To watch Dillon Serna is to witness a kind of frenetic precision. His movement is so quick, from his stutter steps to his step-overs and his changes of direction, that it sometimes feels like he’s been put into a turn-of-the-century silent film, moving at 1.5x speed, while everything else is still going at a medium pace.

Supporters of the Colorado Rapids have been telling everyone they could get a hold of “Hey! This Serna kid is good!” since he was signed to a homegrown contract in 2013, just after his freshman year at the University of Akron. Fans love him because of his classic local-boy-makes-good story, since Serna grew up in Brighton and played with the Rapids academy since he was in middle school. For years, fans saw flashes of his talent.

But Serna’s playing career in Colorado could best be characterized as “Dillon, interrupted” from 2014 through 2018, with inconsistent play, benchings and injuries (torn ACL, 2016).

And that brings us to this season. Edgar Castillo is gone after being deemed too pricey to bring back despite being the team’s best player and offensive fulcrum in 2018, leaving the Rapids with a vacancy at left back, a player tasked with bringing the ball up the field, being an offensive outlet, helping in the final third of the attack, and also coming back on defense to lock down his side of the field. Left back requires speed, endurance, precision, acumen, and vision.

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And to start the season the Rapids had zero experienced players to fill the spot, which is why manager Anthony Hudson decided to roll the dice and give Serna the job. And, the preliminary results have been excellent.

Serna has provided above-average defending and fantastic passing, plus he has the ability to support the attack. In the snowy season-opener, he had an assist on the first goal, and it was his shot at the death that got deflected to the waiting instep of Andre Shinyashiki to nab a 3-3 draw. In the second match against Seattle, the team ran a lot of the offense through him as he contributed three key passes and five crosses. And this past Sunday against Sporting Kansas City, Serna was everywhere, doing everything.

The Rise of Dillon Serna, pt1. Serna serves an amazing ball to Mezquida on the half-volley at 12'.#COLvSKC #Rapids96 pic.twitter.com/RxuJori5k5 — Mark Asher Goodman (@soccer_rabbi) March 18, 2019

The Rise of Dillon Serna, pt2. This ball into Diego Rubio is long and direct and on-a-dime. Lotta clubs in this kid's bag – accurate long balls, saucy dribbles, emergency defending, pace, passing-and-moving. #COLvSKC #Rapids96 pic.twitter.com/Ye7flVDy2e — Mark Asher Goodman (@soccer_rabbi) March 18, 2019

Statistically that added up to four tackles, two clearances, and one key pass. Serna’s role now as a fullback means that he will often be “the guy behind the guy,” helping to link up plays or stop the opposition in ways that won’t produce eye-popping league-MVP stats.

But advanced metrics tell us that Serna is a big contributor to the good things Colorado has produced. One such advanced statistic, Expected Buildup or “xB,” measures the degree to which a player that has passed the ball was involved in successful plays that produce high-quality shots. Serna’s xB of 1.6 puts him 10th in MLS amongst all fullbacks, and 2nd on the Rapids overall, indicating that he’s been one of the Rapids most important offensive weapons because of what he can offer in passes, crosses, and shots. The only Rapids player with a higher rating is Keegan Rosenberry, the fullback on the other side of the pitch, and a player with four years of MLS experience at the position.

It can be said that one of the biggest worries the Rapids had coming out of pre-season, the question of whether they had a viable first-rate left-back, has been suitably answered. Related Articles Colorado Rapids announce final nine games on 2020 schedule

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Serna looking like Edgar Castillo lite #Rapids96 — Justin Hein (@justin_hein) March 18, 2019

I know it's still really early in the season, but Serna could play himself into the National Team picture. If he has a really good season, I would not be shocked seeing him get a January camp call. #Rapids96 — RapidsForeignLegion (@CRForeignLegion) March 18, 2019

At last Serna has a clear role with the Rapids and is at full health. He turns 25 years old in a few days, putting him right in the sweet spot of when soccer players are at the peak of both athletic ability and technical skill. The man from Brighton with the perpetually bright future, may have finally become what fans have been waiting for for so long.