In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke to Matt Pollard of Burgundy Wave to learn more about the Colorado Rapids, New York City's opponent on Saturday night. Here is your NYCFC vs Colorado preview.
• League Form: L-W-W
• Record: 2W, 0D, 1L | 6 points, 5th place
• Scoring Leader: Rafael Navarro, 2 goals
• Assist Leader: Four players with 1 assist
1. The Matt Wells Era is off to a good start
Hudson River Blue: After firing Chris Armas, Colorado hired former Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Matt Wells. With the club seemingly starting a new era under Wells after missing the playoffs last year, what would you consider a successful 2026 for Colorado?
Matt Pollard: The Rapids haven't won a playoff game since 2016. So making the wildcard and winning it would be success. That said, we've seen the club has one season of unexpected and amazing success and then regresses. Just look at 2024, the first year under Armas, and then the second year. We want to see stability and gradual growth rather than the Rapids' three-year cycle of fail and rebuild, surprise some people, then struggle in midtable.
The decision to sell Cole Bassett aside, Wells has had a positive start. He's got refined tactical ideas for how he wants the team to press. His energy and mentality have been infectious; just watch one of his locker-room speeches. He's well spoken.
2. Hamzat Ojediran is impressing
HRB: The club surprisingly traded star midfielder Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers and also sold other players like Calvin Harris, Andreas Maxsø, and Oliver Larraz. But big signings like Dante Sealy, Hamzat Ojediran, and bringing in left-back Miguel Navarro on loan to replace Sam Vines. What’s your assessment of Colorado’s new arrivals?
MP: I'll start with Hamzat Ojediran. He's been fantastic between the boxes. Hamzat "The Destroyer" covers so much ground and makes little runs to break up plays, win the ball back, and keep possession. He will be an absolute pest for Keaton on Saturday. Going forward, he has contributed to the offense, something nobody expected. He was one of the bright spots in the season opener at Seattle. Scored from long range against Portland. He's been great.
Dante Sealy seems promising, but we're waiting for him to break out. He's been great at pressing and pinning back his opposing fullback. But he hasn't created enough on the ball from the run of play yet. His one goal contribution was an assist on a corner. For $1.9 million in GAM, we need to see those goals in transition and direct free kicks like in Montreal.
Miguel Navarro hasn't had much game time yet. He also joined the week the season started. Jackson Travis has been decent starting at left back.
3. It's still too early to judge Colorado's success
HRB: Two wins in Colorado’s first three games are far from a bad start to the season. What’s the vibe amongst Colorado fans currently?
MP: After a 4-1 win against the Galaxy, it's great. There are lots of individuals who are finding success and helping the team win. Lucas Herrington looks exciting at the back. Rafael Navarro and Darren Yapi got off the mark in the last game. I'd like to see the playing out of the back actually accomplish something going forward. They lost a game that was always going to be tough on the road, at Seattle. They looked great vs Portland, another mid-team. They were competitive against the Galaxy, then took them to the sword after the red card.
That said, I need more information. Talk to me after Matchday 10.
4. The X-Factor: The Yankee Stadium pitch
HRB: What's the X-factor that could decide this game?
MP: I hate to bring up talking points, but it's the weird-sized pitch in a baseball stadium. Western Conference teams don't have the same familiarity with Yankee Stadium as Eastern Conference teams. Two years ago, the Rapids got a win at Citi, but that was with a former Red Bulls coach and player on their team. I doubt Matt Wells has ever coached or played in a setup quite like this. Advantage Pigeons.
5. Predicted score, Starting XI
HRB: Prediction time: Starting XI? Final score?
MP: NYCFC wins 2-1. The Rapids playing out of the back backfires. They will be dangerous on the counter, though.
