The Colorado Rapids Begin the Matt Wells Era With A Loss On The Road

 By Riccardo Cominelli

Let the Seattle rain wash this loss away the way it washed the blood away from this aggressive new Rapids side

The Colorado Rapids opened up their 2026 Major League Soccer campaign with a 2-0 loss against the Seattle Sounders. A difficult road match to not only open up your 2026 campaign, but when you have a new coach at the helm in Matt Wells with a new philosophy and new additions to the squad - the Rapids identity and direction will take time to develop.

That’s if there is a different direction and identity this year than what the Colorado Rapids have displayed the last few years.

Finding themselves down 1-0 early in the first half, it was Seattle’s #11 Albert Rusnak who put his team ahead with an accurate header past Colorado’s Zack Steffen. The Colorado Rapids found themselves rescued by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) not only once but on two occasions as the first half developed. First, it was Hussani Dotson’s goal that was ruled back for a foul on a Rapids player in the lead up to the goal. Second, Noah Cobb’s direct red card from a violent conduct challenge was overruled for a yellow card. 

Seattle Sounders and United States Men’s National Team player Jordan Morris would exit the field after just seven minutes into the game after an injury complication that would not see him go any further.

The Rapids displayed a few moments of frustration in trying to settle into the game with four players picking up yellow cards in the first half alone. Rafael Navarro, Noah Cobb, Dante Sealy, and Reggie Cannon.

The teams would go locked into the half with the home side, Seattle up 1-0.

The second half saw the Colorado Rapids slowly progressing into the game but faced high difficulty connecting meaningful attacks and threatening the goal. Mostly faced up against Seattle’s great defensive composure, it was also their ability to transition back from offense to defense that stopped the majority of Colorado’s one touch pass momentum. The home side also did well in maintaining a high press throughout the game and choking the opposition to try and force a mistake.

Seattle Sounders would find a second goal after a great lead up finds Paul Rothrock open at the back post who slots his shot with power past Zack Steffen. 

The 27 year old American, Rothrock picked up a goal and an assist in the opening weekend of Major League Soccer. A quality performance after coming on for the injured Jordan Morris, instantly making an impact. 

The next best chance for the Rapids came very late in the game with Alex Harris the substitute getting a shot off from close range but it was saved by Seattle’s Andrew Thomas. 

The game would close out with the home side coming out victorious and setting the tone for their 2026 Major League Soccer season - Colorado has the chance next week to come back home and build off this loss and get a win in front of a home crowd against an old friend, Cole Bassett and the Portland Timbers. 

Making their Colorado debuts were Lucas Herrington the 18 year old centre back from Australia. Already with senior experience and representation of his home country at the youth level, he made his first start in MLS. Both Hamzat Ojediran and Dante Sealy made their Colorado Rapids starts and debuts. Hamzat joined from Lens in Ligue 1 and Dante Sealy from CF Montreal in MLS after his best season so far. Alexis Manyoma and Miguel Navarro also got their debuts in for the Colorado Rapids after coming on as substitutes. 

Post Game

Head Coach Matt Wells spoke with us post game and shared his thoughts, 

“How we showed up did not reflect who we are. It did not look like what it did in pre season or practice…first half lack of intensity - we want to be a pressing team and I didn’t see any pressing. I didn’t see any of our tactical identity.”

Coach Wells wasn’t pleased with the intensity and performance from the full squad with the exemption of Alex Harris who came on with the right intensity and enthusiasm to make an impact.

“We have to get on the right path, because tonight, certainly the first half, was an anomaly, and I hope it will definitely stay that way. I'll ensure that it does. I didn't recognize anything in terms of how we pressed the game. I didn't recognize anything really of our tactical plan, and then with the ball we were a combination of scared, fearful and also passive, which, of course, is not a good combination. It was about adjusting those things at halftime, but trying to give them some tactical solutions to try and channel that based off how Seattle was pressing. As you could see, in the second half, we had a lot more territory. We were able to progress to their half, but then we lacked conviction and ruthlessness in our one-v-ones on the side of the pitch. We didn't attack the box well when crosses came in, and it wasn't until Alex Harris came into the game that I saw a player playing with the correct level of intensity, enthusiasm, and energy. A good night for Alex Harris, but not so much for the rest of the squad.” 

Goalkeeper Zack Steffen spoke with media after the game;

“We weren't good enough tonight, clearly, And that starts from me back there. Building out of the back, we just weren't ourselves. We’ll learn from it and we’ll be better.” 

Steffen also reflected on his positioning during the goals;

“The cross...I would have loved to get after it. The second one, I need to put my hands higher and then be able to fall back and get my hands up and get a touch to it.”

Starting XI

Seattle Sounders

Andrew Thomas 

Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gomez, jackson Ragen, Nouhou Tolo

Hassani Dotson, Cristian Roldan

Jesus Ferreira, Albert Rusnak, Jordan Morris

Osaze De Rosario

Colorado Rapids

Zack Steffen

Reggie Cannon, Noah Cobb, Lucas Herrington, Jackson Travis

Hamzat Ojediran, Joshua Atencio

Paxten Aaronson

Dante Sealy, Rafael Navarro, Darren Yapi

Goals

15’ = Seattle Sounders #11 Albert Rusnak

62’ - Seattle Sounders #14 Paul Rothrock