Memories From Toronto: Kosuke Kimura

PODCAST – Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Here is the second episode of Memories From Toronto. This week, Red speaks to right back Kosuke Kimura. We discuss his soccer origins growing up in Japan. Get ready for a wild story of how he annoyed an embassy and gamed the SAT to get into college soccer at Western Illinois.

We learn about his style of play as one of the first modern fullbacks in MLS and how he won his individual matchups. There’s that story, rumor, myth(?) how he and Quincy Amarikwa bought a fishing boat and hid at DSGP. Kosuke has some interesting and stoic takes on his teammates from that 2010 team. He talks about so many matchups against quality wingers that he got the best of. His #27 has special meaning related to that.

We get to the bottom of that goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Then of course there’s extra time of the final where he had to play two positions with the Rapids down a man. Get ready for more Jair Benítez hate.

Then we discuss the fallout from 2011, the end of his playing career, and how he reunited with Gary Smith in Nashville.

Listen More: Memories From Toronto Part 1 With Marvell Wynne

About the hosts:

Matt Pollard is the Managing Editor of Burgundy Wave, having overseen the site’s move to being independent in April 2023. He moved to Denver in 2015 and has covered the Rapids since 2016. An engineer and environmentalist by day, when he’s not watching or writing about soccer, he’s hiking or skiing in the mountains. He also writes for Last Word on Soccer, covering MLS and the USMNT.

Mark Goodman, known as Rapids Rabbi or Soccer Rabbi, lived in Colorado from 2011-2018. He became an MLS Sicko after seeing Lee Nguyen of the New England Revolution pull off some silky moves at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. He’s a professional rabbi during the day and the author of the well regarded Backpass series, which started at Burgundy Wave. He watches the Pids from a far, having moved to Pittsburgh. Finds his Rapids writing on Substack. He also covers the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Championship for Pittsburgh Soccer Now.

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images via Colorado Rapids.

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