Matt Wells Debut Loss: Rapids Lose Despite Help From VAR

Seattle, Wash. – After an offseason and week of change, the Colorado Rapids finally started their 2026 campaign. It was a tough fixture for a Matt Wells debut, away to Seattle Sounders. A curious lineup and messy first half saw a familiar result with several encouraging takeaways. Let’s not look back in anger at Sunday night soccer.

For Wells’ first ever lineup, goalkeeper Zack Steffen wore the captains armband. Rob Holding was on the bench as it was a back four with Lucas Herrington and Noah Cobb at center back. Jackson Travis was at right back after the sudden buyout of Sam Vines. The lineup was otherwise as expected given preseason. Former Sounder Josh Atencio started in midfield. Star signings Dante Sealy and Hamzat Ojediran made their first starts.

The first half was a mess. For all the preseason talk about pressing and fitness, Colorado tried to play out of the back. Seattle hunted them. After Jordan Morris was injured and subbed off for Paul Rothrock, Rothrock hunted down a loose ball in the 15th minute. With no pressure on him, he crossed to an open Albert Rúsnak for a header goal.

Seattle thought they had a second goal two minutes later. Hassani Dotson tapped in a rebound left by Steffen on a set piece after a volley by Alex Roldan. After a long VAR review, the goal was disallowed with Osaze De Rosario called for a foul on Darren Yapi.

The rest of the half was a mess. Four Rapids were called four fouls, mostly late contact. Noah Cobb’s yellow was originally a red that was reversed by VAR. It took the Rapids almost 20 minutes to get a touch inside the box. Their one shot on target came from Hamzat Ojediran outside the box for an easy save. Dotson was subbed off before halftime, leaving Sounders with one sub window for the second half. Colorado was lucky to only be down 1-0.

Rusnak should have had a brace in the opening minutes off the second half but his shot was wide of the post after a good through ball by Jesus Ferreira.

There was a sliding doors moment on the hour mark. Colorado were growing in the game. Playing out of the back was less frantic. They were getting the ball further up field. A Keegan Rosenberry press led to a turnover. Rafael Navarro go the ball in the box to turn and shoot. He sent the ball right at the keeper. Seconds later, Paxten Aaronson had a soft turnover at midfield. Seattle turned it into counter attack with Ferreira finding Rothrock to make it 2-0.

Colorado didn’t quit on the game though as Seattle looked to consolidate. Substitutes Alex Harris, Alexi Manyoma, and Miguel Navarro all came on and tried to make things happen. Their efforts didn’t turn into enough danger as the match ended 2-0.

What we learned about Matt Wells’ style:

Colorado’s new coach has been so tight lipped this preseason. From the hints we’ve gotten, one might have expected a pressing 4-3-3. That looked to be the formation, but the Rapids started both halves playing out of the back. Steffen and Ojediran did rondos under pressure inside the box. There were no wpiootbgw, but there were bad moments. It got better as the game went on.

The press was nonexistent, and the manager was not happy about it. They backed out of tackles. Seattle had plenty of time on the ball. Like the buildup, it got better. But Wells made it clear postgame that was not the Colorado Rapids:

“It’s unrecognizable from training. We want to be a pressing team. I didn’t see any pressing first half. Neither was I impressed with our buildup. Second half, it was a poor imitation of ourselves but at least I recognized it. With the ball we were a combination of scared, fearful, and passive,” Wells told Burgundy Wave.

“We as a group, me included, were way off the level that we have set.”

Wells said he’ll get to the bottom of why they didn’t show up in this game. Goalkeeper and captain Zack Steffen was angrier than I’ve ever seen postgame:

“We weren’t good enough tonight and that starts with me. That wasn’t us.”

What was with the young backline? And the subs?

“Those two had trained really well. They were excellent against Orlando. That’s the culture I want here: If you train well, you get opportunities,” Wells said of Herrington and Cobb.

This would imply that Holding had not trained as well and he is being pushed to be better. Coach’s frustration with the first half performance reflected on the starters collectively. Keegan Rosenberry came on for Reggie Cannon. It could have been a concussion sub but helped the team tactically. Rosenberry got forward, pressed, and make offense happen.

“Each substitute moved the game forward. With the concussion sub, I could have made six substitutions at halftime and no one could have accused me of being unfair.”

Manyoma and Miguel Navarro were positive. Perhaps this approach led to the subs wanting to prove themselves to earn a start next game.

“It wasn’t until Alex Harris came into the game that I saw a player playing with the correct level of intensity. A good night for Alex Harris, not so much for the rest of the squad.”

Sealy was unimpressive in his debut. Ojediran had some good moments on both sides of the ball. Atencio was energetic but ineffective against his former club. Rafa Navarro had little support. Aaronson was as absent on the ball as Djordje Mihailović had been in road thrashings last year.

Wells went on to say that every starting position is available for the home opener against Portland. He told Harris that the shirt is his for that game provided he trains well next week. And to think what this says about the Vines departure.

“We have the right level of anger to motivate us this week. We have to make sure the biggest victims of our poor performance tonight is Portland.”

On the bright side, it was better than usual.

Rapids fans have gotten used to a script for these fixtures on the road against better teams. The Rapids come out with a big plan. It looks ok for 15 minutes, titers, then they concede. Then they wilt and lose 3-0 or 4-0 and are noncompetitive. The first 20 minutes were so bad, the team barely got the ball into Seattle’s half. The first half was a mess.

The two goals were sloppy and indicative of a new and young backline.

“I wasn’t happy with what we were doing before the goal. We were switched off,” said Wells.

“The cross, I would have loved to get after it. The second (goal), I need to get my hands hire, get a touch to it,” added Steffen.

That said, they didn’t wilt. They looked dangerous in the final 20 minutes. That didn’t lead to shots or xG (they finished with 7 and 0.38, respectively), but had they pulled one back, it would have been game on. They went for it rather than went through the motions. That’s better than the last four year. But on another night, the officiating doesn’t go their way and they’re down 2-0 and down a man at half.

Is the foundation there to raise this club’s ceiling? Ask again in November.

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