In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with Matt Pollard of the Burgundy Wave to learn more about the Colorado Rapids, New York City FC's opponent at Citi Field on Sunday. Here is your NYCFC vs Colorado preview.
1. Chris Armas rebuilt the culture at Colorado and players are flourishing
Hudson River Blue: Colorado finished bottom of the Western Conference last season with five wins and 17 losses. Newly appointed head coach Chris Armas has started off the season positively, with Colorado currently sitting in sixth place in the West. What has led to the positive start after one of the worst seasons in club history?
Matt Pollard: There are so many things better from last year. Chris Armas has rebuilt the culture in the locker room. This team's playing for each other. There's a belief. Comradery and fighting spirit are paramount to this club and its history. "Keep Fighting" is back with a vengeance. Talent-wise, they've upgraded at most positions. Zack Steffen's making big saves. Homegrown Oli Larraz has finally broken into the first team. He and Cole Bassett are cooking in the midfield, that loss in Cincinnati notwithstanding. They're scoring on set pieces. Just need Rafael Navarro and Djordje Mihailovic to start scoring from the run of play.
