Robin Fraser praises 'resilience' of Colorado Rapids team amid roster changes

Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser praised his players for their resilient mentality on the pitch as the team stands one point away from leading Major League Soccer’s Western Conference table. 

The Rapids managed an impressive 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes while dealing with several impactful roster changes as influential midfielders Kellyn Acosta and Mark-Anthony Kaye are away on international duty. 

Fraser counted on veteran Collen Warner and new addition Lucas Esteves to fill the gaps before an early injury to Lalas Abubakar forced a third major change to the line up. Drew Moor entered the pitch as part of the back three, leaving the coaching staff pleasantly surprised at the ease of each player to find their rhythm. 

“The resilience of the group once again, and really the contributions by everyone – it’s really gratifying when you have that many players on the same page,” Fraser said after the match. 

“We make changes and we don’t lose anything. We keep or pick the energy level up even more. Really proud of the team overall. Again, everyone is disrupted if a player leaves early and Lalas left extremely early. Now Drew comes in, the dynamics are just slightly different. But, again, what a testament to the team mentality. Guys just adapted, adjusted.”

Another substitute saw Dom Badji come in and score the decisive goal for the Rapids as they hope to overcome the Seattle Sounders for the first place spot on the Western Conference table. 

The Rapids are currently unbeaten in their last seven games, moving up to second place, just one point behind the Sounders with  a record of 12-5-4. 

Fraser attributed the positive results to the entire team’s efforts. 

“I think there are minutes out there waiting for everyone, but the fact of the matter is we’re getting contributions from everyone and that’s why we’re getting the results we are," he added.

"Some days guys are going to have more minutes than others, but at the end of the day, we’re all going in the same direction. The great thing about this team is that it feels like guys are willing to do whatever is asked of them.