Editorial – It is the unofficial 30-year anniversary for the Colorado Rapids, dating back to when the club was announced to the world alongside the nine other MLS originals. In those 30 years, the Rapids have had countless great moments, from the first days at Mile High to this most recent Rocky Mountain Cup win. Let’s go through the 10 best moments in Colorado Rapids history.
Honorable Mentions:
Leagues Cup 3rd Place Run
Although it didn’t end in any silverware and the Concacaf Champions Cup qualification led to another loss to LAFC, the 2024 Leagues Cup run was something special. Starting out with a disaster loss in Portland and down 1-0 to Leon at home late, it looked like wraps for the Rapids in the group stage. Then Rafa Navarro found a late equalizer to send the game to penalties. Colorado would win the game on penalties, advancing through the group stage, where they would win against three more Liga MX teams en route to the semifinals.
The best game of the three came against Club America, where, against all the odds, the Rapids fought their way to penalties against the heavily favored Liga MX giants Club America. It took ten penalties from both teams, but a Zack Steffen conversion, followed by the America keeper, Luis Malagon, missing wide, sent the Rapids through in an improbable win. We got an iconic moment from Djordje Mihailović yelling “Up The *expletive* Pids”, if nothing else.
It was a run filled with late heroics and penalty drama, and ended with a Concacaf Champions Cup berth after Colorado won on penalties at Philadelphia to secure a third-place finish. It was a special run by a good team, featuring some of the highest moments of Chris Armas’ tenure.
Pablo’s antics in the 2006 Rocky Mountain Cup
The now RSL head coach had a moment of infamy that would feel like the start of the Rocky Mountain Cup rivalry. In the eighth-ever matchup between the two rivals, Pablo Mastroeni had taken exception to what a few RSL fans had to say to him throughout the match. In the midst of an MLS-driven campaign called “Don’t Cross the Line,” as an anti-harassment initiative, Pablo thought those fans had crossed that line.
After the Rapids won 1-0 in Utah, Pablo celebrated with the passion needed to invoke a real rivalry between the two teams. In the celebrations, Pablo took off his shirt, stuffed it into his pants, and gestured to the fans. Pablo says that the message was having RSL in his pocket. Either way, this was the first real aggression between the two teams in the new rivalry, sparking what we have today.
Beating Dallas in the playoffs in 1997 on a scissor kick goal
A name in the Rapids Hall of Fame had a Hall of Fame moment during the Rapids’ run to the MLS Cup final in 1997. In the second leg of the Western Conference finals between the Colorado Rapids and the then Dallas Burn, the score was knotted at one a piece. Then, Chris Henderson made his mark on the game. Rapids attacker Adrian Paz was on the receiving end of a Wolde Harris ball down the wing, and the attacker floated a cross back post for Chris Henderson. Henderson did his best Marcelo Balboa impression with an acrobatic finish to put the game and series to bed, sending the Rapids onto the final.
It was Henderson’s most iconic moment for the Rapids, and although the team couldn’t win the ensuing final, it was one of the most important Rapids goals at the time.
Rapids/MLS surviving
Less a particular moment, but the league and the club surviving the prospect of folding throughout all the years of fragility and scares has to be mentioned. The Rapids can take pride in being one of the original ten teams to start the league and even more pride in being one of only eight still standing today. Then Rapids’ owner Phil Anschutz hosted Lamar Hunt and Commissioner Don Garber. Bankruptcy lawyers were present. The billionaires decided to double down on making the league work. Colorado walked in MLS 1.0 so new expansion teams could run (past them) in MLS 4.0. Give this a listen.
Getting to the MLS Cup Final in 2010:
Some of the best moments in club history, but it feels a little too similar to another moment that will find its way on this list later on. The 2010 MLS Cup playoffs were no guarantee for the eventual champions, who snuck their way in late into the season. The Rapids’ first opponent was the Columbus Crew. The Rapids won the first leg 1-0 through a Pablo Mastroeni winner in the 23rd minute at DICK’s. Columbus had come back in the second leg, leading the game 2-0 and the aggregate 2-1. It took until the 84th minute for Conor Casey to find his goal, sending the game to penalties. Colorado won 5-4 on pens, sending them to the semifinals.
San Jose was there to meet them. It was something of a miracle for San Jose to have gotten through, with the team needing two late goals to beat the New York Red Bulls. This meant that instead of Colorado going to New York for the Conference Final, it was at DICK’s against an arguably much weaker San Jose side. The Rapids took full advantage of this, with Kosuke Kimura scoring the games only goal in the 42nd minute. In the weird playoff format at the time, Colorado were crowned Eastern Conference Champions after beating San Jose, setting up a final against Western Conference foes FC Dallas. I wonder how that went?
10: 2016 penalty shootout win against LA Galaxy
2016 was one of the most magical years for the Colorado Rapids. The team was a Decision Day away from hoisting their first Supporters’ Shield. The Pablo-led team found gold throughout the season, headlined by Tim Howard in goal and Jermaine Jones in the midfield. Their first playoff matchup was against the LA Galaxy, a star-studded team featuring Steven Gerrard, Giovani dos Santos, and Ashley Cole for the Californian side. With both teams exchanging 1-0 home wins in either leg, including a Shkëlzen Gashi golazo from midfield at DICK’s, the teams found themselves in a penalty shootout.
On paper, LA had more star power on penalties. But Colorado had Tim Howard. Steven Gerrard stepped up first, slotting his penalty just past the hand of Howard. Kevin Doyle snuck his penalty under LA keeper Brian Rowe. Then Tim Howard took over. Dos Santos sent his penalty over the bar, and Howard made two saves on Ashley Cole, and then the winner against Jeff Larentowicz. The Rapids scored all three of their penalties, sending the team through to the next round of the playoffs. It was the cornerstone moment for Tim Howard as a Rapid, and had the team rolling onto Seattle in the next round.
9: First home game at Mile High
The first home game for the Rapids was a huge moment for the club and the city. No one knew what to expect when the Rapids made their first appearance at the old Mile High Stadium. No one knew if the league or the team would be a success. But after the first game, it had to have felt pretty good for everyone involved. Over 21,000 fans piled into Mile High to get their first look at the new kids in town, and it was a perfect day for Colorado, who went on to beat the Dallas Burn 3-1 on the day.
The crowd got to see the team’s first goal, with Marcelo Balboa calmly slotting past the Burn keeper to open the Rapids account in MLS. Balboa got another goal along with Shawn Bartlett to help the Rapids secure their first three points as a team. It set the team on the right foot and helped play a critical role in keeping the Rapids alive and in Colorado.
8: Thanksgiving playoff game
Although the result was disappointing, the 2021 Thanksgiving playoff game between the Rapids and Timbers was truly a special moment for the club and community. The image of a packed house, all waving that checkerboard flag, is one of the best in club history. The atmosphere was unmatched, with the full house making their voices heard throughout the match. Following a season that broke many club records, the expectations were sky high for the team that finished first in the Western Conference.
The 1-0 loss not only knocked the Rapids out of the playoffs at the death but also deprived one of the best crowds in Rapids history of a goal to celebrate, preventing this special moment from being truly great and higher up on this list. The fans made this moment special. Although I will never forgive MLS for the scheduling disaster that kept the Rapids off the field for almost a month between the regular season and their first playoff game, it was a great day for the organization.
7: Opening of DICK’S Sporting Goods Park
The opening of DICK’s Sporting Goods Park was another crucial day and a resounding success for the Colorado Rapids, on and off the field. After spending their first eleven seasons in whichever stadium the Broncos were playing in, the Rapids were finally going to have a stadium of their own. The construction of a soccer-specific stadium in 2007 was not only great for the team but also for the league.
The game itself was another win for the Rapids, with Hercules Gomez scoring the first goal in the stadium in a 2-1 win over DC United. The Rapids have called DICK’s Sporting Goods Park their home for the last 18 years, for better or for worse. While having a soccer-specific stadium has become the norm in MLS, it was a great day for the Rapids.
6: Two Finals in Three Years
The Rapids had an eventful and very successful first few years as a team. Colorado made it all the way to the 1997 MLS Cup Final. Colorado finished fourth that season, sneaking into the playoffs, where they would first face the Kansas City Wiz. Two wins later, and it was the Dallas Burn’s time to lose to the Rapids in two. The Rapids could not beat D.C. United in the final, losing 2-1, but it was the first taste of glory for the Colorado side.
The next taste was in 1999, where it was the U.S. Open Cup glory that Colorado had their sights on. Colorado beat the then A-League Seattle Sounders in the second round, before beating Tampa Bay Mutiny and Charleston Battery to make their way to the final. It was the Rochester Rhinos who prevented the Rapids from winning silverware this time. Despite the finals, it was a successful first few years for the Rapids.
5: Marcelo Balboa Bicycle Kick Goal of the Year
The moment immortalized on the recent Rapids third kit, Marcelo Balboa stamped his legacy with the team with one kick of the ball. The Columbus Crew were the unfortunate team that had to endure one of the best, if not the best, bicycle kicks in MLS history. The matchup between the Rapids and the Crew in the new millennium remains a staple when many think about the Colorado Rapids as a franchise.
The goal that the commentators called the goal of the year at the time ended up winning the 2000 MLS Goal of the Year award. Shkëlzen Gashi is the only other Rapid to win the award, with his strike in 2016 against Vancouver. Balboa’s goal shared a striking similarity to the defender’s bike attempt in the 1994 World Cup for the US against Colombia, this time striking the ball perfectly, and creating one of the most iconic Colorado Rapids moments.
4: Winning the Inaugural Rocky Mountain Cup
The start of the Rocky Mountain Cup was a great one for the Colorado Rapids, who took home the first two editions of the yearly trophy. It was a bad first few years for the team from Utah, and Colorado poured it on early in the first few matchups. The Rapids were 6-2-2 in the first ten games. Four of which won them the first Rocky Mountain Cup.
RSL won the first game between the two 1-0, but Colorado got them back with three straight wins in 2005, winning the cup on the aggregate score of 9-3. The Rapids followed this up by winning the 2006 edition by an aggregate score of 7-4. This year’s Rapids team won back-to-back Rocky Mountain Cups for the first time since these first two victories. Here is hoping more Cups are coming back to their correct home in Colorado.
3: Comeback to win the 2020 Rocky Mountain Cup
2020 was a weird year for everyone. It was even weirder for MLS play, with the season being abruptly cut short due to the pandemic. MLS came back with the MLS is Back Tournament, before restarting the season in late August. The first game for the Rapids was against RSL at home, where no fans could see Colorado lose 4-1 in the first leg of the Rocky Mountain Cup. It seemed pretty hopeless for the Rapids to win the RMC that year, with just one game left between the sides in Utah.
However, the game started fast for the Rapids, with Diego Rubio scoring a pair of goals in the first ten minutes of the game. Colorado took this lead into halftime before exploding out of the gates again. Sam Vines made it 3-0 four minutes into the second half. Braian Galvan added a fourth in the 55th. A red card to RSL’s Douglas Martinez for a boneheaded off-the-ball elbow kept RSL in a bad state. MLS Superdraft selection Jeremy Kelly sliced and diced the RSL backline with minutes left to give Cole Bassett the fifth goal. Colorado had come all the way back and won the Rocky Mountain Cup on goal difference. It was the biggest win by Colorado in the rivalry, and it came at Utah.
Some Braian Galván flair had RSL angry, and forced the celebration into the locker room after some RSL players wanted to show up after the full-time whistle. But celebration there was, and rightfully so. It was a picture-perfect night for the Colorado Rapids in Sandy, Utah, and remains the best result the Rapids have had against their rivals.
2: Finishing Top of the West in 2021
The best moments under Robn Fraser came the season after, as the Colorado Rapids won the Western Conference for the first time in club history in 2021. The Rapids went into Decision Day with a chance to win the West, but needed all three points against a desperate LAFC team and help from other games. For the Rapids, it was easy street and an emphatic win for the hosts. Two goals from Jonathon Lewis, and goals from Collen Warner, Cole Bassett, and Dom Badji lifted the Rapids to a 5-2 win. The heads turned elsewhere to see if the Rapids would win the West.
Colorado, Seattle, and Kansas City all had a shot at topping the West on the final matchday. Seattle had the lead with 59 points, while SKC and Colorado both had 58 points. The Rapids had to rely on both RSL and Vancouver to get results on the final day. Once it was known that Colorado had wrapped up all three points against LAFC, eyes turned to both games. RSL had beaten Sporting KC 1-0, meaning if Seattle dropped points against Vancouver, the Rapids would take top spot. The match finished after the Rapids, and the Cascadia rivals were locked together in a tense 1-1 scoreline going into stoppage time.
Vancouver would hold on, and the packed crowd at DICK’s erupted with the news that the team won the West. The players were going crazy, and the fans were chanting. The vibes were at an all-time high after Colorado was confirmed to be the Best in the West.
1: Winning the MLS Cup in 2010
The obvious choice for the number one moment in Colorado Rapids history had to be that night in Toronto in 2010. The road to the Final wasn’t easy, barely sneaking into the playoffs, having to go through Columbus and San Jose, but it was just FC Dallas between the Rapids and MLS Cup glory.
It was a frigid 6º on a late November night in Toronto. ON a cold night, the Rapids started a little cold. It was FC Dallas who got the first goal of the night, with David Ferreira, Jesus Ferreira’s father, opening up the scoring in the 35th minute. The scoreline would stay the same into halftime, with the Rapids needing to respond in the second half to keep them alive.
It was Conor Casey on his backside to provide the Rapids’ equalizer, with a Jamie Smith cross causing a pileup in the Dallas box. Casey was the first to react and poked home to tie the game at 1-1, where it would remain until the end of regulation. It was going to take 30 more minutes to decide the winner of the 2010 MLS Cup.
Rapids head coach Gary Smith did not go to his bench until the 90th minute, but in the 98th minute, Macoumba Kandji was brought on. The Senalaglese winger was the hero of the final. In the 107th minute of the Final, Kandji found space along the endline. He sent a ball into the box, which found the thigh of Dallas defender George John. The defender ended up deflecting the cross into his own net, giving the Rapids the lead late into extra time. Kandji had torn his ACL in a brutal collision on the goal, and the player was in obvious pain with his teammates swarming around him to celebrate.
With Kandji unable to continue, and the Rapids out of substitutions, Colorado were down to ten men for the rest of the way. Dallas poured on the pressure and forced Rapids legend Drew Moor into a late goal-line clearance, but the wall held on. The final whistle blew, and the Rapids were crowned champions of MLS for the first time in their history. Easily the best moment in Rapids history, hearing the words “The Rapids have scaled their own mountain tonight,” from the legendary Ian Darke. That 2010 team will forever be immortalized by the star on the crest, and it remains the best moment in Colorado Rapids history.
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Eamon Shaw 
Matt Pollard 