Holding The High Line, a Colorado Rapids Podcast

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. You may be disappointed, but are you not entertained? This week on Holding The High Line, we talk left back red cards and much more. Rabbi and Red banter about the World Cup ticket price fiasco getting worse. We talk Messi headlines getting misconstrued. Also, how are ticket sales going for the 30th Anniversary game at Mile High? We talk about the wild 3-2 loss at Toronto FC. We go through all the officiating calls including the three red cards. The guys discuss whether the Zack Steffen own goal is an indication of a bigger problem and what it means. But hey, at least Djordje Mihailović didn't start. They guys react to the Rapids One Club, One Legacy update. They will not be rebranding but will reimagine the crest. We discuss what that means and what's off the table. We're optimistic. But the club on some level is still putting the merchandise cart before the horse. We preview Houston Dynamo. Who's starting at left back? What do we think of Sam Vines returning to DSGP? Oh, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is back. USL League One side Union Omaha comes to town on Tuesday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Just a lovely and wide ranging conversation with Colorado Rapids centerback Rob Holding. We talk about growing up with Bolton and in Manchester, his time with Arsenal, his move to MLS and his observations about the league. We also get his take on Matt Wells' tactical approach and the new-look 2026 Colorado Rapids. We also make jokes about obviously being his favorite podcast, since we're named after him. A must listen! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Happy April Fools. On this episode of Holding The High Line, we preview the Toronto FC game. The guys banter about the Denver Summit home opener and the attendance record that was set. We do a round table on the international window. The USMNT is back in a familiar and disappointing state. A number of Rapids players had good call-ups. The Lucas Herrington and Darren Yapi hype is real. Rabbi and Red breakdown the end of the transfer window. Georgi Minoungou and Kosi Thompson were late additions. Luïc Williams was official as well. Then we talk TFC, Robin Fraser, Djordje Mihailović and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. On this episode of Memories From Toronto, we speak to goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Red speaks to the beard about his soccer journey that led him to Colorado Rapids. We talk about how the club assembled and established that formidable defense. Pickens gets real on Gary Smith and the club politics during that time. We then talk about that playoff run. There's the extra time and penalty shootout at Columbus Crew in the second leg. The Eastern Conference Final vs San Jose. And of course the MLS Cup Final. The freezing cold. Then it all comes crashing down. Pickens discusses how that team got broken up and how they all went their separate ways. Matt talks about his path to coaching and reuniting with Smith. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Soccer fans. This week on Holding The High Line, we open up with friend of the pod Daniel Sperry's Calvin Harris interview after the game on Saturday. Then we talk about the Luïc Williams signing. Rabbi and Red banter about Hudson River Blues shutting down (rest in peace) and Sam Vines to Houston Dynamo. We think it's a good fit for the Vines Back. The we break down that 1-4 victory against Sporting KC. Matt Wells Ball arrived. Paxten Aaronson and Wayne Frederick had their best performances for the club. The guys talk international window, World Cup qualifying, USMNT, and Luïc Williams. With no Rapids game this weekend, we touch on Denver Summit FC hosting The Kickoff, their first home game this Saturday at Mile High Stadium at noon. We answer some very good Ask HTHLs. We had some technical difficulties recording and editing this episode. Apologies. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, it is Saint Patrick's Day. Red gets a bit independent against the English. Sorry, not sorry. We banter about the USMNT Word Cup kits. We also discuss the MLS Cup Playoffs schedule and the MLS Cup Final being moved to a Friday. The guys also discuss why no Colorado Rapids player, past or present, is making the World Cup other than Auston Trusty and Moïse Bombito. Rabbi and Red recap the 3-1 loss to New York City FC. How much of this game came down to the small pitch at Yankees Stadium? How good was Darren Yapi? And what do we make of the team still trying to play out of the back? Then we turn to Saturday's game against Sporting KC. Calvin Harris will play his first match against his former club. What do we make of SKC's season so far and their small roster? How should we judge this game given the state of them, the Rapids, and the fact that Colorado lost both games to them last year? We discuss. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, we talk about the Rapids War Chest of GAM, CRYSC, and more. The guys recap the 4-1 win over LA Galaxy. There were so many standout performances, namely Darren Yapi and captain Rafael Navarro. The game was affected significantly by an injury and the red card. Are there underlying tactical concerns still for Matt Wells and the Pids? We discuss. Then we have a roundtable on a bunch of topics. Mark has an update on this year's podcast merch. Matt gives some updates for Denver Summit as they kickoff their expansion season in NWSL. We talk MLS suspending players for life for betting and the underlying hypocrisy in that. Then we chat about the updated MLS GAM number. How should the Rapids fill their two open U22 slots and should Darren Yapi's contract extension fit in there? Red also talks about why the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club and Colorado Soccer Association news isn't as bad as some have thought. Then we preview Colorado's game at Yankees Stadium against New York City FC. Oh, and Bill from Missourah asks us what engineering and Torah concepts the Pids are. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans! This week on Holding The High Line, we do a full Rapids roster breakdown and more. Rabbi and Red open the show with banter about the state of sports media. We review the 2-0 win over Portland Timbers. Matt has audio from speaking to Cole Bassett postgame. We celebrate Lucas Herrington, Alex Harris, and Hamzat Ojediran. We talk Rapids press, playing out of the back, and "dominating" the game. Mark has an update on 2026 HTHL merch. We analyze the Colorado Rapids roster breakdown and roster compliance. We then look ahead to LA Galaxy and the Killer Ps on Saturday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, that first 20 minutes was rough. And we have the Cole Bassett Revenge Tour to look forward to? The guys banter about Denver Summit launching the "Evergreen Kit." We recap the 2-0 loss at Seattle Sounders. The first half was a mess. The second half was better because of the substitutes. There were a few good performances and a lot of bad ones. We break down the tactics, the lack of execution, and the fascinating Matt Wells postgame press conference. The boys react to Sam Vines getting waived and bought out by the club. We give him his flowers, a reasonable amount. We discuss what went wrong for Vinesy, what it means for him and the club, and whether the 2021 Vines Back is still in there. Then we preview the home opener on Saturday. What do the Rapids need to do better? What can we expect from Cole Bassett and the Portland Timbers? Oh, and how about that fan forum and the screen updates? Oh, and we've got a 2026 merch update. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans! Welcome to season nine of Holding The High Line with Rabbi and Red! On this episode, we do our full 2026 Colorado Rapids season preview! Before we preview, we discuss Matt Doyle leaving MLS dot com. Mark gives his key observations from Rapids Media Day. We talk Miguel Navarro returning to the Rapids and the end of preseason. Here are our XI questions that will define the 2026 Colorado Rapids: What is Matt Wells' game model and will it work? What is Paxten Aaronson's role and how will the midfield work without Cole Bassett? Will Rafael Navarro stay and can the team support him offensively? What are our expectations for Dante Sealy given the $1.9 million price tag? Can Hamzat Ojediran be Hamzat The Destroyer and make the team concede less goals? Who is starting at left center back and left back and will they be good enough? Who starts at the other winger opposite Dante Sealy and will they be good enough? Who will be the captain and who will provide the vocal leadership this team needs? How will Denver Summit impact the Rapids? Can the Rapids capitalize on the game at Mile High and the World Cup? Will KSE bring back the members of the front office who are in a contract year? Oh, and we also talk about the Seattle Sounders game. Gulp. We discuss a few pieces of content during the episode. Here's Mark's Western Conference preview. Here's Matt Pollard's article about Matt Doyle. For those interested in MLS Fantasy, here's links for Kickbase, Fantasy UTD, and Sofascore. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, surprise, it's a black kit! The guys react to the Colorful Colorado kit. We're not enthused, but there are some fun details. There's a good mission behind it, which we support. Then we touch base on preseason. The Rapids lost to Columbus Crew last weekend 4-1. They have their final preseason friendly against Orlando City SC this Saturday. We discuss the first media availability with Hamzat Ojediran. Other than that, we're flying blind. We discuss the reasoning behind the club keeping their cards close to the vest and what Matt Wells could be doing behind the scenes. We have some suggestions for giving the MLS preseason more juice. Rabbi gives his take on the updated 2026 MLS Roster Rules and Regulations. The salary cap went up. There's more details about the cash transfer. The off roster Homegrown is a fun took the Rapids could utilize. Lastly, we discuss the rumor mill. Luïc Williams, Matías Galarza Fonda, and the 'return' of Miguel Navarro. We have thoughts. Oh and Sportico says the Rapids are still worth less than expansion teams on paper. Save the Vancouver Whitecaps. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This is another episode in our Memories From Toronto series, where we interview people from the 2010 Colorado Rapids. There's still several of these interviews waiting to be released. I've got a few soccer new resolutions for 2026, and sharing these with you is one of them. On this episode, I speak with Steve Guppy, the top assistant coach under Gary Smith. Steve grew up in Winchester, north of Southampton in England. Played for more than a decade in the Football league. From 1990-92, he and Gary Smith were teammates at Wycombe Wanderers. Spent three years at Celtic, winning the Scottish Premiership. In the later half of his playing career, he played for D.C. United and Rochester Rhinos. In 2008, Gary Smith got hired at Colorado Rapids. He recruited his former Wycombe teammate into retirement to start his coaching career. Guppy discusses that season, his affinity for creative wide players that led to the acquisition of Mac Kandji, and the fallout from the 2011 season. For those who listened to the Jeff Plush and Paul Bravo episodes, Guppy gives his and Smith's side of those relationships and the ultimate parting of ways. There's a lot to learn from what he says and doesn't say. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. We weren't going to do an episode this week but then the Cole Bassett trade news broke. Rabbi and Red get together for an episode with some swearing. We react to the Bassett trade to Portland Timbers. We discuss what could have caused this, what it means for the club, and the financial and tactical implications. Then there's the small matter of discussing the departures of Oli Larraz, Rafa Santos, and Calvin Harris, among other news. Donavan Philip signed a first team deal at least. Oh, here's Matt's article on Bassett if you want to read it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Soccer fans! Happy New Year! Holding The High Line is back for 2026 just in time to talk about Lindsey Heaps signing with Denver Summit FC. We might be a Summit podcast now. We discuss the Great Horan Linsey Heaps signing a precontract with Summit. We discuss this massive move, what it means for the expansion club and the Rapids. We have updates on Summit and the Pids playing a home game at Mile High as well as Summit renting out DICK's Sporting Goods Park in the spring. What a fascinating case study experiment we get to witness, and all because Summit's temporary stadium has construction delays. Oh, and Mark pokes Matt about Chris Armas getting the KC Current job. Then the guys talk Rapids preseason. We've got a schedule, some new coaches (we'll miss you Chris Little), a preseason roster, and some center back rumors. We break it all down. Oh and Footy Headlines thinks the new Rapids kit will be black and sky blue. Hope that's fake news. Check out this article from Maxwell's blog about the state of the fanbase. Thank you for listening to HTHL, High Liners and haters. Happy New Year. We are so back. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Soccer fans. On this episode of Holding The High Line, we pod in between holidays to discuss all the news. Rabbi and Red react to the Matt Wells official announcement as Colorado Rapids head coach. Red spoke to him. Hear his first impressions. We give our thoughts on the One Club, One Legacy fan survey about possibly rebranding. Most fans on social media don't like this. We've got some info from the club side of things. We also talk MLS SuperDraft with the main story being Colorado needing to protect Billo Diop despite having him under contract for 2026. Then we go full Home Alone. Red talks Noah Cobb, Dante Sealy, Hamzat Ojediran, the proposed division re-alignment, the anniversary game at Mile High against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, and the Denver Summit stadium plan getting approved by the Denver City Council. That Matt Wells interview will be in your feed later this week. Happy Holidays High Liners. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, Red is back from England and recovered from jet lag. Rabbi has come down from his Thanksgiving food coma and high of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds winning the USL Championship. The guys give some brief thoughts on Inter Miami winning MLS Cup and the FIFA World Cup draw. Hey, we feel good about the USMNT getting out of the group. We discuss Colorado picking up the purchase option on Noah Cobb. Matt has some reporting on Sam Bassett and Rafa Santos. We discuss the coaching search, the profile of manager we think the Rapids are going for, and the timeline. Then we discuss MLS Free Agency and the SuperDraft. Palmer Ault hype. Once again, well done to Rapids 2, Erik Bushey, and Brian Crookham. Oh, and here's that ESPN article Mark mentions about the USL CBA. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Matt's inconveniently on assignment gallivanting around England. He and the girlfriend, former college soccer player and third-year Rapids STM, sit down to discuss the year-end roster decisions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Soccer fans. We did not expect to be doing this podcast! Matt is galavanting around England with the girlfriend. Mark is hyped for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds playing in the USL Championship Final! We separately discuss the Apple TV MLS Season Pass news. MLS voted to change the schedule format to the European style. We got a schedule for the 2026 MLS season. Lionel Messi is coming to Mile High on April 18. We've got USL thoughts. Also, Matt talks Denver Summit FC. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Well so much for taking a few weeks off. Chris Armas will not return as head coach. Pádraig Smith and Kevin Demoff had a press conference. It was informative but also it wasn't. Holding The High Line banters about the USL Championship and MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks have a tough road game at FC Tulsa to start the playoffs. Colorado Rapids 2 are hosting MNUFC2 on Sunday in the Western Conference Final. Then we react to Armas Out. We give our thoughts on the press conference. It was a big deal that someone from KSE was there to speak. It also felt like Groundhog Day. Many Rapids fans will be underwhelmed. We try to make sense of it all. The guys end the show with a draft of our realistic and ideal coaching candidates. Vincente Sánchez anybody? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. The 2025 Colorado Rapids season is over. A lot happened after the full-time whistle. Holding The High Line sits down for a looooong chat to discuss the Chris Armas apology and do a season review. The guys break down the 2-2 draw against Los Angeles FC and why it was a microcosm of their season and their matchup against LAFC. We discuss how Colorado came so close to winning and so close to making the playoffs. Then Matt talks about the post game press conference with Chris Armas. Spoiler alert, he and I are good. But this is a good 'Inside Baseball' conversation about MLS media relations and how journalists do their work covering a local beat. Rabbi and Red then review the season, Lord of the Rings trilogy style. We talk about Chris Armas' future with the club and why the timing of this extension or decision to let him walk is so interesting. We discuss roster options for 2026 and what other players could depart. We look ahead to positional targets for the 2026 January Transfer Window. Then we give you all the information on the offseason. Spoiler alert, it's going to be a couple weeks. Here's some links to stuff we talked about during the episode: When Playing It Out Of The Back Goes Wrong (@WPIOOTBGW), Mark's open letter to Chris, and Matt's thread discussing it. Thank you for listening to us all season long, High Liners. 1:00 Intro Banter 5:00 Recapping the 2-2 draw with LAFC 22:00 Chris Armas Press Conference Discussion 28:00 The Press Conference Audio 61:00 Season Review 94:00 Chris Armas future/Potential Coaching Search 1:45:00 End of Season Roster Decisions 1:54:00 2026 Tactics and January Transfer Targets 2:15:00 Offseason Roster Schedule Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.