As the MLS All-Star week unfolds, dive into the illustrious history of the Rapids' All-Star selections while celebrating the players who have represented the club at the highest level.
Defenders **Keegan Rosenberry** and **Moïse Bombito** recently became the latest Rapids All-Stars, following in the footsteps of Tim Howard in 2017 and marking the 20th and 21st selections in club history. Their recent selections highlight the Rapids' ongoing commitment to providing elite talent for the league’s annual showcase.
Among the most frequently recognized are Marcelo Balboa, who earned five consecutive All-Star selections from 1997 to 2001, and Pablo Mastroeni, whose four-time All-Star status spans from 2002 to 2008. This legacy of consistent excellence underscores the Rapids' enduring presence in Major League Soccer’s elite circles. His contributions included 17 goals and 21 assists, highlighting his dominance as a defender and culminating in his memorable Goal of the Year in 2000 with a stunning bicycle kick. Balboa, a celebrated figure in club history and a member of the Rapids Gallery of Honor, is revered for his achievements. In 2001, he became the first defender in MLS history to record more than 20 goals and 20 assists in his career.
Following Balboa's early contributions, other Rapids players like Chris Henderson and Paul Bravo continued to build on this legacy, showcasing their talents and leadership on the All-Star stage. Henderson, also in the Rapids Gallery of Honor, provided consistent performance and leadership with selections in 1997 and 2002. Henderson holds several club records, including 53 assists, the most in Rapids history. The midfielder logged 178 appearances and 170 starts across two stints with the club, which are both the third-most in club history. Additionally, his 10 game-winning assists rank second in club history, while his 14,748 minutes as a Rapid are the third-most in club history. Adding to this esteemed group, John Spencer, Mastroeni, Conor Casey, and Drew Moor are also members of the Rapids Gallery of Honor who earned All-Star selections while with the club, highlighting their significant contributions to the club's history.
1997
MLS East 5 - MLS West 4
Defender Balboa and midfielder Henderson earned their first respective MLS All-Star selections in 1997. Henderson played the full 90 minutes, while Balboa started the match and played the first 45 minutes representing the Rapids on MLS West in their 5-4 defeat against MLS East.
1998
MLS USA 6 – MLS World 1
Forward Bravo and midfielder Ross Paule earned back-to-back All-Star nods in 1998 and 1999. In 1998, they represented the Rapids alongside defender Balboa as MLS USA defeated MLS World 6-1. Balboa started the match and substituted out at halftime, while Bravo and Paule both entered the match as substitutes in the 46th minute. Rapids midfielder Adrián Paz played the first half for MLS World in that game. Bravo scored 11 goals with eight assists in 1998 and 7 goals with five assists in 1999, while Paule recorded 10 goals and six assists in 1998, and nine assists with three goals in 1999. Paz contributed 13 assists and two goals in 1998.
1999
MLS East 4 – MLS West 6
In 1999, Bravo and Paule represented MLS West alongside defender Marcelo Balboa in their 6-4 victory over MLS East. Balboa, earning his fourth consecutive All-Star selection, started the match and played 66 minutes, while Bravo and Paule entered the game as substitutes in the 46th minute. MLS West was coached by Rapids head coach Glenn Myernick, who led the Rapids in each of his four seasons as the coach from 1997 to 2000. As a player, Bravo scored 39 goals for the Rapids from 1997 to 2001, the second-most in club history. He recorded seven multi-goal games, the most in club history. Bravo helped lead Colorado to their first MLS Cup Championship game in 1997 and first-ever appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament in 1998. Bravo later served as an assistant coach for the Rapids from 2002 to 2003 and as the technical director for the club from 2009 to 2016, winning the MLS Cup in 2010.
2000
MLS East 9 – MLS West 4
Defender Balboa earned another All-Star nod in 2000, playing all 90 minutes as he represented the Rapids on MLS West in their 4-9 defeat to MLS East at Columbus Crew Stadium.
2001
MLS East 6 – MLS West 6
Forward Spencer was named to the 2001 MLS All-Star team alongside Marcelo Balboa. Balboa started the match and substituted out at halftime, while Spencer entered in the 46th minute representing the Rapids on MLS West in their 6-6 draw against MLS East. Spencer joined the Rapids in 2001, making an immediate impact with 14 goals and seven assists. He was named to the MLS Best XI in 2001 and 2003 and was a finalist for the MLS MVP in 2003. Spencer scored 37 goals for the Rapids from 2001 to 2004, the fifth-most in club history, with 10 of those goals being game-winners, the third-most in club history. Spencer is one of nine players to record a hat trick for Colorado, achieving this feat in 2001. He was later inducted into the Rapids Gallery of Honor. Spencer also served as a Rapids assistant coach from 2016.
2002
MLS 3 – USA 2
Midfielder Mark Chung’s standout season in 2002 earned him All-Star recognition, starting and playing 70 minutes in their victory over the United States. That year, he scored 11 goals and added 10 assists, becoming the only player in club history to achieve 10+ goals and 10+ assists in a single season. Following the United States' success at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, they were invited to compete against the MLS All-Stars. Bruce Arena selected a roster of the national team's top domestic players from the past decade, while then-San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop formed an All-Star team from the league's remaining top talent. Mastroeni and Henderson were on the opposite side representing the United States. Mastroeni played the full 90 minutes and Henderson substituted into the match in the 46th minute. Chung, who played for the Rapids from 2002 to 2005, was named to the MLS Best XI in consecutive years in 2002 and 2003.
2003
MLS 3 – C.D. Guadalajara 1
Spencer was named to the MLS All-Star team for the second time in his career. This time, the MLS All-Stars faced Chivas de Guadalajara and defeated them 3-2 at the Home Depot Center, although Spencer did not feature in the match.
2004
MLS East 3– MLS West 2
Mastroeni earned another All-Star nod in 2004 as MLS West played MLS East at RFK Stadium, but Mastroeni was unable to attend due to injury.
2005
MLS 4– Fulham FC 1
Forward Jeff Cunningham was named to the 2005 MLS All-Star team, where he recorded a brace within four minutes (85’, 89’) after being substituted into the match in the 68th minute, contributing to their 4-2 win over Fulham at Columbus Crew Stadium. The Fulham side included Carlos Bocanegra and Brian McBride, as well as future-Rapid Zat Knight. That season, Cunningham scored 12 goals and delivered three assists, showcasing his goal-scoring prowess. Cunningham is one of nine players to record a hat trick for Colorado, recording his in 2005, his lone season with the club.
2006
MLS 1 – Chelsea FC 0
Goalkeeper Joe Cannon was named to the 2006 MLS All-Star team, where he substituted into the match in the second half and recorded a shutout in their 1-0 victory over John Terry and Frank Lampard’s Chelsea FC. That season, Cannon made 99 saves and recorded seven shutouts for the Rapids, contributing significantly to their defensive efforts. Over his tenure with the Rapids from 2003 to 2006, Cannon recorded 349 saves, the most in club history, and his 25 shutouts rank as the fourth-most in club history. In his second year in Colorado, he won his second MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award, was named to the MLS Best XI, and was a finalist for the MLS Most Valuable Player Award.
2007
MLS 2– Celtic FC 0
Mastroeni received his third MLS All-Star nod, this time in 2007 where he entered in the 60th minute of the match against Celtic FC. The All-Stars won 2-0. It was the first time an All-Star match was held at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. A Rapids club icon, Mastroeni spent 12 seasons as a player in Colorado (2002-13), leading in all-time appearances (225) and games started (217). He captained the side to the 2010 MLS Cup and later coached from 2014-17, guiding them to the 2016 Western Conference Final and a club-record 58 points in the regular season.
2008
MLS 3 – West Ham United FC 2
Midfielder Christian Gomez represented Colorado in the 2008 MLS All-Star match alongside midfielder Pablo Mastroeni, where they secured a 3-2 victory over West Ham United. Gomez scored the first goal for the All-Stars in the 27th minute with a right-footed strike that found the side netting, assisted by a clever back-heeled pass from Cuauhtémoc Blanco, shortly after going down 1-0 in the 26th minute. Gomez delivered six assists and scored three goals in his lone season with the Rapids. This was Mastroeni’s fourth time being selected to the All-Star team.
2009
MLS 1 – Everton FC 1 (3-4 on penalties)
Casey, an All-Star in 2009, played all 90 minutes against Phil Neville and Marouane Fellaini’s Everton. The match ended 1-1 in regulation before Everton won 3-4 in penalties. Casey stepped up to take the fifth penalty for the All-Stars, finding the back of the net against future-Rapid Tim Howard. That season, the Denver South High School alum scored 16 goals and delivered one assist, setting the record for the most goals scored by a Rapids player in a single season. Casey is the only player in Rapids history to record three hat tricks (2008, twice in 2009). He scored 50 goals for the Rapids from 2007 to 2012, the most in club history, with nine of those goals being game-winners, tied for the fourth-most in club history. Additionally, Casey scored the first goal for the Rapids in their 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the 2010 MLS Cup Final and was named the MVP of that match. Casey later served as an assistant coach for the Rapids from 2017 to 2019 and was named interim head coach in 2019.
2010
MLS 2 – Manchester United FC 5
In his first season with the club in 2010, midfielder Jeff Larentowicz was called up for the All-Star match against Manchester United, where he played against the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, Ashley Young, Dimitar Berbatov, and Michael Carrick. He entered in the second half. That season, he scored four goals and delivered one assist, contributing to the club's success in winning the 2010 MLS Cup.
2011
MLS 0 – Manchester United FC 4
Forward Omar Cummings, the 31st overall draft pick for the Rapids in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, earned an All-Star nod in 2011 following the Rapids' 2010 MLS Cup championship season, where he scored 14 goals and delivered three assists. Cummings played the first 45 minutes in the All-Star game against Manchester United. He scored 39 goals across six seasons with the club, tied for the second-most goals in club history. His 27 assists also rank as the fifth-most in club history. Additionally, nine of his goals were game-winners, which is tied for the fourth-most in club history.
2015
MLS 2 – Tottenham Hotspur FC 1
Defender Moor earned an All-Star nod in 2015 alongside goalkeeper Clint Irwin and midfielder Sam Cronin. The All-Star game was held at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park for the second time, with Mastroeni as the head coach of the All-Stars in their 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Mastroeni selected Moor with the coach’s pick, while Irwin and Cronin were added to replace injured players. Rapids assistant coaches Steve Cooke and Chris Sharpe were also part of the All-Star technical staff for this match.
2016
MLS 1 – Arsenal FC 2
Midfielder Jermaine Jones joined the Rapids in 2016 and earned an All-Star selection in the same year as the All-Stars faced Arsenal FC at Avaya Stadium. On April 16, 2016, Jones made his Colorado Rapids debut and scored in a 2–1 win. His impressive start included three goals and two assists in four games, leading to his nomination for Major League Soccer's Player of the Month in April 2016.
2017
MLS 1 – Real Madrid CF 4 (2-4 on penalties)
Howard, an iconic figure in American soccer with over 121 appearances for the USMNT, represented the Rapids in the 2017 All-Star game. Howard played the first 45 minutes, maintaining a shutout against Real Madrid, where he faced the likes of Sergio Ramos, Achraf Hakimi, and Toni Kroos. Real Madrid ultimately prevailed in a penalty shootout (1-1, 2-4 PKs) at Soldier Field. That season, Howard recorded 84 saves and kept five clean sheets. The year prior, on November 6, 2016, Howard's heroics included saving two penalty kicks against the LA Galaxy, with a third shot striking the crossbar, securing Colorado's advancement to the Western Conference Championship.
2024
MLS vs. Liga MX All-Stars
Defenders Rosenberry and Bombito earned All-Star nods in 2024 as the MLS All-Stars are set to take on the Liga MX All-Stars. This is Rosenberry’s second All-Star selection; his first was in 2016, his rookie year, when he represented the Philadelphia Union and played 45 minutes against Arsenal FC. Rosenberry has started and appeared in 18 matches this season, bringing his total to 164 appearances, and earning him the fourth spot in all-time appearances for the club. Rosenberry also ranks fourth in club history with 164 starts and 14,368 minutes played. This is Bombito’s first All-Star selection. Bombito is in his second MLS season with the Rapids and has appeared in 18 matches (17starts), logging 1,3547 total minutes and scoring two goals, with the first of his MLS career coming on March 30th in a win over LAFC. Bombito joins Omar Cummings as the second-ever Rapids SuperDraft selection to feature in the league’s mid-season showcase. Internationally, the Montréal native recently represented Canada in the 2024 Copa América, starting in all six of Canada’s matches and logging 540 minutes as they advanced to the semifinal match. Bombito successfully converted both penalty attempts during Canada’s shootouts.
Bonus: The 2015 Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game was played at DSGP. USMNT and LA Galaxy legend Landon Donovan coached the Homegrown team, selecting hometown Colorado Rapids players Shane O’Neill and Dillon Serna. They fell to América U-20s 5-4 in penalties after drawing 1-1 in regulation. In 2017, Homegrown defender Kortne Ford scored an injury-time equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw against Chivas de Guadalajara U-20 at Toyota Park.