NFL
By Keith Richards
The Colorado Rapids have completed their first week of competitive football in 2025. Overall, Week 1 was successful for the Rapids. In the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, in one of the coldest games ever between two MLS sides, Colorado defeated LAFC 2-1. The Rapids traveled to Energize Park in St. Louis a few days later.
Against a good St. Louis defense and spirited City attack, the Colorado Rapids picked up a well-earned point. Was it a fantastic Week 1? No. Was it horrible in Week 1? No, but it’s hard to judge. Colorado and LAFC played in near-zero-degree weather. We neither saw the best of LAFC nor did we see the best of Colorado. Then, the Rapids had to quickly turn around and play a tough team on the road.
It was not an easy first week for the Colorado Rapids, but one has to say they were satisfied with it. Three players stood out in Week 1. Zack Steffen, Djordje Mihailovic, and Chido Awaziem were the best players in Week 1. We’re here to explain why these players are on the rise and why we can expect great performances from them as the season progresses.
Zack Steffen
Zack Steffen was the polarizing of all the players with the Colorado Rapids last season. Big Zack Steffen is what some fans lovingly call the Rapids goalkeeper. In the 2024 season, Big Zack was named Leagues Cup Goalkeeper of the Tournament. Then, Zack Steffen fell apart after a great Leagues Cup run, but so did the rest of the team.
In Week 1, Steffen was back to Leagues Cup form. Against LAFC in the CONCACAF Cold Cup, Big Zack made seven saves against eight shots on goal. After Week 1 in MLS action, Steffen is in the top 10 of all keepers with five saves. Though the match ended in a draw, City’s offense had Colorado on the ropes for much of the match. Initially, Zack Steffen did not do himself any favors.
A couple of errant passes almost doomed the Rapids. However, Steffen cleaned up and preserved his messes to complete the clean sheet. On top of it all, Zack Steffen has had to manage the first two matches in Week 1 with three out of four different members of the back line when compared to the start of the 2024 season. It’s only Week 1, and it’s a long season. Still, it’s a great start to the season for Zack Steffen.
Djordje Mihailovic
Djordje Mihailovic was a breath of fresh air for Colorado Rapids fans in 2024. In Week 1, especially against LAFC, Mihailovic remains to be the Rapids’ superstar. In two home matches against LAFC with Colorado, Djordje has been lights out! On Tuesday night, Djordje Mihailovic bagged himself a brace. The number 10 for Colorado converted from the spot and placed a beauty into the back of the net on a free kick.
The performance against St. Louis City SC was not as good. However, it was not a good performance for most of the attacking players. I believe a combination of a letdown after a big win and the elements took a lot out of the team. In addition, playing on the road against a team looking to prove something was a tough matchup.
Still, the performance against LAFC was so exemplary that I feel Rapids fans can expect big things from Mr. Mihailovic in 2025.
Chido Awaziem
The raw numbers of Chido Awaziem from Week 1 don’t tell the whole story. While Awaziem only had two dribble challenges against St. Louis, he had two successful tackles on both. Of Chido’s three total tackles in Week 1 MLS action, the Rapids won possession on just one. However, Chido Awaziem passes the eye test even with a small sample.
Goalkeeper Zak Steffen was asked about Awaziem and Murphy’s performance after the LAFC match. Steffen stated, “I thought they were real solid. I thought they were rock solid. Defending crosses, playing out, and just their movement and the connectivity. I thought they were great, and it’s definitely something to build off of.”
In two matches, the Colorado Rapids have faced stiff competition. In those two matches, the Rapids allowed only one goal. Chido Awaziem is a big part of that. After the St. Louis match, Coach Armas had high praise for Awaziem and Murphy.
He stated, “I’m really proud of those two and the entire back line, to be honest. But if we talk about those two, it’s guys that have bought into what we’re doing, the way we play the demands of our back line, our demands of center backs in our back line, which are little bit different. We play with the high line with the back four, both of those guys coming from a back three where the demands are different – the shifting, the aggressive, proactive defending that we ask of both Chido and Ian have, I think, not only bought into it, but they’re thriving in the system.”
Armas would continue to say, “I think you could see it. So, yeah, these games have both, in different ways, the LAFC one and this one, pushed them out of the comfort zones. And both, I think, have passed the test in a big way. So, two games now in the run of play, no goals conceded. So, yeah. Really positive, and these guys clearly are nice additions to our team.”
The Colorado Rapids have two matches in Week 2. They face LAFC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Then, Colorado welcomes FC Dallas to Commerce City for their season’s first home match. Which players will be on the rise in Week 2? Will it be the same three, or will someone else step up? Team NBS will be here to let you know.
