It’s Twins! Colorado Rapids Sign Rémi Cabral, loan him to Phoenix. Also They Lost a Friendly.

COMMERECE CITY – Colorado Rapids signed forward Rémi Cabral to an MLS contract and loaned him to Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship, the club announced Wednesday. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year contract with a team option for 2025.

Cabral spent 2023 with Colorado Rapids 2 in MLS NEXT Pro where he was a Best XI player and won the Golden Boot. He recorded 19 goals and one assist in 20 appearances. He is twin brothers of Rapids DP winger Kévin Cabral. Rémi even made an MLS appearance on a short term loan stint, playing 11 minutes at Columbus Crew in late May. It was his appearance for the first team, all competitions.

Prior to following his brother to Colorado, Rémi played two years with LA Galaxy II (while Kévin was on the first team). His career prior to that was with lower division teams in France. He was in the Paris Saint-Germain academy as a youth player.

“Rémi has demonstrated his ability to score goals in various ways and perform well under pressure,” said Colorado Rapids Sporting Director Fran Taylor. “For any player, receiving meaningful minutes in a competitive environment is crucial for development. Phoenix will provide Rémi with that opportunity, and we look forward to observing how he adapts and improves during his time there.”

Cabral lit up NEXT Pro last year. He was one of the most dangerous attackers in the league in transition. He worked well with Homegrown midfielder Oliver Larraz. While not rated as highly as his brother by clubs (and Rapids fans do think Kévin is overrated and a bust of a DP), he’s shown he’s ready for something beyond NEXT Pro. He’s composed and excellent in space. He is not just a speed merchant, something fans would accuse his brother of being.

He could prove to be a viable channel running No. 9 in MLS. A year in the USLC will be a good experience and barometer test to get an opportunity in MLS. He should get playing time. He’ll need to do well on loan to ensure the club picks up his option for next year where hopefully he’s with the first team. If Rafael Navarro’s purchase option is not picked up, we could see the Cabral brothers reunite in Commerce City in the second half of the year.

Coming from NEXT Pro, he’s likely not breaking the bank for the Rapids. This signing does bring the current roster to 29, though there are rumors that Aboubacar Keita, Lalas Abubakar, and Miguel Navarro could be on the way out. The MLS roster rules have never been that clear regarding loaned players counting to the 30-man roster, so maybe Cabral won’t count in the first place.

Rémi Cabral joins Adam Beaudry as a member of the NEXT Pro Class of 2023 to sign MLS contracts.

Also the Rapids lost, to a second division Mexican team:

Yesterday the Rapids played their first of three preseason friendlies against Mexican opposition. Atlético Morelia won the match 3-1. A hybrid starting lineup due to injuries saw Jackson Travis start. The second half saw a majority young players on the field.

This game wasn’t available to watch. The Rapids Community is dependent on the club to describe what happened. In that, there’s the possibility we only get a filtered version of the match.

Morelia was up 2-0 with the first goal being a penalty. They made it 3-0 off a free kick. Jonathan Lewis scored the only goal for the Burgundy Boys, a 66th minute penalty off a handball. Read the club’s recap here.

It’s a preseason friendly. It’s the first one. There were absences. Four players made their first ever appearance for the club. Don’t read into it too much. But also if they lose all their preseason games by multiple goals, that’s not good.

Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken

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