NFL
By Keith Richards
Before the resumption of the match against the Portland Timbers Wednesday night, Colorado Rapids Team President Padraig Smith took a moment to speak with the media. The club has been busy as of late with the acquisitions of Andrew Gutman and Rafael Navarro. It’s no secret that the squad has performed below expectations this season. Padraig Smith is very aware of this. He discusses how the team plans to use the 2023 Summer Transfer Window to improve.
Bringing Back Marko Ilic
In February of this year, the Rapids acquired Marko Ilic on loan from Belgian club KV Kortrijk. That loan expired at the beginning of July but also came with an option to buy. At the time, Padraig Smith said of Ilic, “Marko is an athletic goalkeeper who is not only a good shot stopper, but also good with his feet, a strong passer who can help us build out from the back. We’re delighted to reinforce what is already a top goalkeeping group with his addition and look forward to welcoming Marko to the club.”
Indeed, the team was delighted with Ilic as negotiations are being finalized to keep Marko after his loan has expired. Regarding the decision, Padraig Smith stated, “Yeah, it’s pretty excited about that. You know, it was tough. He needed to make sure that his family was okay. That was the really difficult thing for him…but we’re thrilled.”
Padraig Smith would go on to say, “You’re talking about a goalkeeper who is just about, we think, to enter his prime. Very good with his feet. Good shot shopper combined. That’s a really important thing for us. We look at these things in cycles. So, if you look at the next four years, so it’s really important that we’ve got a goalkeeper that can grow with the team the entire way through that.”
By no means is the team ready to toss William Yarbrough aside, but it’s no secret that Yarbrough is getting up there in age. Smith and the team feel they’re set with goalkeeper for the present and future with Marko Illic coming back to the club.
Already Impressed with Andrew Gutman
The first move of the Summer Transfer Window was Andrew Gutman. Gutman was unavailable for the Portland match but was able to face FC Dallas. Padraig Smith is already impressed with what he’s done on the pitch. Smith stated, “Excellent. Yeah, really pleased with his first game…. One of the first things we said to him was, ‘Look, we need you to just come and have the same level of intensity and aggression that we’ve seen from your past and over your entire career and even over in Scotland.’”
On the reasoning behind why the team went for a player like Gutman and how it’s worked so far, Padraig Smith stated, “Just bitterly disappointed with the approach and the attitude in the first 25 minutes against St. Louis. That was a low point for me and my time here and that can’t be tolerated. That won’t be tolerated. Then, you bring in someone like Andrew, you’re immediately on the front foot again.”
Padraig Smith would continue to say, “And we’re seeing within two minutes that you’re playing, you know, he’s overlapping down the left-hand side, some of the challenges he went into…. You know, we need to get back on the front foot. We need to show that intensity, that urgency, that aggression, and he’s somebody who plays with that day in and day out.”
Explaining the Acquisition of Rafael Navarro
The second acquisition of the Summer Transfer window was Rafael Navarro. Navarro is a 23-year-old striker that the Rapids are very excited about. When asked about Rafael, Padraig Smith said, “Every good professional player wants to be pushed, they want to compete, they want to win. So, they want to be playing with the best players. So, when you’re able to bring in a player like Rafael, it’s going to give the entire roster a boost in the same way that Andrew did.”
When asked about the team’s sentiments regarding Navaro, Padraig stated, “I think they’re eager to see what he can bring to the table.” Padraig Smith noted the success that Rafael had in Serie A and Serie B, as well as his ability to play at high levels against top talent. The team hopes Navarro will be here and ready to go against Nashville.
What’s Next?
There is a little over two weeks before the Summer Transfer Window closes. When asked about what we can expect from the Rapids moving forward, Padraig Smith stated, “Yeah, we want to be active. I think we want to be is in a position to take advantage of what else is going on around the world. There are two positions that we’re focused on. I think we are very likely, I would say, to bring in a third player from outside the league.”
Smith would go on to say, “What we have to do, though, we have a long meeting today really ranking the final kind of candidates in those two positions. What we’re not going to do is make a short-term decision. Whoever we bring in has to be able to impact both now, but more importantly into the future.”
Padraig Smith would finish his thoughts on the transfer window by stating, “So, we’re not going to rush this. There’s one player in particular we are really keen on and we’ve had good dialogue so far. But it’s not there. We’re willing to wait to get the right player. But I’m confident we’ll be able to bring more in from outside…. We’ll be as active as we feel we as needed to make the team better. So, we’re certainly hoping that we’ll be on the phones quite a bit.”
Without question, Padraig Smith and the Rapids have plans to improve the team now and in the future. The playoffs will be tough for Colorado to reach, but they have not put it behind them. It’s still in their sights. If they keep making acquisitions like Gutman and Navarro, the playoffs just may be within reach.
Team NBS is all over the news for the Rapids in this transfer window. Be sure to follow Team NBS and me for up-to-date information on any deals made. Also, be sure to purchase your gear to rep new players as they come in.
