Sam Vines Back: Colorado Rapids Bring Left Back Back From Royal Antwerp

COMMERCE CITY – Sam Vines has returned to Colorado Rapids, the club announced Monday morning. The contract is a four-year deal through 2027. The Colorado Springs native rejoined the Burgundy Boys after two and a half years with Royal Antwerp in Belgium. Burgundy Wave reported this over the weekend, which was first reported by The Denver Post.

Vines signed as a Homegrown in February 2018, spending much of that year on loan with Charlotte Independence in the USL Championship. In four season with the Rapids, he made 49 starts in the MLS regular season.

He quickly became one of the most dynamic left backs in club history, warranting the term Vines back to describe his style of play. He was a critical part of the club’s early success in 2021. that led to him being part of the Gold Cup squad for the USMNT that summer. They won that tournament. Vines was sold four days after the final. The club went on to finish top of the Western Conference without him. There was a reported transfer fee of $2 million with a sell on clause. Burgundy Wave has been unable confirm that the transfer fee had sell on clause of 50%.

Vines appeared to be on the up with the move to Europe. He was in position to play well for The Great Old, use it as a stepping stone to a top five league, and be a regular with the national team. A broken collarbone slowed his integration with the first team in his first few months in Belgium. He had a great end of that first year.

He seemed poised to be the starter for 2022-23 as Antwerp looked to challenge for a trophy domestically and play in the Europa Conference League. A broken tibia saw him sidelined from November-March. Still, he managed 15 appearances and 1,264 minutes. They won the league playoff on the final matchday with a stoppage time goal as well as the Belgian Cup. However, Vines did not make a first team appearance after October 30. He made four appearances with the reserve team in March and April and was on the bench in league play for two March games. The club succeeded, without him.

He started the 2023-24 season as a substitute. He scored in his first league start of the year on September 3 but then was injured. He made it back to play in two games in December, but that would be it for Sam’s Belgian adventure. He was omitted from Antwerp’s Champions League squad reportedly because of a clerical error, though Burgundy Wave has heard otherwise.

All three of his injuries came at bad times. He and his now fiancé seemed settled in the city and club. The fans even had a “Sammy U-S-A” chant for him. But after nearly three years, it hasn’t worked out. Vines needs to go somewhere he’ll play and be played properly. The Rapids have had his discovery rights from the moment MLS switched domestic players leaving the league from coming back via allocation to discovery. Like other players, he arrives in Colorado for a soft landing and a known situation.

The 24-year-old can very much return to being one of the best domestic fullbacks in the league. He should help return the team to the 2021 state of competing. To say nothing of uniting with Cole Bassett and other players who have left Europe with hopes of playing, winning, and getting back in the national team. Vines very much is a part of Something To Prove FC.

Burgundy Wave has been unable to confirm the transfer fee for this move, but believes there is one.

The last thing to mention is what this means for Miguel Navarro. Weeks ago, he arrived expecting to be the starting left back. He’s clearly not as valuable to the Rapids as the prodigal son. Contrarily, new manager Chris Armas prefers more defensive fullbacks, so Navarro should be a better fit tactically than Vines based on how he last played in MLS.

Navarro was supposed to be available for Rapids Media Day on Monday, but was unable to make it last minute. Is this coincidence? Did he have travel trouble with the Polar Vortex? Or did he see the Vines rumor over the weekend, call his agent to meet with the club, and cancel Media Day to avoid being asked about it?

Navarro joined the club for the start of preseason as announced last week, for what that’s worth. There’s reports out of South America he’s getting loaned to Argentina.

He’s hoping to start for Venezuela at Copa America. He needs to be fit and playing in the first half of the 2024 MLS season to ensure that. Does Armas have them split time till Copa America so the club can sell Navarro on a high after the tournament? Or does Navarro leave the club on loan having never played a game? If Vines recaptures his quality from 2021, who cares?

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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