Next Man Up: Third-string goalkeeper Nico Hansen set to start. Rapids – Sounders Preview

Commerce City — The Colorado Rapids return to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to face the Seattle Sounders in what will be a crucial Week 10 Western Conference clash.

The Rapids (4-2-3, 15 points, 5th in the Western Conference) will be without first-choice goalkeeper Zack Steffen, as he got a quick double yellow, one right before the final whistle and one after last Saturday in Houston. There are plenty of questions to answer as we dive into this matchup. First, who will start in goal? Adam Beaudry is a doubt for the game with an ankle injury, while 23-year-old third-string keeper Nico Hansen could earn his MLS debut.

Josh Atencio will have his first game against his hometown team in the Sounders (3-3-3, 9 points, 8th in the West). Will there be an Atencio revenge game brewing?

Here’s what you need to know heading into the Week 10 matchup.

When: Saturday, April 26 @ 7:30 p.m. MST

Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

TV/Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Heartbreak in Houston for the Rapids:

The Rapids looked to be in and out of Houston with all three points after Djordje Mihailovic’s penalty and Rafael Navarro’s go-ahead goal cancelled out Amine Bassi’s early strike in the first half and gave the Rapids a 2-1 lead away from home. That was until new Houston Dynamo striker Ondrej Lingr got his head on a recycled cross with virtually the last kick of the game, and squeezed one past Steffen. A heartbreaking goal to give up after fighting their way back into the game and maintaining a lead with less than two minutes left. It felt more like two points dropped than one point gained on the road.

Chris Armas kept the same lineup that beat San Diego FC at home 3-2 the week prior. Armas had continued with the 4-2-2-2 formation with Navarro and Yapi leading the line in Texas, and the Rapids continued to look dangerous on the attack. The Rapids finished the game with 2.84 expected goals, to Houston’s 0.91. It ended up being one of Colorado’s best well-rounded games in terms of xG, but the game felt very different from this supposed beat-up of Houston.

Houston was on the front foot for good chunks of this game. This led to the Rapids having to sit back and invite pressure throughout the first half. This did not stop the Rapids from being the team who should have put one in the back of the net first. They didn’t take their chances. Houston did. The Rapids rectified this with a good second half but failed to close out the game. It is not the first time the Rapids have failed to close out a half or a result, giving up a late goal. This can become a concern for Armas. If this trend continues it cost them more than just two points here and there.

Rapids Lineup Prediction:

Hansen / Rosenberry (c), Maxsø, Awaziem, Cannon / C. Bassett, Larraz, Atencio, Mihailovic / Navarro, Yapi

The two players joining the injury report creates real headaches for the Rapids’ coaching staff. It was confirmed Wednesday that Steffen was indeed suspended for Saturday’s game after an after-the-whistle red card last week. The Apple TV broadcast did not pick this up. Beaudry is also out for Seattle due to his ongoing ankle injury dating back to mid-April. This leaves the Rapids with a short list of options to start in net. Hansen, who signed a first-team deal on April 12th, could make his first start. We may also see Zackory Campagnolo on the bench. Both guys wouldn’t have expected to be in contention for starting anytime soon, but, here we are.

Right back Sam Vines also made another appearance on the injury report due to a groin injury. This is an injury he tweaked midweek and has not been able to recover. It will mark the ninth game out of twelve in which he will be injured. Luckily, it’s not a re-injury of his thigh that kept him out of the first eight games of the season. Still a concern that he is injured again. Luckily for the Rapids, Keegan Rosenberry is probably the best “backup” outside back in the league right now.

Chris Armas has moved into a 4-2-2-2 system in the last few games, and I believe he will keep it up against Seattle. This system seems to suit the team well, as it was used in two of the most impressive offensive displays of the season. It also allows Darren Yapi to line up in a two-striker system with Rafa Navarro. Yapi has looked like he has taken strides from previous seasons with this setup. His performances have earned him some more minutes, and it may earn him another nod from Armas.

No Steffen, No Beaudry, Who Steps Up?

The goalkeeper depth going into the season for the Rapids was Steffen, and the youngster Beaudry. When Steffen left for international duty, we saw Beaudry step up to take that role in net. Now, Steffen has been suspended due to two yellow cards. Meanwhile, the Castle Rock native and Homegrown has missed the last few games due to an injury suffered in a Rapids 2 match. All of a sudden, the Rapids don’t have a keeper for Seattle. Who steps in if both are unavailable?

Who is Nico Hansen?

Here’s what to know about the presumed starter, Hansen. The Florida native spent last season with Houston Dynamo 2. There, he started 10 games, gave up 15 goals, and had zero clean sheets. He has made two R2 appearances, one where nine-man Real Monarchs came back to steal two points with a last-minute equalizer and penalty shootout win. This season, Hansen has been called up on multiple short-term loans to be the emergency second keeper. This has happened when either Steffen or Beaudry were unavailable. He was signed to the first team on a semi-guaranteed contract through the 2025 season with club options for 2026 and 2027. It’s hard to know what to expect from Hansen, but limiting chances better than Portland would give the 23-year-old a better chance of a good home MLS debut than Beaudry got against Portland.

The last time Colorado started a third-string keeper? That would be Abe Rodriguez, the former Homegrown who started at the end of the 2023 MLS season. Before that, according to Rapids’ research guru Jason Maxwell, it was Joe Nasco in the 2014 season. Now, that’s a throwback.

With Nico Hansen lined up to start, I would not be surprised to see Zackory Campagnolo get a short-term call-up and appear on the first team bench for the first time in his young career. The 18-year-old has only made some appearances for Rapids 2, but has been consistently called up to U.S. Youth National Team throughout the last few years. He even made the MLS NEXT All-Star Game last season. Campagnolo is a name to remember for the future. But I would not be surprised to see his name in the gameday roster come Saturday.

Symmetrical Start for Seattle:

Seattle reached the Western Conference Finals in 2024, but has had much less success to start 2025. The Sounders have had to deal with early schedule congestion due to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they beat Antigua Guatemala in two legs, but fell to Cruz Azul in the next round. This spell in the CCC led to some interesting rotation and inconsistent results early in the MLS season, such as losing to RSL 2-0, yet, beating LAFC 5-2 a week later. Overall, Seattle, given its confounding start, is only three points off the pace but can still be dangerous at any point in the year.

Are the Sounders dangerous in the post-Ruidiaz Era?

Seattle looked to reload after losing star striker Raul Ruidiaz and winger Leo Chu during the offseason by bringing in two of the three-headed monster that was FC Dallas’ attack. They made the blockbuster deal to bring in USMNT fringe players Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola from the Texas team. Jesus Ferreira has had a rocky start to life in Seattle, yet to record a goal in nine MLS matches, but has three assists on the year. Unfortunately, Paul Arriola has has had it worse in Seattle, as the 30-year-old tore his ACL against Cruz Azul in the CCC. Seattle will have to hope new signing, Englishman Ryan Kent (notably with Rangers in Scotland), settles in quickly and fills the void that Arriola will leave behind.

Interestingly, the Rapids are 0-2 against Cascadia teams this season, and will have to look to a third different keeper in those games. A Brian Schmetzer-led Seattle team is always dangerous, and will look to exploit this rotation at keeper throughout the game. Another storyline to look for in this game is Josh Atencio and how he takes his first game against his old team. It doesn’t have the makings of a revenge game for Atencio, who seems to only have good things to say about his time in Seattle. However, it would be hard to believe this will be just another game for Atencio on Saturday.

Prediction: The Rapids continue to feel the pain from Cascadia, and Seattle comes to town and exploits the Rapids’ keeper situation. Seattle wins 3-1.