COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids have signed Homegrown defender Sam Vines to a four-year contract extension through the 2025 MLS regular season, the club announced today.
“We’re delighted to extend Sam’s future in Burgundy,” said Pádraig Smith, Colorado Rapids Executive VP & General Manager. “In two short years, Sam has grown from being a promising Homegrown Player to becoming one of the best left backs in the league and a member of the national team. He’s got a bright future ahead of him and we look forward to seeing his continued development with the club."
Vines is coming off a banner 2020 season in his young career. The 21-year-old was the only Rapids player to play every minute of the club’s 18 regular season matches and posted the first goal and three assists of his MLS career in just his second full season with the team. His success earned him a spot on
MLS 22 Under 22 for the second consecutive year alongside two MLS Team of the Week selections. A product of the Rapids Academy, Vines became the sixth Academy player to sign a Homegrown Player contract with Colorado in February 2018. Since making his first start for the Rapids on April 13, 2019, Vines has started and played 90 minutes in 41 of Colorado’s last 46 regular season games.
In 2020, Vines earned his first call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team and
became the first Rapids Academy product to start a match for the USMNT in their 1-0 friendly win over Costa Rica on Feb. 1. The Colorado Springs native was called up again for the USMNT camp in December 2020 and January 2021, starting in both their friendly matches against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago, while picking up an assist in the 7-0 win over T&T on Jan. 31, 2021. Vines is currently with the U.S. U-23 MNT in Guadalajara, Mexico, ahead of the Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
TRANSACTION:
Colorado Rapids sign defender Sam Vines to a four-year contract extension on March 5, 2021.
Sam Vines
Pronunciation
: Sam Vines
Position
: Defender
Height
: 5-10
Weight
: 150
Birthdate
: May 31, 1999
Birthplace
: Colorado Springs, CO
Nationality
: USA
