The story of the 2024 Colorado Rapids is one of many different chapters with one large portion placed into the forefront as of late, the contributions from the Colorado-native Homegrown players.
The club is currently the youngest team by average age in the Western Conference and the fourth youngest in the entirety of Major League Soccer. The age of the team and their success is no coincidence, as major contributions have been made all season long by young players that have made their way through the Rapids organization, starting at the Academy level.
On the Colorado roster there are seven current players that have been on Homegrown contracts for the club and have logged minutes this season, including Cole Bassett, Oliver Larraz, Darren Yapi, Sam Vines, Jackson Travis, Sebastian Anderson and Michael Edwards.
All of those players listed have played instrumental roles in the club’s successes this season, and they all developed their game within the Rapids system in the state of Colorado.
This article takes a look into a few of the Homegrowns that have played a part in the 2024 season being as incredible as it has been.
Cole Bassett
Since signing his Homegrown contract in 2018, midfielder Cole Bassett has been nothing short of spectacular for Colorado. Currently in his sixth season with the club, Bassett has surpassed just about every Rapids record in the Homegrown category.
When combing over the statistics for Rapids Homegrowns, Bassett frequents the top rank in all major categories. The 23-year-old leads in goals, assists, appearances, starts and total minutes played in club history.
After returning home to Colorado following a short stint in the Netherlands, Bassett has been a major factor in the club’s success this season. The midfielder has appeared in every match the team has played this year and has only been left out of the Starting XI one time. In the 2,970 minutes that he has logged in 2024, he has recorded nine goals and seven assists across all competitions, both setting new single-season career highs.
No one has recognized that success more than Head Coach Chris Armas, who has supported Bassett since arriving to the club this offseason.
“He's leading that front line with the pressing… it's a lot for a young guy, but he's got some big experiences under his belt, and he plays like a big player,” Armas said following Bassett’s biggest moment of the season and arguably his biggest as a member of the Rapids.
On Aug. 20, Colorado was slated for their biggest matchup in MLS play up to that point in the season, the third and final matchup between against Real Salt Lake to determine the 2024 Rocky Mountain Cup. Only a win would secure Colorado’s first title since 2020, and in the 88th minute, Bassett and the Rapids had a chance to secure that victory from the penalty spot.
The Littleton-born midfielder stepped up with the entire state of Colorado behind him and the Rocky Mountain Cup in the balance. Bassett calmly placed a shot that found the back of the net, adding to his long list of historic moments as a member of the club.
Armas said it best himself: “For a young kid to step up in that moment, I’m so happy for him. That's probably his best strength; his self-belief and that he's a winner.”
Darren Yapi
When looking back at his 2024 season, Darren Yapi will most certainly have plenty of memories from the last two months of play in both MLS and Leagues Cup. The forward came into the year with 31 appearances for the club and still searching for his first goal as a member of the Rapids. While the road was long, the form that Yapi has shown of late has been proof of the work that he puts on a day-in, day-out, basis.
Starting in July, the club was on their way to a comfortable victory over St. Louis CITY SC at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. The team was up 3-1, and despite the clock’s final seconds ticking away, there was still a memorable moment in store for the club right at the 90th minute. Yapi, who was recently subbed on, found himself with an opportunity in front of net. The Green Valley Ranch native then sent in a shot right through the opposing goalkeeper to score the first goal since signing his first team contract in March of 2021.
Following the goal, a dogpile ensued, giving fans a glimpse of just how much that moment meant to both Yapi and everyone around him. When talking about Yapi and the other young talent in the squad, Bassett had this to say: “As you could see in our celebration at the end, we're really excited for these guys, and I believe they have a lot more to contribute for the rest of the season."
And Yapi has done exactly that. In the middle of August’s Leagues Cup run that saw the club earn third place and a 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup spot, Yapi continued his form in a massive way against Deportivo Toluca F.C. In the tournament’s Round of 16, the two clubs played to a 1-1 scoreline for a majority of the match and things were looking like a penalty shootout was in store. However, in the 96th minute, Yapi logged his first goal of the tournament and second of the season to send the club to the Quarterfinals.
It didn’t take long for the 19-year-old to continue that form following Leagues Cup play, as he got right back into action in the club’s return to MLS at the end of August.
On a hot night in Texas, the Rapids had just clawed their way back to a 2-2 scoreline in the later stages of the match. Yapi, who was subbed on in the 71st minute, would end up playing hero yet again with another last-minute goal. The forward received a pass in the 93rd minute from Djordje Mihailovic and placed a perfect shot over the goalkeeper to secure all three points on the road in a massive victory for the club.
The goal marked his third of the season across all competitions, all of which coming in the 90th minute or later.
Now with three memorable goals for both the club and Yapi himself, the forward is looking to round out the 2024 season on a high note.
Oliver Larraz
In an offseason that saw new signings for the Rapids that included Mihailovic and Omir Fernandez, the status of the starting midfield was up in question. With plenty of options to pick from, Armas had some tough decisions to make during preseason. A player that made those decisions even harder was 22-year-old Oliver Larraz.
Following an impressive season in MLS NEXT Pro last year with Rapids 2, the ceiling for Larraz was always high. The Denver native earned ‘Best XI’ honors in the league after leading his side to the Western Conference Final with the league’s best record. Heading into 2024, Larraz had his eyes set on taking that next step to consistent playing time with the first team.
The midfielder had an impressive preseason camp, leading to an increased role in the squad as the season came to a head. After consistently featuring in the Starting XI during Conor Ronan’s absence due to injury early in the season, Larraz made it impossible for the coaches to ignore his name on the team sheet when the team became fully healthy.
That playing time eventually led to the midfielder netting his first MLS goal on July 4th against Sporting Kansas City. Larraz received a perfect cross off a free kick from Mihailovic and headed the ball into the far post to equalize and set the club up for an eventual stoppage-time winner.
After the match, Armas explained just how important of a player Larraz is to this club:
“Oliver, I think we have all seen this year, it’s what I love so much about him, it’s that he’s a winner, he’s just a winner. He’s a reliable player that you can fit in different areas and he’s going to give energy.”
Larraz did not stop there. Match after match the holding midfielder consistently put in top performances, including during the club’s run to third place in Leagues Cup. He played a crucial role throughout the tournament and had incredible moments on multiple occasions.
At just 22 years old, Larraz stepped up to take a penalty in a shootout against the reigning Liga MX Champion Club América and calmly sunk his shot with the confidence of a 10-year veteran. He did not stop there, and came up big in another massive moment against Philadelphia in the Third-Place match. Facing a 2-1 deficit in the second half, Larraz found himself set up for a volley following a failed clearance and cleanly struck the ball for a fantastic goal to equalize and propel the Rapids to a shootout victory.
The young career of Oliver Larraz has only just begun, and if the 2024 season is any precursor of what is to come for the Denver-born midfielder, we are all in store for something special over the next coming years.