COMMERCE CITY — The divide between the Colorado Rapids’ former coach and current front office could be best illustrated by the case of Kevin Cabral.

After scoring six goals and assisting three others in two seasons with Los Angeles Galaxy, Colorado’s front office sent $1 million in general allocation money (GAM) to the Galaxy for Cabral, a French forward, prior to the 2023 season.

In team president Padraig Smith’s eyes, Cabral was a perfect fit with the team’s desired identity base on a 4-3-3 formation with a pair of wingers flanking a central striker up top. Smith sought to continue to build a team built with speed, an ability to transition from one end to another and the capability to punish opposing teams at altitude. The dynamic 24-year-old occupies one of Rapids’ three designated player (DP) roster spots. He’s among the four players sharing a team-high two goals but has started only 11 of the club’s 26 regular-season matches. Cabral also scored in one of two Leagues Cup matches, and he was used as a substitute in both matches.

Colorado Rapids forward Kévin Cabral (91) and Real Salt Lake defender Jasper Löffelsend (28) in the first half of an MLS soccer match Saturday, May 20, 2023, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

David Zalubowski

“I think it was quite clear he was incredibly low on confidence coming out of his time at the Galaxy. We had a plan to rebuild his confidence and get him into a position where he could actually reach his potential, which we know is quite substantial,” Smith said of Cabral during a press conference Wednesday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. “I think when you so quickly move away from that approach and wingers aren’t in the team anymore, despite it being built for that, it becomes challenging, because then he’s finding himself playing in spots that are not where he wants to play, or we’re not necessarily providing him with the opportunity to excel.

“I think that’s certainly going to be a key point here. We really need to see what we’ve got. I don’t think we’ve even seen that yet.”

Cabral was once again used as a substitute Saturday, playing the final 12 minutes of the Rapids’ 2-0 defeat at rival Real Salt Lake. The loss eliminated the club from contending for the Rocky Mountain Cup, the last of the trophies on the table for Colorado and left the Rapids with one win in their last 18 total matches.

With 19 points, the Rapids are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with 10 points separating them from the second-to-last position in the conference. That was enough for the Rapids to fire coach Robin Fraser, who led the team to the top of the Western Conference table following the 2021 regular season. Since then, the gap between the intended identity and the one that’s played out on the pitch became unbridgeable.

“Unfortunately, what we’ve seen is a deviation from that club identity over the last 18 months, and I think that, unfortunately, necessitated the change,” Smith said. “I think, ultimately, you know, getting back to that and getting back to a situation which everybody is clearly on the same page in that identity and principles model is going to be critical in this approach (to) this hiring process.”

The way Smith sees it, the playoff runs in 2020 and 2021, both of which featured losses in Colorado’s first postseason match, were a byproduct of a plan playing out over a number of years. Smith went back to Anthony Hudson, the first coach he hired to lead the Rapids. Smith credited Hudson for fully buying into the club’s preferred identity and helping recruit key players like Jack Price, Danny Wilson and Kellyn Acosta, who were instrumental to the success in 2021, though Hudson was no longer the coach.

Hudson was relieved of his duties after criticizing the roster construction following a match early in the 2019 season.

Padraig Smith, left, general manager and sporting director of the Colorado Rapids, responds to a question as Anthony Hudson, the MLS soccer team’s new coach, listens during a news conference Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Commerce City, Colo. Hudson has been managing the New Zealand national squad for the past three years. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

David Zalubowski

“We are fighting at the bottom with a bottom group of players and we have to find a way to pick up results whilst also being a team that tries to play a certain way. And we just have to find that balance,” Hudson was quoted as saying after the Rapids dropped to 0-7-2 to start the 2019 season.

“The only way it’s going to be a quick fix is if you wave a magic wand at it and throw lots of money at it. Clearly, we’re not doing that.”

Fraser, who took the Rapids job in August 2019, was Smith’s second hire. Smith said Fraser’s comfortability with MLS as a former player and coach was appealing during the hiring process. Smith thanked Fraser for the good times and said he was the right coach at the time. The only thing Smith said he would do differently is commit even more to the identity he believes was behind the club’s successes a few years ago.

“At that point, the identity was absolutely nailed on, and there was no deviation from that,” Smith said of the 2020 and 2021 seasons. “I think not through any, any ill intent by anybody, but there was a slight move away from that. … I should have been a little bit firmer on that, that we are sticking to our identity. We are sticking to what we know works in our organization.”

Smith confirmed the club will look to make its hire ahead of the winter transfer window and MLS SuperDraft. The Rapids are well-positioned to have three of the top 10 picks. Last year, the club identified and selected defender ad midfielder Moise Bombito as the third overall pick. Like Cabral, the young Canadian midfielder wasn’t quite utilized as the team president would’ve hoped.

“We probably haven’t seen as much of him as we would’ve liked. He’s a player with a massive ceiling and a real top level of potential there,” Smith said. “Again — speed — you talk about those type of players who excel in transition moments, that are going to put you in a position to do the type of things that have brought us success in the past here.”

The final eight games of the current season serve as an opportunity to start building for next season. All three of the club’s Designated Players — Cabral, defender Andreas Maxso and Brazilian striker Rafael Navarro, the most recent arrival — are under contract at least through next summer’s transfer window. Smith said another speedy addition could be announced in the next few days.

“There will be change in the offseason,” Smith said. “The magnitude of that, I think, will depend on some of the performances over the next eight games.”

The third time around, a coach with Hudson’s willingness to embrace the identity coupled with Fraser’s MLS experience would make for a strong candidate. Smith is looking for a coach that can not only make regular playoff appearances but elevate the club to one that competes for trophies despite its financial limitations. The Rapids have long been in the bottom half when it comes to the league’s payrolls, but Smith doesn’t see that as an impediment provided the identity is the right one.

“We have to have a coach that truly believes and shares the philosophy that we have as a club, and that will implement the identity from the game-to-game perspective. I think that is absolutely critical. I think MLS experience is something that remains very important in this league,” Smith said.

“We’ve been inundated with folks that are looking to apply for the role. We will have very clear criteria.”

Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser looks on during the second half of an MLS soccer match against the Portland Timbers, Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Commerce City, Colo. (AP Photo/ Jack Dempsey)

Jack Dempsey