Three Players to Watch: Colorado Rapids
(image via Colorado Rapids)
Nearly 2 months into the season, the Houston Dynamo finally have their first game out of Texas as they take on the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. The Rapids are coming off a thrilling 3-2 loss to Toronto which ended with two Rapids players, Jackson Travis and Miguel Navarro, sent off. They now return to DSG Park where Colorado has a perfect 2W-0L-0D record this season. The Rapids will be looking at these players to help lead them to a win tomorrow night.
Rafael Navarro
Navarro has been one of the best forwards in MLS over his two full seasons since joining from Palmeiras in 2023. In that time, Navarro has recorded 32 goals and 6 assists, and has started this season in similar form with 3 goals and 2 assists in the Rapids’ opening six games. Houston’s defense will have their hands full containing the Brazilian target man.
Paxten Aaronson
Aaronson came back to MLS last summer with the Rapids and has been one of the league’s most creative midfielders. The former Philadelphia Union and Eintracht Frankfurt man has scored 3 goals in his last two games and created the winning goal in Houston’s last visit to Colorado last September. The Dynamo will need to mark Aaronson tightly to ensure he doesn’t end up on the score sheet again.
Hamzat Ojediran
The Rapids signed the Nigerian midfielder from Ligue 1 side Lens this offseason, and Ojediran has quickly established himself as the engine for Matt Wells’s 3-4-3 system. Ojediran averages 3.16 tackles and scored the first goal of Colorado’s season against Portland with a long range shot. Both Hamzat and Joshua Atencio will look to press the Dynamo attack every minute of the game.