The People vs. Robin Fraser – Guilty or Not Guilty

By Keith Richards

This past Tuesday, the Colorado Rapids parted ways with Head Coach Robin Fraser. In a season filled with so many ups and downs, Padraig Smith and the front office decided that Robin Fraser was no longer the man for the job. There has been much discourse about Robin before this season, during this season, and after he was let go. So, in terms of the current state of the Colorado Rapids, is Robin Fraser innocent or guilty? This is the People vs. Robin Fraser.

Coach Fraser was brought in as the Rapids’ head coach in August of 2019. During this time, Robin would finish with a record of 47-48-34 across all competitions, which included leading Colorado to the top of the Western Conference in 2021. Padraig Smith speaks highly of Robin Fraser and his time with the team.

Smith stated, “We’re incredibly grateful to Robin for his commitment to the club and for what he achieved during his time here as head coach.” Regarding the decision to part ways with Robin Fraser, Padraig would go on to say, “This was a difficult decision but one we felt was necessary to best position the club to return to the playoffs and ultimately compete for trophies.”

The case of The People vs. Robin Fraser is complicated. Strong arguments exist for the prosecution and the defense. To reach a verdict, we need to hear the case of both sides. First, we’ll hear from the prosecution. Then, we will hear from the defense. Once both sides have presented their case, we’ll have the verdict: Is Robin Fraser guilty or not guilty?

The People’s Case

The case of The People against Robin Fraser starts with the 2023 season. To put it lightly, this season has been dreadful for the Colorado Rapids. Here are a couple of the lowlights of their season so far:

• Last place in the Western Conference
• Frontrunners for the Wooden Spoon Award with 19 points
• Including Leagues Cup, losers of five straight
• In that losing streak, they’ve been outscored 15-2
• One win at home all season in MLS play
• Six total goals scored in MLS play at home this season
• Two total goals scored at home since May 20th

Based on that alone, the people have a strong case for a guilty verdict. However, The People began to make their case against Fraser in the 2022 season. After finishing first in the Western Conference in 2021 with 61 points, the Rapids fell to 10th in the conference in 2021 with 43 points. The Rapids would only reach the playoffs twice in five years with Robin running the club.

After the steep dropoff after the 2022 season, Padraig Smith and the front office went out and signed several international players, traded for a 9 as a designated player, and traded for another forward in Calvin Harris. While Padraig’s hands are tied in the amount of money he can spend with the ownership group being KSE, Robin was given the best tools they could afford, but the team continued to slide.

In the end, though Fraser meant a lot to the club as a player and coach, he just could not get the job done. Robin was given opportunity after opportunity after opportunity but never could take advantage of the resources that he was presented. For that reason, Robin Fraser must be found guilty. The People rests.

The Case for the Defense

To say that the Colorado Rapids and Padraig Smith provided Robin Fraser with the best resources they could is disingenuous at best. The defense would make the argument that Smith and the front office handcuffed Coach Fraser with the roster decisions made by the club. The defense would have a strong case with this argument. All you have to do is look at the evidence.

Between 2020 and the start of the 2023 season, the following players would be loaned, traded, or not resigned by the Rapids:

• Auston Trusty
• Kellyn Acosta
• Sam Vines
• Andre Shinyashiki (2019 MLS Rookie of the Year)
• Mark-Anthony Kaye
• Gyasi Zardes

It’s not just a simple matter of losing players either. The players that have been brought in as replacements haven’t exactly been that great either. These players include:

• Andreas Maxso
• Max Alves (removed from team activities pending an investigation)
• Danny Levya
• Andrew Gutman
• Alex Gersbach
• Connor Ronan
• Darren Yapi (home grown product)
• Ralph Priso
• Kevin Cabral

To be fair, Maxso, Gutman, and Ronan have been excellent additions to the team. That said, the team traded for Gyasi Zardes in the 2022 season but let him walk after he was finally molding with the team. His replacement, Kevin Cabral, has far from lived up to expectations. Andre Shinyashiki was transferred to Charlotte FC, even though he became an impact player on the team.

Outside of that, the team has failed to provide Robin Fraser with sufficient, and consistent resources; particularly at the 9 position. The team captain has missed significant portions of the last two seasons due to injury, home grown product Darren Yapi has yet to blossom, Diego Rubio has missed significant time in the 2023 season, and Max Alves (who was starting to blossom) had to be removed from team activities due to his alleged misdeeds.

Ever since the 2021 season ended, Robin became the scapegoat for the Rapids’ front office and their inability to manage the team. As the defense for Robin Fraser, we won’t pretend he is completely free of blame. Robin could be a bit stubborn with his Starting Xis. The shape used on the field was not always the best. Fraser didn’t always bring in the right subs at the right time. Still, considering what he was given to work with in his latter season as head coach, Robin Fraser did a damn fine job. The Defense rests.

The Verdict

As the presiding judge in the case of The People vs. Robin Fraser, I, Keith Richards of Team NBS Media, declare this to be a mistrial. The prosecution has failed to prove without a reasonable doubt that Coach Fraser is guilty of the current downfall of the Colorado Rapids. While I do admit that Robin has played a role in the demise, I hold Padraig Smith and the front office more accountable.

Fraser became just a pawn in the cruel game that is professional sports and upper management. Robin Fraser was accountable to Padraig Smith. Padraig Smith is accountable to the team president, KSE, and Stan Kroenke. However, KSE doesn’t seem to be interested in improving the club at all. For an ownership group that has had the success it’s had with its other franchises, the Colorado Rapids seems like the red-headed stepchild, which is the crux of the issue. Until ownership proves they care, the Rapids will continue to be inept.

The Colorado Rapids’ season may be unofficially over, but there are matches to be played. With the new additions of Rafael Navarro, Sidnei Tavares, and Luis Diaz late in the season, the club has a lot to figure out, including finding their next head coach. Team NBS will be here to catch all the action.