Every team in the league takes a unique approach to roster building. Whether you’re talking about how many DPs or U22 players to use, how to piece together the international slots you need to sign the players you want, or how to utilize any number of the various player acquisition mechanisms that MLS provides for clubs, there are so many different things to consider when it comes to building a winning team.
This is more evident than ever in the modern version of MLS, where we’ve begun to see styles and approaches blending and transforming from club to club. When it comes to this weekend’s opponent, I personally find their chosen strategy intriguing.
So Patriotic
Ahead of the 2024 season, the Rapids leaned into the American angle hard. They brought in Chris Armas, one of the most promising American coaches working in soccer, along with bringing three USMNT players back across the pond from their European adventures (Sam Vines, Djordje Mihailovic, and Zack Steffen).
Despite some skepticism from fans and pundits, the approach appeared to work early on, as they went from a 14th-place finish in 2023 to a seventh-place finish in 2024, nearly doubling their point tally and establishing themselves as an emerging force in the Western Conference. Steffen, Mihailovic, and Vines all played more than 2,100 minutes in last season’s campaign, along with Americans Cole Bassett, Keegan Rosenberry, and Oliver Larraz. Not only were the stars of the team American, but the very spine of the team was, too. Interesting.
Let’s give this strategy some context: This season, 31 players have made first-team appearances for the Loons. Eight of those players have been American, meaning just over 25% of the featured players have been from the USA. Colorado, on the other hand, has utilized 34 players this year, 19 of which were American. That’s 56%, and in an increasingly diverse league, that’s a bit of a statistical anomaly.
The latest example of this strategy came just this past window, when the Rapids signed young USMNT hopeful Paxten Aaronson from German club Eintracht Frankfurt, ending his time in Europe with a return to MLS. Some fans looked at this as a step back for the player, citing greater competition in Europe as a better way for him to reach his full potential. While I don’t know whether or not the 22-year-old is ready to be the main man for Colorado, I couldn’t disagree more with the claim that this is a step back for Aaronson.
Historically, the strongest national teams have called upon the best players from their domestic leagues, in addition to players that ply their trade at some of the biggest clubs in the world. No disrespect to Frankfurt, but they aren’t one of the biggest clubs in the world. Why would Aaronson be better off in their system than he would be here in his home country, closer to friends and family? I’m a fan of the move, a fan of the strategy, and a supporter of our domestic league raising the standard by retaining — or reclaiming — some of the most promising American players in the game.
A Thought Experiment
Around the world, several clubs have utilized a “homegrown” approach to build their teams, relying strictly on “local” talent to make the difference on the big stage. Mexico’s Chivas de Guadalajara only sign Mexican players and have managed to become the second most successful club in the nation using this policy. In Spain, Athletic Bilbao only sign players from the Basque country, a region that spans across parts of Spain and France. Clearly, Colorado isn’t going this extreme with their strategy — but what would it mean if they, or any MLS team for that matter, ever did?
Personally, I’d be a fan. I’m a big believer that the purpose of running a domestic soccer league is to develop domestic talent, giving local players a stage to aspire to and perform on. They improve national team performance, give domestic players a chance to advance their careers, and make their nations a bigger part of the greater soccer landscape. MLS certainly accomplishes each of those goals, but when every club is focused on individual success, this greater goal can sometimes fall to the wayside.
Take Inter Miami, for example. In 2025, 30 players have featured for the Herons, only five of whom were American. Of those five, two have since transferred out of the club, giving David Beckham’s team a distinctly non-American lean. How does their presence in MLS help the development of American players? Good question. There are roster rules that require so many players on each team to have American passports; that’s where international spots come into play. For every Miami that hoards international spots, there’s a Colorado using domestic players to build their club. On the whole, the league is set up in such a way that collectively nurtures the USMNT player pool.
It’s tough to say what strategy creates the best club possible. Would a team with Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams dominate the league the same way that Lionel Messi and his Argentinean teammates have? We’ll never know until someone tries something of the sort, and it might be happening in Colorado. There’s something about playing in your domestic league that seems to light an extra fire in players, and the Rapids seem to be trying to tap into that special motivation.
