Why Noah Cobb Could be Vital to Colorado Rapids’ Playoff Goals

Editorial – With just a five matches left until the postseason, anticipation is building ahead of the MLS Cup playoffs. Colorado Rapids find themselves on track to qualify for the wild card round, with the team currently in eighth place, one point above San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose, meanwhile, sit three points above Houston Dynamo (who have a game in hand), four above Real Salt Lake (who have two games in hand), and five above FC Dallas (who have two games in hand).

It’s shaping up to be a free-for-all for a handful of teams that are looking to secure the final playoff spots in the Western Conference, and Colorado will be looking to batten down the hatches as they look to end a dismal defensive record that has plagued them as of late. Colorado have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches, conceding seven in their last two, and they’ll be looking to tighten things up at the back as they prepare to host Houston on September 13. In order to do so, they’ll need Noah Cobb to be at his best.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Cobb was age 11 when he joined Atlanta United’s academy, progressing through the youth ranks and eventually signing a professional contract in March 2022. It wasn’t long before former USMNT defender and Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra was describing Cobb as “having future national team captain written all over him.” 

Cobb made 40 appearances for the first team but was dropped from the side in late June after a run of three straight defeats. Colorado decided to sign him on loan in July until the end of the season in exchange for $100,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money (GAM). Colorado has a purchase option, and should they trigger their option, Atlanta United would receive more GAM and a future percentage of a sell-on fee. 

After riding the bench in his first two matches in the Leagues Cup, Cobb kicked off his time at Colorado by partnering Andreas Maxso in a 2-2 draw vs. Cruz Azul. The Mexican side went on to win 5-4 on penalties. He hasn’t looked back since then, playing the full 90 in each of Colorado’s last four matches and excelling both in a back four and a back three. Similarly to MLS Cup-winning defenders like Chris Mavinga and Maya Yoshida, Cobb has the knowhow and anticipation to step off his line and prevail with the ball, holding his own in physical challenges and reading the game to a tee. He’s also proven to be an impressive outlet in possession – only Chidozie Awaziem (3.0) is averaging more accurate long balls per game than him (1.6) for the Rapids.

It’s why, at just 20 years of age, Cobb has emerged as a vital figure in defense for Colorado. It’s why he was called up for this week’s USMNT U-20 training camp in advance of the 2025 U-20 World Cup, which will take place between September 27 and October 19 in Chile. And it’s why, if Colorado are to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs, they’ll need Cobb to continue shining at the back and proving why he is one of the brightest defensive talents in MLS.

Photo Credit: Spencer Baldwin

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