Farewell, Lalas Abubaker: Good Luck in Dallas!

FRISCO, Tex. – After six years with the Colorado Rapids, Lalas Abubakar has joined FC Dallas on a free after being released by the Rapids. The 30-year-old was briefly in discussions to remain in Commerce City. Lalas had racked up 153 appearances across those six seasons, scoring nine times, assisting three, and cemented himself as a fan favorite who played for the badge.

Lalas Abubakar was drafted by the Columbus Crew in 2017, then loaned out to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds before making his return to the Crew in 2018. He had become a starter by 2018 for the Crew but had slowly lost his starting place during the 2019 season, and the Crew looked to have him get his playing time elsewhere.

Lalas joined on loan from the Columbus Crew midway through a turbulent 2019 season, which saw head coach at the time, Anthony Hudson fired just nine games into the season, he anchored a backline that he immediately improved. With 22 appearances, he was named the club’s 2019 Defender of the Year. Under interim head coach Conor Casey and then full-time head coach Robin Fraser, he shined in a late playoff push, which saw the Rapids fall just short by six points.

With his loan expired in the offseason, huge rumblings were made about Lalas’s future. Would he return to Columbus? Would the Rapids look to acquire him for the long term? Will this be the most expensive transfer of a defender within the league? Abubakar was upfront with then Crew GM Pat Onstad. He wanted to stay in Colorado. 

Lalas got his wish. The Rapids signed the defender for $400k in GAM and an international roster slot. This was labeled a bargain at the time and kept the Ghanian in Colorado. This transfer was great for the Rapids, as Lalas had an exceptional 2020 season, with the team making the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

The good times continued into 2021, with Lalas being a key part of the Colorado side that won the west. The center-back trio of Lalas, Auston Trusty, and Danny Wilson propelled Colorado to have one of the best defensive records in the league. And while the season ended in their first playoff game, 2021 was still a wildly successful year.

The Rapids could not continue the success, with 2022 being an underwhelming year and 2023 being one of the worst years in club history. Lalas wasn’t having bad years by any means, but there was a decline in production from him, and by the end of 2023, Moïse Bombito began to make his mark.

Bombito, becoming the starter in 2024, left Lalas as the first center back off the team sheet. But Lalas was keen to start again, and when Bombito left for international duty, Lalas got to start again. Featuring in a much more high-octane style Rapids team than in years past, Lalas played well in the absence of Bombito and commanded the starting job once Bombito went to Nice during the Leagues Cup. Despite a strong Leagues Cup, by the end of the season, the wheels had fallen off the bus, and it all came crashing down, with the Rapids conceding nine across two MLS Cup Playoff games against the LA Galaxy.

2024 was a contract year for Abubakar, and the Rapids front office deemed that his performance did not warrant picking up his contract option. A tough decision, but with Lalas making around $700k on his current contract, it was maybe the right decision based on the numbers, and with center backs Ian Murphy and Chidozie Awaziem joining from FC Cincinnati.

As a team, the Rapids have had a spotty defense record the last few years, conceding 54 goals in 2023 and 60 goals in 2024, a far cry from the defensive record of 35 goals against in 34 games in 2021. Conceding 60 goals is a problem, and some questions have to be raised on the personnel of the back line, Lalas was a casualty of these questions as the Rapids looked to refresh their defense in 2025.

But the numbers cannot show how much Lalas leaving will hurt the Rapids faithful. Lalas loved Colorado, and Colorado loved him back. The passion he had for the badge and the club did not go unnoticed. Along with stellar years in 2019-2021, it was easy to fall in love with Lalas. He was no stranger to joining the fans in celebrations after games, climbing into the stands to cheer with them. He always made sure to thank Centennial 38 after a game, no matter the result. Colorado was where he became comfortable discussing his faith after MLS changed the rules around players observing Ramadan. The team celebrated him becoming a U.S. Citizen last year. How can you not love this man?

And how can you mention Abubakar’s name without talking about his amazing hair? Easily one of the best the league has ever seen.

FC Dallas is not just getting a great player; they are also getting a great human being with Lalas Abubakar. It will be weird to see Lalas on the other side in the Rapids 2025 home opener against Dallas this Saturday, but I am sure the Rapids fans will give him the ovation he deserves. Thank you, Lalas, good luck in Dallas!

Photo Credit: Colorado Rapids

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