COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Colorado Rapids 2 forward Rémi Cabral has been named the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot winner, the league announced today. The 24-year-old striker earned himself a share of the Golden Boot award alongside fellow MLS NEXT Pro players Matt Myers and Jack Lynn after scoring a hat trick in the team’s final match of the 2023 regular season.
“I really couldn't be happier for Rémi to receive this recognition,” said Erik Bushey, Rapids 2 Head Coach. “He is much more than a goal scorer, but he has proven he can score goals in a number of ways and can do so when the spotlight is shining brightest. He has teammates who, like him, will give of themselves for the betterment of the group. He has profited from that, as has our team.”
Decision Day for Rapids 2 was nothing short of exciting as the team faced off against MNUFC2 for the final match of the 2023 regular season. After going down a goal in the second half, it was forward Cabral who got the team back on track by converting on a penalty kick from the spot. Just as the game looked like it would end in a 2-2 draw, Cabral came up big in the 89th minute off an assist from Marlon Vargas to put away his second of the night, giving the Rapids a 3-2 lead. However, Cabral’s goal scoring efforts were not done as he put a third and final goal into the back of the net in stoppage time to tie the two league leaders at 19 goals for a three-way tie in this year’s Golden Boot race.
Cabral joined Rapids 2 at the beginning of the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season after spending two seasons with former USL Championship side LA Galaxy II. During the current MLS NEXT Pro season, Cabral has made 20 appearances (16 starts) with Rapids 2 and leads the team with 19 goals and 37 shots on target. Cabral’s efforts have been vital for the Colorado Rapids 2 offense in 2023, propelling the Rapids to clinch the Frontier Division title, number one seed in the Western Conference and number one overall seed with the league’s best record (19-4-5, 66 points).
