Holding The High Line With Rabbi And Red

Hello Darkness My Old Friend. Also hello Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, our Group Think PTSD is back. We banter about MLS Commissioner Don Garber's comments about journalists being lazy by covering Lionel Messi. The boys have takes on what Garber may not realize about covering MLS and the underlying concerns that Messi's impact suggest. Then we do Good Thing, Bad Thing, Big Thing on that 4-1 loss at Portland Timbers that looked just like last year. There's a lot of Blame Pie to bake and serve. The guys then look ahead to the home opener against Nashville SC. Return of the Chris or Revenge of the Smith? Must win if Hany Mukhtar doesn't play? What lineup changes might we see? Also, Rest in Peace Joan. Lastly, we feature Red's guest spot on Urban Pitch to talk about the Rapids away day experience, fan culture, scran, and soccer street fashion. Links: Messi Lazy Article Rabbi's latest Backpass Urban Pitch YouTube Urban Pitch Podcast Feed Urban Pitch Twitter/X

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. MLS is back! Happy match week! This week on Holding The High Line, we have so much to talk about. The guys banter abut the new Rapids kit and the referee lockout that could see Scabby The Ref get a call wrong against the Pids. Also, we're officially #SaveTheCup. If you haven't seen, the national pundits do not think the Rapids will make the playoffs this year. Red breaks down their possible thinking, from Chris Armas being a bad hire, to the lack of a proven goal scorer, to Something To Prove FC. We hope y'all did your homework, salaries pundits. Rabbi and Red do a full Portland Timbers Preview. We discuss their offseason turnover, key additions, and of course Diego Chara and Evander. Can the Rapids get a result? Who will be in the starting lineup? How will Armas have the team play to open the year? Then Matt takes you inside Rapids training. We discuss the energy Armas brings, the types of drills, and how they're still a work in progress physically and tactically. Should we be enc

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Here is the second episode of Memories From Toronto. This week, Red speaks to right back Kosuke Kimura. We discuss his soccer origins growing up in Japan. Get ready for a wild story of how he annoyed an embassy and gamed the SAT to get into college soccer at Western Illinois. We learn about his style of play as one of the first modern fullbacks in MLS and how he won his individual matchups. There's that story, rumor, myth(?) how he and Quincy Amarikwa bought a fishing boat and hid at DSGP. Kosuke has some interesting and stoic takes on his teammates from that 2010 team. He talks about so many matchups against quality wingers that he got the best of. His #27 has special meaning related to that. We get to the bottom of that goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Then of course there's extra time of the final where he had to play two positions with the Rapids down a man. Get ready for more Jair Benítez hate. Then we discuss the fallout from 2011, the end of his playing career, and how

Hello Colorado Rapids fans! This week on Holding The High Line, Rabbi and Red do their annual season preview. We ask XI questions that will determine the fate of the 2024 Colorado Rapids. How will Captain Keegan Rosenberry fill the leadership gap this team may have? Who takes over the No. 6 position for Jack Price and will they be good enough? Are the Academy kids and Homegrowns ready to contribute to the first team consistently? How does Chris Armas handle center back minutes outside of Andreas Maxsø with all the young talent at the position? With Open Cup in limbo and Club León waiting in Leagues Cup, can the Rapids go in their first proper cup run since 2003? Rafael Navarro, Lamine Diack, and Sidnei Tavares(?) are on loan with options to buy in the summer. What will it take for them to be retained and what happens if they are not? How will Chris Armas fix this team's poor predictable defense from last year? Will the Rapids finally win the Rocky Mountain Cup? This club has become Somethin

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Remember back in 2020 when we said we were interviewing players and staff from the 2010 Rapids team that won MLS Cup? Well, we're finally ready to present that series. Throughout 2024 on Sundays, we'll be releasing these interviews with some before and after commentary. In this first episode, Matt Pollard speaks with center back Marvell Wynne II. We discuss how he came to Colorado. There's plenty of talk about his position, the tactics around it, and the creativity of Head Coach Gary Smith that made it work. Marvell speaks well of his teammates, gives some takes on FC Dallas and LA Galaxy, and takes us inside the huddle of those extra time periods in the playoffs. Get ready to hate Jair Benítez again/even more. Wynne gets real on Fort Collins native Colin Clark on an issue that also hits close to home for him. For more information on heart health, check out these resources at the CDPHE and American Heart Association. Holding The High Line is proud to present Part 1 of Memories From

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, Rabbi is back. We banter about Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool. We break down the immanent Lamine Diack loan deal. The guys discuss players news surrounding Miguel Navarro, Oliver Semmle, and Danny Wilson. Also could we see Sidnie Tavares, Aboubacar Keita, Lalas Abubakar, and Jonathan Lewis leave? We check in on the club in preseason. Jasper Löffelsend is crushing it. The team's mostly healthy. They're building culture. Is the Darren Yapi Hype Train back? And how about that 5-1 win against Querétaro FC. We break it all down. We finish the show talking Leagues Cup and doing Ask HTHLs. With Portland Timbers and Club León in the group, could the Rapids advance? How great is the Marcelo Balboa Derby going to be? And who's on the Rapids Mt. Rushmore now and in the future? We discuss.

Hello Rapids fans. This week on the pod, Rabbi Mark Goodman's off for a Jewish holiday. Matt Pollard banters about the possible PRO referee strike and an American being denied a move to Russia. He discusses the club's new primary kit, which might not be all Burgundy. We touch on a few things on Sam Vines becoming official, with the #3 shirt in good hands. Two SuperDraft picks are officially on first team contracts. Miguel Navarro, Aboubacar Keita, and Lalas Abubakar could be on the way out. Rémi Cabral has signed a first team deal. The Rapids lost their first preseason game and Lamine Diack is a new No. 6 target. Then we feature Matt's interview with Mr. Rapid, Captain Keegan Rosenberry, from Monday.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week, Holding The High Line opens the show with heavy hearts. We podcast just hours after news breaks that Rapids super fan Joan Dobrzynski passed away. We reminisce about her time as a fan of the club and what she meant to the players and Rapids Community. Then Rabbi and Red talk Rapids Media Day. We discuss whether Keegan Rosenberry has shown he should be the new captain. We introduce the concept of Something To Prove FC. Get as excited as the new guys as we talk Zack Steffen's knee, Djordje Mihailović humor, Chris Armas going off on the Open Cup, and more. We have reason to believe Sam Vines will immanently be announced as rejoining the Rapids. The boys discuss what went wrong at Royal Antwerp, what him and other players coming to the club having failed(?) in Europe mean, and whether Armas will bring the Vines back back to Commerce City. The guys then discuss the preseason schedule as the Rapids return to Querétaro and Orlando. They've replaced four pitches at DSGP. There's

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, we have conflicting schedules! Rabbi Mark Goodman sends a voice note to discuss the Jasper Löffelsend trade and Adam Beaudry signing as a Homegrown. Matt Pollard talks Cole Bassett extension, Zack Steffen on a free, Max Alves saying bye to the Rapids, U22 slots, and more. Find the club's fan survey here.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, Rabbi and Red podcast for the first time since the holidays. We discuss Fulham finally winning a Holding The High London Derby. The guys celebrate Danny Wilson, Sam Nicholson, and William Yarbrough upon their departures from the club. Then we get into the news. We talk all things Zack Steffen and Đorđe Mihailović. What do they bring to the club? What are their ceilings and floors? What are the financial implications of these moves? Marko Ilić out? Where's this money coming from and how much realistically is being spent? Where does Mihailović play and who all starts around him? We've got Goalkeeper Math on Roster Rules on Fancy Stats on waffles. Then we get into some fire HTHLs. Assistant coaching futures, Rapids players by tiers, predicting the next Rapids captain, new primary kit rumors, and facilities upgrades. Also, we basically confirm we support Scottish independence.

Happy New Year Colorado Rapids fans! On this episode of Holding The High Line, Red is joined by Brendan Ploen for his final act as beat writer for The Denver Post. We discuss the biggest Colorado soccer stories of 2023. We give WoSo and the college game their due. Matt discusses how 2023 was so weird for the Rapids on so many levels. We try to make sense of that chaos and give it perspective, historically. Then we look ahead to 2024 and the loose ends from 2023. Here's Brendan's piece on the top ten stories of the year.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Merry Christmas Eve. This is Matt Pollard. I'm typing this podcast intro from the 38th floor of the Cash Register Building at Lincoln and 17th downtown. Josh Kroenke and I are playing Christmas Eve Hide-And-Go-Slide-Tackle. He hasn't found me yet, but I've found him. Any Who(Ville), here's that Chris Armas interview we've been promising you. I sat down with Chris this past Wednesday for an hour. We discuss recent happenings at the club, his upbringing in soccer and in life, his soccer philosophies, that loss to Atlanta United in the 2018 playoffs, and much more. This interview was humanizing and encouraging. We hope you enjoy it. Just a warning, Chris says a few naughty words. Also, there's some maintenance in the background, so  apologies if you hear some random clanging in the distance. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. We'll see you in January.

Happy Holidays Colorado Rapids fans! This week on Holding The High Line, we are hyped for the SuperDraft. We banter about the MLS-U.S. Soccer drama surrounding the Open Cup. We break down the Rapids SuperDraft and the process that led to the six players selected. Omir Fernandez has signed. Chris Armas is apparently just on a two-year contract. The 2024 regular season schedule is out. And we've got an Ask HTHL about roster flexibility. Also here's that pod link to Total Soccer Show discussing MLS making so few rule changes.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and all the other things. This week on Holding The High Line, Red solo pods. He breaks down the Andrew Gutman-Miguel Navarro trade. He's in the Chamber of Understanding regarding Zack Steffen. He also debriefs you on the Jack Price exit interview, conflicting rumors surrounding Max Alves, and looks ahead to Silly Season. Also, Rapids Math is officially a thing. Let us know if you're in the Angry Dome or the Chamber of Understanding.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Holding The High Line is back after the Chris Armas press conference. Rabbi and Red discuss takeaways from what was said and what little surprised us. Then we talk about the end-of-year roster decisions. Abe Rod's not getting retained with Sebastian Anderson and Oli Larraz in negotiations. Gustavo Vallecilla, woof. Also, Max Alves is still on the roster? Then RBNY Supporter Reporter Mark Fishkin joins Rabbi to discuss the Armas Era in New York. Check out Fishkin on The Seeing Red Podcast. Find the video of the full press conference here. Check out Red's articles on Armas and the roster decisions here and here.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. On this episode of Holding The High Line, Rabbi and Red get together to discuss the breaking news that Colorado has hired Chris Armas as Head Coach. We discuss the 51-year-olds experience and how his last four jobs are red flags for many. Mark tries to find some optimism as we make comparisons to Pablo Mastroeni and Ben Olsen. Matt goes deep on some conversations he's had with people, discussing the process, what about Chris Armas made him the best candidate, and more. Oh, and Red brags about his Jack Wilshere scoops. The we discuss what this means going forward. We have some insight on Jack Price and Diego Rubio leaving the club. We talk what Armas arriving means for the roster and coaching staff changes and more. Then we answer a record number 15 Ask HTHLs.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Welcome to the final episode of Season 6 of Holding The High Line with Rabbi and Red. We put to bed the 2023 Rapids season, finally. The guys banter about Decision Day. We discuss relevant things from Saturday's 1-0 loss to RSL. How about five academy products on the field at once! Then we talk offseason. Diego Rubio and Jack Price have announced they're leaving. Matt's got scoops on Lalas Abubakar, Danny Wilson, and Jonathan Lewis. We go through and make predictions on every player who has a team option or is out of contract. There's also some MLS SuperDraft news that might benefit the Rapids for the 2024 draft. Then we talk coaching search and the timeline for that decision. The guys end the pod by thanking the Rapids Community. Regardless of how the season has gone, you've all been awesome, you absolute legends. It takes a village, and we've got a great one. Also, Red shares some sentimental moments and shenanigans from A Burgundy Affair (and maybe the after party).

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. This week on Holding The High Line, we discuss all the off-the-field news surrounding the Rapids. Rabbi and Red start by discussing the 1-1 draw at FC Dallas. It was good to see Rafael Navarro finally score a goal. Then Matt pours one (non-alcoholic) out for Rapids 2 after their 0-0 (1-4) loss to Austin FC II in the Western Conference Final. We discuss what went wrong, why it was such a close game, and the missed opportunity for R2 to honor this season that was filled with so much joy and success. Then we look ahead to the coaching search news. Chris Little, Jack Wilshire, and Efrain Juarez have all been linked. We go over their resumes, flaws, and what we think. Mark actually likes the Wilshire idea. Next we talk Victory Crossing. The Denver Post had a front page article in the Sunday edition about that and that was followed by a spicy district meeting in which Commerce City Mayor Benjamin Huseman went off. Lastly, we preview the weekend with Colorado hosting Real Salt Lake on Dec

Hello Colorado Rapids fans. On this episode of Holding The High Line, Colorado Rapids 2 won a playoff game! Rabbi and Red banter about the new World Cup format and the violence in Israel. Then we recap the loss to Houston Dynamo. At least Cole Bassett scored again and Toronto FC clinched the Wooden Spoon. Then we discuss some international callus and Daniel Chacón tearing his ACL. After that, we re-preview the rescheduled FC Dallas game. Then Matt goes off on R2, all the storylines, and why you should care. Here's the links to John Babiak's article about his humanitarian work in Ukraine and his GoFundMe.

Hello Colorado Rapids fans! This week on Holding The High Line, Rabbi Mark Goodman is back from all the Jewish holidays. The guys banter about the MLS schedule being congested and too long, off a great column from Jonathan Tannenwald. Then we discuss a four point week for the Pids and the Chris Little Effect. Rabbi and Red break down a draw with Vancouver Whitecaps and a win over Austin FC. We discuss what went well, the effect Chris Little is having on the first team, Cole Bassett, and Sebastian Anderson. It's not all good stuff though, with some boring halves, and Sidnei Tavares and Rafael Navarro still waiting to have a big impact. We preview the games against two Texas teams this week. Can the Rapids win at FC Dallas? What about a tough test against the Houston Dynamo midfield that just won the Open Cup. Lastly, we talk about Colorado Rapids 2 in the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs.