Apart from being a matchup between two MLS charter clubs, Saturday’s contest will be something much deeper for Rapids midfielder Omir Fernandez. This offseason, Fernandez made the move to Colorado after being with his hometown club, the New York Red Bulls, for over 12 years.
Raised in the Bronx, New York, Fernandez grew up rooting for the only MLS club in the New York Metro area at the time, and at just 12 years old, a dream became reality when he joined Red Bulls Academy and began making his name within the organization. In retrospect, it was no shock that Fernandez quickly rose up the Academy ranks, leading to his eventual professional debut with New York Red Bulls II in USL Championship at the age of 17.
“I was developed in that system for many years which really impacted me,” he stated when talking about his growth through the Academy. “Before I played as a pro, I never played as a center 10 and rarely played up top. I was always on the left. I had to learn how to play different positions at different times. That's something that has shaped me, being able to play wherever - even on the back line if needed.”
Following the 2016 season, Fernandez made the decision to attend Wake Forest University as one of the top young prospects in the nation. With no professional contract, the midfielder chose the route of playing in the NCAA, which proved to be a beneficial move as he continued his growth with one of the country’s best college soccer programs at the time
“It helped me grow up,” Fernandez explained when describing his time at the college level. “An immature kid would have just signed a contract and thought they were on top of the world. Going to Wake Forest made me mature and woke me up to the pressure that I would face as a professional.”
His play at the college level from 2017 to 2018 impressed many, including the New York Red Bulls and their head coach, Chris Armas.
“Chris called me the day before my first day of classes,” Fernandez said while describing the moment he was offered an MLS contract. “He explained how excited he was to have me on board and then asked if I could get right to work and head down to Sarasota in two days for preseason.”
Armas saw then what everyone can see now, an MLS-ready player who could contribute to every phase of the game.
Fernandez officially signed his first professional contract with New York on January 26, 2019, and quickly made his debut with the club on February 20 in a CONCACAF Champions League match against Atlético Pantoja. It then did not take long for him to net his first goal with the club on March 12, also in CONCACAF Champions League, against Santos Laguna.
From then on, Fernandez shined for New York and eventually earned consistent appearances on the first team roster. Over his five seasons with the club, the Red Bulls Homegrown logged over 5,000 minutes in 112 appearances of MLS play. In that span he recorded 15 goals and 13 assists, with his most successful season coming last year as he headed towards free agency.
The New Yorker led the club in both goals and total goal contributions in 2023 while playing crucial minutes as the team fought for the playoffs in the late stages of the year. He continued and grew on exactly what Armas saw in him back when he signed his first contract, leading him to where he is today with the Rapids.
“All the things that he was good at then, he's better at now,” Armas explained when asked about the growth that he has seen from the midfielder. “To see his development along the way, he's the guy that comes early, he stays late, he's in the weight room, he really is a reliable player.”
As soon as he arrived at preseason this January, Fernandez hit the ground running and quickly proved that reliability as he made his way into consideration for Armas’ Starting XI.
Fernandez has played in all 23 matches for the Rapids this season while featuring in the starting lineup 14 times. In that span, the midfielder has logged one goal and four assists in 1,174 minutes of play.
Apart from his statistics this season, Fernandez’s style of play is exactly what Armas and the Rapids organization were looking for when building the 2024 roster. During the free agency process, club President Pádraig Smith called Fernandez saying that he was building a team “that has good character and are winners,” and when looking at the midfielder’s young career, it is clear that he fits the bill in both of those categories.
Fernandez has yet to miss the MLS Cup Playoffs through his first five seasons in the league and he is looking to extend that streak with the Rapids in 2024. With Colorado currently sitting at fourth in the Western Conference, the 25-year-old will play a key role in the club’s push for trophies this season and beyond.
The next step of that push is a matchup with plenty of familiar faces on the opposing end at his former club.
“In the beginning of the year, this was a game that I had circled on my calendar,” he stated in preparation for the match this week.
The Rapids and Fernandez will approach Saturday just as they would any other match, but three points may taste a bit sweeter for the former Red Bulls Homegrown if the Rapids are able to pull off a win over a tough New York side.