn Brown 10 0 3 132MF 8 Dillon Powers 5 0 2 73FW 7 Vicente Sánchez 6 0 0 64MF 6 José Marí 4 0 0 45MF 17 Dillon Serna 3 0 0 3FW 10 Gabriel Torres 3 0 0 36DF 3 Drew Moor 2 0 0 2FW 9 Edson Buddle 2 0 0 2MF 13 Kamani Hill 2 0 0 2MF 2 Nick LaBrocca 1 0 1 27DF 4 Marc Burch 1 0 0 1MF 94 Marlon Hairston 1 0 0 1DF 27 Shane O'Neill 1 0 0 1
Top assists
PlayerMLSMLS Cup PlayoffsU.S. Open CupTotal1MF 8 Dillon Powers 9 0 1 102MF 17 Dillon Serna 4 0 0 4DF 4 Marc Burch 3 0 1 44MF 6 José Marí 1 0 1 25MF 57 Carlos Alvarez 1 0 0 1DF 15 Chris Klute 1 0 0 1DF 3 Drew Moor 1 0 0 1FW 9 Edson Buddle 1 0 0 1FW 10 Gabriel Torres 1 0 0 1MF 33 Jared Watts 1 0 0 1MF 94 Marlon Hairston 1 0 0 1DF 22 Marvell Wynne 1 0 0 1MF 24 Nathan Sturgis 1 0 0 1MF 2 Nick LaBrocca 1 0 0 1FW 7 Vicente Sánchez 0 0 1 1
Goalkeeping PlayerPositionGAAGASavesGSGP1 Clint Irwin 1.96456622232 John Berner 1.2066553 Joe Nasco 2.3271344
Disciplinary record Includes all competitive matches. The list is sorted by shirt number.
Only competitive matches
Italic: denotes no longer with club.
References