Lucas Herrington Impresses in MLS Debut for Colorado Rapids

Commerce City, Colo. – Colorado Rapids kicked off the 2026 season similarly to how they ended the 2025 season: by conceding two goals and failing to win. The visitors struggled to impose themselves on Seattle Sounders’ artificial turf, allowing Albert Rusnák to open the scoring early on. After assisting the opening goal, substitute Paul Rothrock doubled the scoring for Seattle, ensuring Colorado’s defeat in the opening game of the year. But whilst the Rapids came undone in Matt Wells’ first match in charge, there was at least one player who passed the test with flying honors: Lucas Herrington.

Born on September 5, 2007, Herrington was raised in Brisbane, Australia, where he played for the youth systems of Taringa Rovers, Toowong FC and Brisbane City FC before joining the academy of Brisbane Roar in 2019. While he is of Zimbabwean, Finnish, and German descent, Herrington has so far played only for Australia, representing the U-18s, U-19s, and U-20s, and helping them win the 2025 AFC U-20 Asian Cup in China.

After signing a three-year scholarship contract with Brisbane Roar on September 9, 2024, Herrington made his senior debut as a starter in a 2–2 A-League draw against Western Sydney Wanderers on December 14, 2024. Herrington would quickly emerge as one of the first names on the team sheet, scoring 2 goals and 29 appearances and staking out a starting spot in central defense, before signing a contract through 2029 with Colorado Rapids in August and earning his club a reported record transfer fee. Five months later, he departed his hometown and started a new chapter in Colorado.

Herrington has been heralded as a promising talent for quite some time – three months before he made his debut, Roar manager Ruben Zadkovich marvelled, “He is the best defender in Australian football right now. He has the highest ceiling of anyone.”

But even with the initial hype and the eye-watering fee, few could have predicted that he would make the starting line-up ahead of Rob Holding, a two-time FA Cup winner and a player with 98 Premier League appearances. And yet, Wells decided to relegate his compatriot to the bench and give debutant Harrington the start alongside Noah Cobb, a decision that would end up bearing fruit. Similarly to his elder brother Diesel, Lucas has made a name for himself as a promising center back thanks to his effective skills on and off the ball.

Despite making his MLS debut, the lanky defender never shied away from taking risks in possession, backing himself to execute. We saw this early on when, after he picked up the ball from his goalkeeper and pushing forward, he opted to filter a pass between the lines rather than playing it short, slicing Seattle’s defense like Swiss cheese and instigating a potential transition.

Shortly after, Herrington cuts out a pass before dishing it off to a teammate and then retreating to receive a short pass. Despite being hassled by an opponent, he does incredibly well to roll it onto his right and find an unmarked Josh Atencio at the edge of the box. The 18-year-old would go on to win Man of the Match in Burgundy Wave’s player ratings for the game.

Herrington is off to a good start in MLS. Burgundy Wave will be keeping a watchful eye as he tries to emerge as a talent for the Pids and Socceroos.

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