Who is Sidnei Tavares? Analyzing the Rapids’ Recent Acquisition

COMMERCE CITY – A busy secondary transfer window for the Colorado Rapids saw them offload a multitude of players, while acquiring some exciting, yet uncertain young talent.

In exchange for draft picks and GAM, Colorado parted ways with Michael Barrios, Anthony Markanich, and Bryan Acosta. Marko Ilic saw his loan move finalized into a permanent deal, Andrew Gutman was acquired from Atlanta United, and the highly publicized Brazilian forward Rafael Navarro arrived on loan from Palmeiras.

Many felt that there could still be one more addition to the Rapids roster as the deadline approached, and they were correct. Sidnei Tavares, the 21 year old Portuguese who plied his trade in Portugal, playing for Porto’s reserves, was brought in on loan with an option to buy.

A virtual unknown to American soccer fans (and to plenty of Europeans as well), the midfielder brings a sense of cautious intrigue to a Rapids midfield that has desperately been lacking a spark outside of Connor Ronan.

Tavares’ Career So Far

Born in Cascais, a town of 214,000 in the Lisbon District of Portugal, Tavares is most known from his time at 2015-16 Premier League title winners Leicester City. Nani, the former Manchester United and Orlando City winger, is Tavares’ cousin.

Having joined their youth setup at the age of nine in 2010, he rose through the ranks before signing his first professional contract with the club in 2019. During this time, Tavares played for the Leicester City U18s, registering eleven goals and four assists in 37 games.

He would have to wait two years before making his competitive debut with the first team, as he did so as a late substitute against Slavia Prague in the UEFA Europa League in February of 2021. He would make his Premier League debut later that week, coming on off the bench against Burnley. His final appearance for the Leicester first team came in the following match, as he made his first Premier League start and played 72 minutes in a 2-1 win against Brighton.

He spent the remainder of his career at Leicester playing for the U21 side, scoring once and notching two assists in the 15 games he appeared in. Leicester didn’t seem keen on extending the midfielder’s stay at the club, and he was snapped up on a free transfer by Portuguese powerhouse FC Porto in September of 2021.

Porto brought him in to play for the reserve team, Porto B, and Tavares went on to make 38 appearances over two seasons in the Liga Portugal 2, the second division in Portuguese soccer.

How Can Sidnei Fit In?

Tavares can be deployed as a holding midfielder and appears to be a dynamic runner when picking up the ball from deep AND His tall frame allows him to shield the ball well when receiving with his back to the goal.

Despite standing at 6’2, he’s quick with the ball at his feet and can gather good speed given space, while possessing good technique that should raise the level of the Rapids midfield.

He won’t be as combative as Acosta was, but if Fraser decides to field Tavares as a deeper midfielder, that would allow Ronan to play further forward and contribute more consistently to the Rapids’ actions in the final third. If Fraser looks to use him as more of a box-to-box type of midfielder, Tavares looks to be a more technically sound player than Cole Bassett, and may well displace him in the starting lineup if he impresses during his time here.

Although he has struggled to break through into the first team at the elite levels of the European game, Tavares certainly brings qualities that could see him flourish into a successful MLS player.

SEAGRAVE, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 19: Sidnei Tavares of Porto during the Premier League International Cup match between Leicester City U21 and Porto U21 at Leicester City Training Ground on December 19, 2022 in Seagrave, England. (Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images)

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