COMMERCE CITY — The numbers don’t lie. The Rapids have seven wins in their last 39 league matches and are 15-27-17 in 59 MLS games under second-year coach Pablo Mastroeni.
Although Colorado has won five of its last eight games and has the stingiest defense in MLS (26 goals allowed in 25 games), the club still finds itself in with 30 points in 25 matches, five points and four teams below the final playoff spot with nine games left.
“We’re not happy being in last,” Rapids president Tim Hinchey said this week. “It’s not good enough and we need to get better.”
When asked whether Mastroeni would be brought back next season, Hinchey said the club would closely watch the final games this year.
“Right now, all things considered, we’d like to make sure he’s here,” Hinchey said. “The goal was to bring him in as a new coach and groom him and grow him and mentor him and give the opportunity to be the guy. I don’t think we can make a proper evaluation until this year’s over.”
Hinchey reiterated that Mastroeni was thrown into a tough situation last year, being officially named coach a week before the first match. He added that this season the club has brought in players and resources to help the second-year coach succeed.
For Mastroeni’s part, he continues to focus on becoming a better coach and winning games.
“Am I enjoying myself? This is my passion,” Mastroeni said after the on Wednesday. “It’s not like my coaching career is depending on this season. My job is to become a better coach every day.”
The subpar results have not sat well with some fans, many of whom have taken to social media to call for the coach’s ousting. One group of fans have organized a website named , calling for fans to wear green if they want to see changes in the Rapids ownership, front office and management.
Very few fans were wearing green at Wednesday’s sparsely-attended match. (The announced attendance of 10,439 was 404 fans more than the lowest mark in the league this season.) Season-ticket holder Tony Arland, who was dressed in green, said he felt word hadn’t gotten out about the green movement.
Richard Terry, another season-ticket holder clad in a green Ireland shirt Wednesday, placed blame not on Mastroeni or ownership, but on the Rapids’ front office.
“I am upset with upper management, and I will call out Tim Hinchey and Paul Bravo,” Terry said. “I think right now, they are not doing things as competently as they could be.”
Hinchey said he is “extremely happy” with the job Bravo has been doing, but admitted fans have every right to be disappointed this year. The green movement, he said, points to growth among the Rapids’ support.
“I think four years ago, I’m not sure we would’ve heard this kind of noise,” Hinchey said. “I think it’s actually a positive that we hear this noise. We just need to get results and do better for them.”
Daniel Boniface: 303-954-1104, dboniface@denverpost.com or twitter.com/danielboniface
