There’s a saying in England that ‘you wait all day for a London bus, and then two come along at once’.
For the Colorado Rapids, they last signed a Homegrown player on January 14, 2013, when Dillon Serna became the club’s third such acquisition.
Almost four years to the day, they signed Kortne Ford and Ricardo Perez, as their fourth and fifth Homegrown players, and the suggestion is, it was worth the wait.
"It’s huge, and it’s something we’re very excited about,” said Rapids’ Sporting Director, Pádraig Smith. “Obviously we’ve done this before with three players in the past, but I think having two players like Ricky and Kortne join the club just shows where we’re focused, shows we’re committed to player development, and shows we’ve got a bright future ahead."
The players’ qualities off the field are equally as important as those on it when it comes to deciding whether they should be deserving of a Homegrown contract. In Ford and Perez it is clear these are two articulate young men with a strong moral thread running alongside the competitive twine which forms part of their make-up.
Ford chose the University of Denver over the likes of Stanford so he could be close to mom, Laurie, who was battling breast cancer. She, thankfully, is now back to full health, but it is testament to Ford and his values that he was there for the lady who had been there for him.
“She’s done everything for me”, explained Ford. “It goes from her in chemotherapy, to then driving me two hours a day to training, and so it is very important for me to stay here, and to play in front of her.
“We have a good relationship, and we’ve done everything together. She’s done it by herself, all along, and I have so much respect for her, and it all boils down to that. I want to perform for her, I want to get on the field, and I want to play for her.”
Ford is wonderfully close to his mom, who sacrificed so much so her son could chase his dream. It was not an easy childhood for the central defender, but the move to Colorado for him and his mom was the chance to start again and to focus on his passion, soccer.
Perez, meanwhile, was joined by his family for the signing ceremony at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. While Ford arrived in Greeley as a youngster from Kansas, Perez landed in Fort Collins from Mexico. Born in Ciudad Juarez, Perez and his family moved to Guadalajara until he was eight years old, whereupon they made the switch to Colorado.
He joined the Rapids’ Academy aged 14, where he would stay until heading off to Creighton University. Four seasons on, and having graduated early with a business degree, Perez is perfectly poised to take the next step.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “Being able to get on that field, and working hard so I can get on that field, and being able to play in front of my family and friends, just everyone that I know, is a great motivator for me.”
Both players know that the hard work starts now. But both, having been in the Rapids’ system, already appreciate the club, the culture and what it means to play for Colorado.
Perez explained: “I’m expecting a lot of hard work out of myself, a lot of focus, and just being able to overcome a lot of obstacles that come, because I understand not everything’s going to be easy. It’s gonna be hard, but I’m ready for the challenge and I’m ready to keep developing as a player.”
Ford is an intelligent center back, who is good in the air and quick across the ground. Perez is a nimble midfielder who enjoys having the ball at his feet. He can also strike the ball sweetly. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni knows the pair well, and feels - being Homegrown talent - their integration will be that much smoother.
“These are two players I’ve had the opportunity to play alongside, and coach over the last couple of years as well,” Mastroeni said. “A part of what we’re trying to do at the club is to develop the players, and these two guys are real bright spots who’ve earned the right to get to this level, and I really look forward to working with them and seeing how they fit in with the group.
“With both of them, the important aspect is the mentality, and the desire to want to get better every day. They’re both dynamic players; they’re both cerebral players, and I think with the good experienced group that we currently have they’ll fit right in and grow in the right way.”
The past (and current) investment, has brought us to this point, but what do these two signings tell us about the future of the club? The last word comes from Pádraig Smith.
“For both Kortne and Ricky, they’ve trained with the first team so they know already what Pablo wants,” Smith told me. “They have an idea what it takes to be a professional in this league, so I think that’s something which definitely helps.
“The more players you can bring through your own academy system then the more players you have that understand what you’re trying to do, understand what the club is, understand what it means to be a Colorado Rapids player, and I think it really helps build a foundation for successful clubs if you do grow and develop from within.”
