It was a bit of a surprise that Mastroeni returned to the Colorado Rapids last season at all. Under his leadership in 2014 and 2015, the Rapids finished toward the bottom of the league, well out of playoff position. But he shocked everyone by leading the Rapids to second in the Western Conference last year. If it seemed flukey and unsustainable, the 2017 season has only proven it. The Rapids aren’t grinding out 1-0 wins anymore and their luck has run out as they sit bottom in the Western Conference.

Results matter, of course, but the Rapids played a bit of a tedious, low-scoring — some might say boring — brand of soccer last year and that defensive style hasn’t gotten them the same results this year. Now Mastroeni seems to be looking for a way to turn the Rapids into more of an attacking team, but the question is whether he is the right coach to lead that transition. It’s been bit bumpy so far, but they still need to make some moves in the summer transfer window. Assuming Mastroeni gets to that window simply because the Rapids have seemed reluctant to change coaches, the clock will really start ticking once more attacking pieces arrive.

Verdict: On a backburner, for now