COMMERCE CITY — isn’t built like a typical center back. While he is tall at 6-foot-1 — and that is part of the job description — he is a skinny 155 pounds at a position usually patrolled by big, rugged players. Watts plays there in tandem with , who goes 6-foot-7, 210 pounds.
It’s not the position Watts grew up playing, either. He caught the attention of the Rapids as a defensive midfielder at Wake Forest but he emerged as a regular at center back last season and made some goal-saving plays in the first leg of Colorado’s playoff series with Los Angeles last week.
If one of those balls he cleared had found the net instead, Colorado would face an almost insurmountable challenge Sunday in the final leg of the series. But because Colorado lost only 1-0, there is hope.
“A lot of times if you’re making those plays, itap not good because you’re a last-ditch save, trying to make an emergency play or tackle,” Watts said. “LA, in the first half especially, did a good job of being on the front foot, coming at us, getting the ball in wide areas and getting some balls in the box. I was just lucky to be in good positions. Itap reading the game, having to make a play.”
“Reading the game” is the reason coach Pablo Mastroeni felt confident putting Watts at the position. It’s a skill set Watts acquired at defensive midfield.
“Itap not much different,” Watts said. “Itap the same thing, reading the game, knowing when to tackle, playing out of the back. Being at center back, you have the game in front of you at all times, which has been kind of nice, to have that view. In midfield, you have to check (over) your shoulders, things are behind you, guys are running past you higher up the field.”
Watts filled in at the position a few times during his first two seasons because of injuries, but now that everyone is healthy Watts is still starting. If he wasn’t, the position likely would be filled by , who is four inches taller and 40 points heavier.
“This year I’ve had the chance to solely focus on center back because thatap where Pablo and the team need me,” Watts said. “Itap been good every day to know I’m going to be training and playing center back. Thatap where my focus is. You start to get some games in a row, you start to get more comfortable.”
Midway through the 2013 season — Mastroeni’s last as a player — Colorado traded him to the Galaxy for a second-round draft pick. Seven months later the Rapids used that pick (No. 33) to draft Watts. Two months after that, Mastroeni was named Rapids coach.
Mastroeni concedes Watts needs to bulk up but says he has grown into a “very solid” center back.
“The last couple of games he’s made some fantastic plays,” Mastroeni said. “I think it’s his ability to read the game from defensive midfielder’s perspective — you always have to be two steps ahead of the game — so in that transition it’s really been a big help for him to anticipate. He’s won a lot of great balls in a lot of areas. He’s also been very good at taking balls out of the air with control and starting our attack.”
Colorado’s back line has a lot of pressure on it Sunday. Because of playoff mathematics, it’s hard to see the Rapids advancing if they don’t shut out Los Angeles. But they conceded only one goal in three regular season games with LA this season and gave up only seven goals in 17 home games.
“We have one game left in our season thatap in our control, at home where we haven’t been beaten all year,” Watts said. “Thatap why you want to be at home that second leg. The goal is to keep a shutout. Thatap what we expect of ourselves.”
