Soccer tends to get overlooked amongst sports fans in the Denver-metro area, but the Colorado Rapids have developed quite the youth movement within MLS over the last few seasons.
Outside of Pablo Mastroeni and Tim Howard, the list of “household” names to play for Rapids is virtually nonexistent. The Rapids have never had a player by the likes of David Beckham or Zlatan Ibrahimović on their roster, which has created opportunities for young, local products like Cole Bassett.
Bassett, 19, has played for the Rapids since he was 17-years-old and attending Chatfield High School. Now a seasoned veteran of the game, Bassett is leading the Rapids this season, along with a slew of other young players.
Bassett joined Aniello Piro and Chase Howell on Mile High Sports Radio to discuss the ongoing season, his progression as a player and the Euro Cup.
“We have a good group of young guys that really work hard for the team,” Bassett said on The Denver Sports Betting Show. “I think that’s the biggest thing. We don’t have many stars like the rest of the teams in the league do. We all kind of know that and we all step up and lay together more than most teams do.”
Colorado is currently in third place in the Western Conference with a record of 5-1-2. The Rapids have two upcoming games against the teams above them in the standings, so the next couple of weeks will be telling about the state of the club.
“We have the test against the top two teams in the west that are normally at least top-3 in the West,” Bassett said. “I think this is perfect for us.”
You can listen to the full interview with Bassett below, including his thoughts on the Euro Cup and the state of the U.S. Men’s National Team. Catch the Denver Sports Betting Show Monday-Friday on Mile High Sports Radio 98.1 FM 107.5 HD3 or watch online at MileHighSports.com. Piro and Howell break down sports betting from a local perspective every weekday on Mile High Sports!