With a busy last stretch before the holidays, Major League Soccer clubs are still in the midst of shaping rosters for 2023.
The Colorado Rapids are one of those teams, as they made a few moves which will help continue to set the course for next year. A key contract negotiation is out of the way, but there are still a few pieces of the puzzle to solve before pre-season gets underway in January.
Steven Beitashour agrees to 1-year deal
The Rapids re-signed veteran defender Steven Beitashour to a one-year deal Tuesday with an option for an additional year.
Beitashour, a 35-year-old fullback, played in 19 games in the 2022 campaign, starting 14 of them and totaled over 1,300 minutes. Rapids General Manager Pádraig Smith believes that Beitashour could play a vital role again and will be relied upon for the intangible qualities he’s brought to the team.
“Steven’s leadership as one of the most decorated and experienced defenders in our league has been a valuable asset to our team on and off the pitch,” Smith said. “We look forward to welcoming him back for another year in Burgundy.”
Beitashour arrived in Colorado in September 2020 as a free agent and has made 30 regular-season appearances for Colorado. Last season, he had a guaranteed salary of $172,500.
Gutiérrez’ loan expires
Colorado announced Friday that the loan of veteran midfielder Felipe Gutiérrez expired and he will return to his parent club of Universidad Católica in his native Chile.
The 32-year-old central midfielder who played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, returned to MLS mid-season and was key down the stretch of last season. He made 12 appearances for the Rapids and was known for his calmness on the ball as well as being an important locker room figure even though he was only in Commerce City for the latter half of the season.
He had a guaranteed salary of $569,250. Acquiring him on a permanent basis, particularly for a player in his 30s in an already-crowded midfield, would have been costly.
The club did not release a formal statement, but thanked Gutiérrez for his time in Colorado on its social media platforms.
MLS regular-season schedule set for Tuesday
Also on Friday, it was confirmed MLS will release its 2023 regular-season schedule on Tuesday, Dec. 20, with the SuperDraft set to occur the following day.
MLS teams will still play 34 regular-season games, with the opener set to be played between LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC on Feb. 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. One new team, St. Louis City SC, is set to kick off this season as well as the league’s 28th team and will play in the Western Conference.
Additionally, there will be the revamped Leagues Cup tournament between MLS and Liga MX teams, which will take up all of July and go into August before the regular-season resumes.
Colorado will look to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021 after finishing four points out of the playoff places in 2022.
