Commerce City, Colo. – It’s been two years since Colorado Rapids transferred Generation Adidas center back Moïse Bombito to OGC Nice in France. Bombito made the Canada World Cup team by the skin of his teeth, or rather bone cells in his leg. The 26-year-old made his World Cup debut, playing the second half of a 6-0 win over Qatar.
I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately. Here’s eleven moments Burgundy Wave staff will always remember Bombi for, in no particular order.
His First Rapids training session:
Rapids players have often organized informal pick-up games during off-times and before the start of preseason. Veterans will want to see what the new signings can do.
Moïse having played attacker, midfielder and center back as a youth player shows up to one of these and decides to show his new teammates his sauce.
Cole Bassett and company show up knowing he’s a center back from Canada and not much else. He starts dribbling the ball out of the back. He’s doing step overs, tricks, and stuff. There’s a loose ball, he runs it down like that game at Miami. Bombito’s first impression showed he was a special and versatile player.
Scoring on his birthday against LAFC:
March 30, 2024. This home game was season defining for the 2024 Burgundy Boys. A dramatic 3-2 win after an ok start to the season. An afternoon kickoff on Easter Weekend against boggy team LAFC. A dramatic 3-2 win. Djordje Mihailović scored that amazing free kick and then winner. Bombito got the opener. His mom was in attendance for her first Rapids home game. At full-time, he goes over to where his mom is at the suite level and starts dancing. That postgame press conference was the first time he and Chris Armas talked about “Master of the Basics” publicly.
“He looked at me and said ‘today’s the day,’ Bombito said of set piece and goalkeeper coach Chris Sharpe.
“Against a top goalkeeper like Hugo Lloris. It’s crazy to me that I scored on him. I just celebrated. I had no idea what was going on.”
Second yellow card against San Jose:
June 3, 2023. The beginning of the downfall of the Robin Fraser era. The team had lost six in a row. Bombito gets sent off for a harsh second yellow card. Colorado holds on for a 0-0 draw. The sending off was viewed as harsh and was for a tactical foul. Moïse walked off, disappointed. A red card in his second ever start.
“I just have so much frustration. Last (game), we have a referee who’s clearly afraid to change a game so she doesn’t call a stone cold 100% red card. And then this week we have a referee who’s dying to change the game. And he calls for me is an impossible red card call,” Fraser said postgame.
Fraser and teammates commented that they would work to console Bombito and make sure the red would not damage his confidence.
Bombito wouldn’t get another start till Leagues Cup at the end of July. These two games would go on to be a learning experience for the MLS rookie.
Walking off the field against Toluca:
July 31, 2023. A 4-1 loss to Toluca. It eliminated Colorado from Leagues Cup that season. It summed up 2023. A long weather delay. A predictable blowout loss at home.
Bombito made his third ever start and seventh appearance. After a late Diego Rubio penalty, it’s 2-1. Colorado needs to win the game to stay alive in the competition. Bombito and Andrew Gutman have a mixup. Turnover. Eventually a goal. Bombito’s reaction said it all. Then it happens again and Bombito gives up a penalty.
At the full-time whistle, he storms off the pitch immediately. It was a moment of youthful frustration for the then 23-year-old rookie. Frustration with himself, the result, circumstances he couldn’t change. He learned from it, just like the San Jose red.
Showing his speed at Miami:
August 6, 2024. Rapids fans saw enough of Bombito in 2023 to be excited about him the following year. He quickly established himself as one of the best young players in 2024 along with Bassett. Then in the first half of the game at Inter Miami, he had a highlight reel moment where he turned on the jets, making a recovery run. That play was clocked as the fastest sprint in MLS that season.
One club source told Burgundy Wave that that play going viral put him on the radar of European scouts. Bombito had arrived in MLS and was a sign of bigger things to come for him.
I would regularly ask him about being the fasted player on the team. He often joked that it was between him and Kévin Cabral and said he was the fastest and it was close.
His final game for the club against León:
August 5, 2024. Little did we know this would be Bombito’s final game in Burgundy. A Leagues Cup match against Club León, the Marcelo Balboa Derby. Rafael Navarro with a late equalizer to force penalties. Bombio converts his penalty. Zack Steffen did his things. Rapids win 5-4 on pens.
Bombito played well in that game. The night belonged to Navarro and Steffen in terms of the result. But the Canadian center back rectified the previous year’s failure against a Liga MX side. That result helped Colorado stay alive in the group. They then went on a run, beating four Mexican teams. They made the semifinal and finished second.
Bombito would be out of the team for the next two games. By then, OGC Nice was actively negotiating the transfer. There were rumors of a slight injury concern and him being kept out of the team to not jeopardize that. There’s also a chance he flew to Europe for a medical, paperwork, etc.
The transfer was confirmed August 19, the Monday following the win over Club America.
Expressing gratitude for support amid racist abuse online:
June 20, 2024. Moïse Bombito starts at center back for Canada in their opening game of Copa America. Canada ends up losing to World Cup champions Argentina, 2-0. Bombito plays well given the circumstances. In the 82nd minute, with the score 1-0, Bombito goes in for a tackle on Lionel Messi. He wins the ball. No foul is called.
After the game, Bombito receives racist abuse online. This included comparisons to monkeys (a racist trope), racial slurs, etc. Bombito posts on his Instagram story, “My beautiful Canada. No room for that bs.”
Two days later, Colorado plays a home game against CF Montreal. Colorado wins to cap off a nine point week. The fans cheered at the 15th and 64th minute to support Bombito. His shirt number with Colorado was #64 and with Canada was #15. After the game, center back partner Andreas Maxsø dismissed the internet losers, calling them, “Small people with small minds.”
Canada goes on to semifinal where they lose again to Argentina by the same scoreline. They lose the third place game to Uruguay on pens. Bombito made his penalty.
At that point, Bombito had gone viral in MLS and how on the world stage having a great tournament with Canada. Word was out.
Winning the gauntlet of a Rocky Mountain Cup:
The 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup was the best iteration of the rivalry with RSL in some time. A three-leg series. Each game, close and entertaining. Bombito played 90 minutes in all three of them. He had a WPIOOTBGW moment in the second leg, a 5-3 win for RSL.
It all came down to July 20, 2024. The third leg. The only match at DSGP. Djordje Mihailović off at the Olympics. Cole Bassett and Diego Luna with a point to prove.
RSL scores early. Two quick goals before half from surprise scorers Jonathan Lewis and Sam Vines give Colorado the lead. A halftime thunderstorm delayed the second half till 10:21 p.m. Andrés Gómez gets a brace to equalize. A late handball sees Bassett score the winner on a penalty. Bombito wasn’t the hero of the night, but he was in the thick of it. He played well.
“Our Rocky Mountain Cup title … It’s a moment that brought all the Colorado fans together, the whole organization together,” he later told Burgundy Wave.
Making the 2024 MLS All-Star Game:
The following week, Bombito made the MLS All-Star game, joining captain Keegan Rosenberry. Bombito was a second half substitute in 4-1 loss to the Liga MX All-Stars.
Bombito had a few patented defensive runs where he prevented counter attacks. There were some side eyes as well that basically said, “I’m faster than you amigo. Don’t even try it.”
Bombi and Rosenberry played fine given it was a friendly and a loss.
Getting drafted, making the MAK trade a steal:
December 22, 2022. I interviewed Bombito the day after the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He was well-spoken and thoughtful. Humble and grateful for the opportunity. He thought Colorado was a good fit. I was sold. He was just another center back prospect for the club and one of the five was going to work out. He ended being that one.
The highlights from his time at New Hampshire seemed positive. He was an older player who seems to benefit from more time playing in college. There was the Generation Adidas tag as well.
Colorado got this pick from trading Mark-Anthony Kaye to Toronto FC. Once again, a top Canadian talent succeeds in escaping TFC. Pádraig Smith said at the time of the trade (July 2022) he thought they’d get $2 million in total comp for MAK. They ended up getting $10 million.
The transfer to OGC Nice:
August 19, 2024. It’s rare in MLS that a player sold does an official exit interview/press conference organized by the club. Just like his first interview the day after the draft, he was grateful, generous, and professional. He was nostalgic. It was a good way to say thank you and goodbye.
The move ended up being for $7.7 million with $3 million in incentives as well as a sell on clause. It broke the record for a transfer fee for an MLS center back. Colorado reinvested that money with decent returns, though it took some time. It couldn’t benefit the 2024 season as the Rapids ran out of gas in the playoffs against LA Galaxy.
“I get to chase my dream and test myself in a potential Champions League team. It’s a bittersweet moment. I really love this club and it’s hard for me to leave,” Bombito said.
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Eamon Shaw 