On Wednesday, November 20, the Colorado Rapids acquired 21-year-old defender Auston Trusty from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for $300,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and $300,000 in General Allocation Money. Trusty comes to the Rapids with extensive MLS experience over his last two seasons and brings elite level athleticism to the squad’s back line.
Here are five things Rapids fans should know about Auston:
1. At only 21-years-old, Trusty has his fair share of experience at the club and international level
Trusty has earned minutes in US Soccer's youth ranks throughout his career, including appearances at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017 and, most recently, appearances in senior and U-23 camps.
The defender received his first senior team call in January and made the roster for consecutive friendlies. He then received the call for the U-23 side in June and September, earning an appearance in a friendly against Japan. Over his two MLS seasons, Trusty has played and started in 56 matches. He comes to the Rapids with 5,026 professional minutes played.
2. His highlight reel is worth the watch
Trusty is an athletic central defender who will immediately make the Rapids backline much stronger. While goalscoring isn't at the top of Trusty's top attributes, his lone tally from last season was a beauty.
Trusty also found the back of the net in a Round of 16 match against New Zealand at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017. He fired home a shot after just a few minutes on the field.
Trusty’s tried and true defensive form is what deserves the most note. The left-footed defender is tall, measuring in at 6’3”, and uses his height to his advantage, tracking down forwards with his pace and winning balls out of the air.
3. Trusty has proven himself a rising star in the MLS
In 2018, Trusty was the only player on the Philadelphia Union to play every minute of the regular season, becoming the youngest MLS field-player to do so in a 34-game regular season. He signed his Homegrown contract with the Union in 2016, but 2018 marked his debut season on the pitch at the senior level. Evidently, Trusty proved quickly he could handle first team duties in MLS.
After an exceptional 2018 campaign, he earned a spot on MLS’s list of the top 22 players under 22, coming in at number 10. In the announcement, MLS quoted an executive who summed up his value perfectly, stating that “[Trusty] reads the game well, he’s super athletic, he can pass out of the back, and he’s left footed. How many of those guys are there in the world?”
4. Soccer is in his blood
Trusty is one of six kids, and the reason he became interested in soccer was because of his older sister, Onnie Nicholson, who played for US Soccer youth teams. Trusty had the opportunity to watch Onnie up close as he was growing up.
“I fell in love with soccer watching her,” he told Goal.com.“She was a big-time player, and I was the little ball boy on the sidelines, kicking a ball.”
5. He’s a big addition to the core group of young stars in Colorado
Trusty has managed all of this success at only 21-years-old. He fits in perfectly with the Rapids young core, which now touts six players under the age of 23. He should prove to be a solid addition to a team that will continue to evolve thanks to this young, talented backbone.
Trusty also comes with some familiarity. He's played at the national level with Jonathan Lewisand Sam Vines and spent the 2018 season playing in the back with Keegan Rosenberry in Philadelphia.
“I think he brings the same chip on his shoulder attitude that this team embodies, and he’ll fit right in," Rosenberry said. "Auston and I always got along in Philadelphia because we pushed each other to be better every day.”
