Defense

Despite sound bites about attacking soccer, the Rapids defense so far is the focal point for Hudson’s new vision for the team, and where he decided to make his first signature moves on the roster. Under Hudson, New Zealand ran a 5-3-2 formation with three center backs and two attacking wingbacks, and it’s no secret that the Rapids will pursue some variant of this strategy. Despite some trade rumors surrounding Sjoberg, he’s likely to anchor the back three with new arrivals Tommy Smith and Danny Wilson. Both Smith and Wilson are New Zealand internationals, and should be able to help solidify the Rapids defense early in the year.

Monterrey loanee Edgar Castillo, a past U.S. international, will likely be the starting left wingback, while common sense puts Marlon Hairston at right wingback. Hairston has played both fullback and outside midfield for Colorado in the past, and while he’s shown flashes of offensive brilliance, wingback seems like an excellent place for him on the field. Hairston’s at his best when he unleashes his speed and incisive passes but can struggle to muscle his way through when space is hard to come by. Castillo and Hairston will provide defensive support on the wings, and help the Rapids to alternately overload each side of the field, exposing gaps when there’s an extra man to deal with.

Apart from the presumed starters, keep an eye on homegrown player (and guy from my hometown!) Kortne Ford, who played an impressive 1,727 minutes in his first professional season last year. He made some mistakes, but also showed real promise as a long-term player in MLS. Eric Miller and Jared Watts also return from last year to provide depth with two other new Kiwi defenders, Deklan Wynne and third round SuperDraft pick Kip Colvey.

Midfield

The Rapids’ biggest signing of the off-season (so far?) is probably Jack Price from Wolverhamton Wolves in the English Championship, a defensive midfielder who came up through their academy into the first team. He is likely to be a regular in the central midfield, playing behind new Swedish signing Johan Blomberg and Stefan Aigner, a German with Bundesliga experience who played 488 minutes for the Rapids after joining in summer of 2017. However, while Price is entering his prime years at age 25, Blomberg and Aigner are both 30, and are probably not permanent solutions whether they intend to stay in Denver a while or not. A lot rides on this core gelling over the next month, especially if the Rapids want to have any hope of moving past dominant Toronto in CONCACAF Champions League in late February.

All the returning Rapids midfielders will have to out-do these new arrivals to get precious time in the midfield, and likely fill in at wingback as well. Defensive mids Michael Azira and “Nana” Adjei-Boateng look to improve on their lackluster 2017 performances, while 2016’s starting winger Shkelzen Gashi promised Pádraig Smith that he will overcome his fitness and injury issues of last year and contribute once again. Homegrown mainstay and still-young Dillon Serna hopes to finally have his breakout year; I hope that Hudson’s system lets him play more centrally and combine with the wingbacks. Serna plays an exciting, technical game with fairly frequent dribbles, and often got isolated on the wings in Mastroeni’s defense-minded 4-2-3-1. Homegrown player Ricardo Perez and local 2017 draft pick Sam Hamilton will have a lot to prove, especially if the Rapids are looking to make new signings in the summer.

Forward

Dominique Badji was the leading scorer in 2017 with nine goals (9.36 xG), and with his pace and instinct, deserves to be one of the initial starters in the basically assured front two. LA-area homegrowns Jack McBean (Galaxy) and Caleb Calvert (Chivas RIP) will need to prove themselves to Hudson to earn time, as Gashi led the Swiss league in goals for two years as a second forward, and Aigner has forward experience as well. Striker is a real area of need for Colorado, and if reports are true, a couple different bids have come up empty. If the team really does miss out on this transfer window, it could be a struggle to get early results, and this would be a priority signing come summer.

2018 Prognosis

While the disheartening Mastroeni era is in the past, it would be silly to expect a complete turnaround at this stage. The Rapids are a long shot to make the playoffs in the Western Conference, no matter how uneven the West was in 2017. LAFC’s debut means that only 50% of teams in the West will qualify, and it introduces a new ambitious opponent.

However, what the Rapids faithful (and haters) can expect is a coherent identity and different culture from years past, which is something fans have been wanting for a long time. Hudson’s favorite 5-3-2/3-5-2 may click sooner rather than later, or it may take some gelling and a few more signings, but Hudson was hired because he fits a specific vision. This new roster has been built with purpose. When Oscar Pareja decided he wanted to take his rightful place as Schellas Hyndman’s heir in Dallas, the Rapids’ FO made the convenient hire with Mastroeni out of necessity, and for the next four years, lacked any clear vision apart from playing two defensive mids. This feels different than any offseason we've had in a while. The acquisitions of Jermaine Jones, Gashi, and Howard in 2016 looked splashy, but these recent moves show planning and direction. We can only wait and see if it pays off this time.