The Los Angeles Angels, mind you, cost Uncle Stan quite a bit more than three bucks during BP.

It took a few decades, but a man named for two Major League Baseball players is about to join the ranks of MLB ownership. Enos (as in Enos Slaughter) Stanley (as in Stan Musial) Kroenke, according to reports, has reached an agreement to buy the Halos from previous owner Arte Moreno, effective in early 2027.

Assuming the deal goes through, that puts Stan a leg up at the next family BBQ on the baseball front, at least. The Penner Sports Group — which is overseen by Walton-Penner and her husband Greg and, like Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, is part of the Walmart financial empire — has owned the Broncos since August 2022 and purchased a 40% stake in the Rockies this past April. Penner said last month that they had no plans to extend that investment, and that control of the flailing baseball franchise will remain with the club’s majority owners, the Monfort family.

Yeah, that last one didn’t sit well with the baseball sickos on the Grading The Week staff, either. Especially after longtime season-ticket holders we know texted us to grouse about receiving notice from the club of a 14% price hike for next season, all while a potentially nuclear work stoppage looms in early 2027.

The Monforts are the Dodgers of leveraging real estate and selling alcohol. Unfortunately, the Rox also play in the same division as the real Dodgers and are therefore trying to avoid becoming the first MLB club since the Mets in 1965 to string together four straight seasons with 100 or more losses.

Kroenke buys Angels, Rox still stink — D

In a perfect world, KSE would’ve bought the Rockies from the Monforts ages ago. The games would fill up those dry summer months of programming on Altitude TV and spice up the evening hours on Altitude Sports Radio. Nikola Jokic would be rocking the owner’s box at Coors Field, a world-class player at a world-class venue,

While KSE’s stewardship of the Nuggets and Avs has at times been mercurial, it’s also been fairly successful from a standings perspective. And given the concurrent sagas of Peyton Watson, whom the Nuggets just traded to Cleveland rather than extend; and Cale Makar, who just landed the largest contract in NHL history, it’ll be fascinating to see how KSE handles payroll in a non-salary-capped sport. (Well, non-capped for now, boys and girls.)

Uncle Stan had reportedly bid for the Dodgers before, and like 99.99% of big-time North American sports franchise purchases, this one feels more like a land grab on Kroenke’s part than some burning desire to become the next Gene Autry. KSE’s SoFi Stadium, home to the Rams and landlords to the Chargers, is the centerpiece of the Hollywood Park entertainment district in Inglewood, Calif.

Magic Johnson, a minority owner of the Dodgers, welcomed Stan into the MLB ownership club via X.com, then thanked him for letting the NBA icon “rent their beautiful yacht named Aquila for 7 years!”

Those Walmart braggin’ rights are in Stan’s court, given that KSE’s got a tentacle in every major North American sports circuit, with the MLB arm (Angels) joining the NFL (Rams), NBA (Nuggets), NHL (Avalanche), and MLS (Rapids).

And given the global reach of the Arsenal brand, only the oceans cover more of planet Earth than the Kroenkes do at the moment.

On the baseball side, wish Stan luck. The Angels are — were? — one of the few MLB ownership situations that might have a more contentious vibe with its fan base than the Rockies do with Denverites. The Halos are on their sixth manager in eight years. The Angels even had their very own Kris Bryant situation in third baseman Anthony Rendon. The former All-Star landed a seven-year, $246-million contract with the Halos after helping Washington win a World Series in 2019 — then promptly fell apart. The infielder, now 36 years old, has spent this season away from the club, yet hasn’t formally retired.

Rendon’s agent? Scott Boras. Yep — the same guy who represents KB23. Small world, isn’t it? If nothing else, the GTW sickos are looking forward to watching Mike Trout run around in a Jokic jersey or a Nathan MacKinnon sweater soon.

Stan Kroenke’s purchase of a controlling stake in the Los Angeles Angels — reportedly for an — is the latest frontier for his Denver-based holding company, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment. The 79-year-old real estate developer is now the only sports owner with teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

The Angels will join the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids (Major League Soccer), Colorado Mammoth (Major League Lacrosse) and Arsenal (Premier League) under KSE’s umbrella. Kroenke’s estimated net worth is $24.3 billion, according to Forbes, surpassing the Mets’ Steve Cohen as baseball’s richest owner.

Other current “sports empires” include Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils and Crystal Palace F.C.; Rogers Communications, which operates Toronto’s Raptors, Blue Jays and Maple Leafs; Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and Rangers; and Fenway Sports Group, with control of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C.

But KSE already stood tall over the rest, even before its acquisition of the Angels. As of June, it was valued at $26.05 billion, .

Here is a timeline of Kroenke’s expansion across several of the most prominent professional sports leagues in the world.

Stan Kroenke’s sports team ownership timeline

1995:��Kroenke buys a in the Rams, helping majority owner Georgia Frontiere facilitate the team’s relocation from Los Angeles to St. Louis, Missouri. He increases his minority stake to 40% two years later.

1999: Kroenke founds KSE (originally named Kroenke Sports Enterprises) to function as the parent company for his sports holdings.

2000:��Kroenke buys the Nuggets, Avalanche and Pepsi Center (now named Ball Arena) in downtown Denver from Ascent Entertainment Group, taking full ownership of both teams and their home venue for $450 million total.

2003: Kroenke buys the Colorado Rapids from Anschutz Entertainment Group, with plans to build a new stadium for the MLS club that opens four years later.

2007:��Kroenke buys a 9.9% stake in Arsenal, beginning his gradual accumulation of shares in the London-based soccer club.

2010: Kroenke buys the remaining 60% of the Rams from Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, the children of Frontiere, who died in 2008. The franchise valuation is $750 million, meaning Kroenke pays $450 million for the remaining 60% to complete his full takeover. His son, Josh Kroenke, is appointed president of the Nuggets and governor of the Avalanche.

2011:��Kroenke takes over a controlling stake in Arsenal .

2015: Due to the NFL’s cross-ownership rules, Kroenke officially to his wife, Ann Walton Kroenke. His son, Josh Kroenke, remains heavily involved in running KSE’s Denver-based teams.

2016:��The NFL approves Kroenke’s plan to relocate the Rams from St. Louis to Los Angeles, where a privately funded $1.8 billion stadium takes root in nearby Inglewood — Kroenke’s most ambitious sports-related real estate development. SoFi Stadium hosts its first Rams game in 2020.

2018: Kroenke completes his bid for full control of Arsenal, buying out rival billionaire Alisher Usmanov’s 30% stake after a years-long standoff. The 132-year-old team is valued at $2.3 billion as Kroenke becomes the sole owner, .

2019: Kroenke extends his commitment to keep the Nuggets and Avalanche in Denver through 2040, in exchange for control of the land surrounding Ball Arena, which is part of a sweeping plan to develop vacant parking lots into a mixed-use district.

2026:��Kroenke becomes majority owner of the Los Angeles Angels, succeeding Arte Moreno.

“Sayed is a player we are incredibly excited to bring into our current group,” team president Pádraig Smith said in a release. “He’s an exceptional player with a winning mentality. His goal-scoring prowess paired with his outstanding work rate against the ball is something that instantly drew us in. Sayed was a player in high demand across a number of clubs, so we’re delighted he has chosen the Rapids.”

Farkhi, 20, arriving from Israeli Premier League side Maccabi Tel Aviv, will be under contract through the 2029-30 MLS season with an option for 2030-31. He will take up an international roster slot and will join Colorado’s MLS franchise pending the receipt of his P-1 Visa. The .

Farkhi arrives on a U-22 initiative, which indicates he should be coming to Colorado with a starting spot locked down. He will most likely be the replacement for Rafael Navarro, who is reportedly headed to St. Louis for around $12 million.

“We are delighted to bring Sayed to the club,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said in a team release. “At a young age, he has already competed at a very high level and has experience of playing in big environments. His player profile is exactly what we look for within our attackers; he is constantly pressing the opponent, can link the play technically and attacks the box with aggression. He fits the model of the type of players we want to sign — young and hungry to achieve big things in the game. He is a player who has high ambitions and is on the way up in his career.”

Farhki began playing professionally in 2023 with Maccabi Tel Aviv, but made only 17 appearances that year. He became a regular starter when he went on loan to Maccabi Bnei Raina in Israel in 2025. He returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2025 and has since become a staple in the club’s offense. He scored 16 goals and assisted three in 50 appearances since 2025.

He has hardly made a name for himself outside Israel, despite having made one appearance for the Israeli national team. Colorado is banking on Farhki developing in Wells’ system. Farhki will certainly have big boots to fill replacing Navarro, who is a proven MLS goal scorer.

The Rapids have been looking to revamp their offense, which has been dormant over the past few months. The team that scored six against Houston earlier in the season has scored more than two goals in a game only twice since May 18, when Lionel Messi came to town. As valuable as Navarro was to the Rapids, he has only scored once from open play in the last 12 games.

The transfer fee is around half of what the Rapids brought home in cash from the Lucas Herrington transfer earlier this summer.

The only goal of the match came in the 58th minute. A corner from Rapids midfielder Youssef Maziz found the head of Rapids defender Reggie Cannon, and just like the game against Sporting KC a week ago, it found the back of the net.

“We’ve been working on set pieces from the first day,” Cannon said. “You know, credit to Burchie (Rob Burch) who’s come in and done such a great job. But it also speaks to Maziz’s quality. He’s putting the ball on a dime, and he’s such a good player.”

The Rapids have made a habit of scoring on set pieces, and with the knack for clean sheets at home, it����ap a winning combination for the Rapids.

“I’m so proud of the players. The work we did in training over the break is really paying off,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said after the win. “We’re in a great place from a mentality perspective, a really strong position from a physical perspective.”

The Rapids dominated throughout the match, ending with around 64% possession. Real Salt Lake didn’t register a shot on target. Colorado again underperformed its expected goals, but it wasn’t as egregious this match. It easily could have been two or three goals on another night. The Rapids will have to be better in that regard. It hasn’t come back to bite them yet.

Wells was critical of the lack of clinicality from his players.

“It’s not a one-nil game. Maziz had a massive chance at the outset. Georgi Minoungou had a massive chance. Loads of nearly moments,” he said. “I just saw a stat that we had 28 touches in their box, while they had only one touch in our box all night. Pretty special effort from the team defensively: organization, work ethic, intensity. Very strong performance.”

The win pushed the Rapids’ home winning streak to five wins at home — and five straight clean sheets at home in that stretch. It also ties a club record. No one in the league has a better streak other than Nashville SC, which leads the MLS standings. Colorado has made it a habit to be stout defensively after leaking goals early in the season. Newcomer Loïc Williams may have something to do with that.

The Rapids continued the streak despite being down to their third goalkeeper, homegrown Adam Beaudry. Colorado’s starting keeper, Zack Steffen, has been out for months, so backup Nico Hansen has taken over the job. Hansen was a last-minute scratch from this match due to an injury that happened the night before. That was all the media got on that matter. Beaudry stepped in and delivered, although he really didn’t have too much work to do all night.

The result of the game was somewhat overshadowed by Rafael Navarro’s imminent departure. It was reported this week that the Brazilian striker was set to make a $12 million move to Western Conference rivals St. Louis City. There was nothing in the celebrations of the win that would signify anything other. The striker had tears in his eyes and was pushed to celebrate more with the fans, as Lucas Herrington had before his move to Hull City.

While Wells did not comment on the potential transfer, Navarro is expected to make the move sooner rather than later. This was most likely the Brazilian’s last home game with Colorado. What a way to go out, with a trophy in hand.

What Wells was more than happy to comment on was the potential new players to be announced in the next few weeks.

“If one more came in, I’d be disappointed,” he said. “Should be two. It needs to be in the front half of the pitch.”

Potential new Rapids striker Sayed Abu Farkhi was reported to be in attendance at this match via the MLS broadcast. He is expected to be announced sooner rather than later. Wells also alluded to another signing in the attack, most likely the winger that reports say the Rapids are pursuing. There should be some waves soon for the Rapids in this transfer window.

It may be a wildly different Rapids team, but the Rapids will travel East to take on the Columbus Crew in Columbus on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 5:30 p.m.

The win helped the Rapids (8-1-10, 25 points) into a playoff spot, a position that they haven’t been in much of the season, and completed the season sweep of Sporting KC. Saturday’s win wasn’t as glamorous as a 4-1 win earlier in the season at Kansas City, but it netted the same result: 3 points in the standings.

In the 38th minute of the match, the visitors got their first red card of the match. Sporting KC midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng was sent off for a bad tackle on the Rapids’ Miguel Navarro. The Rapids left back was first to a 50/50 ball, and Agyabeng cleaned him out.

An eleven-man Sporting KC is the worst team in the league and the Rapids had more than a half against a 10-man side.

It took the Rapids until the 65th minute to capitalize on the man advantage. Rapids midfielder Youssef Maziz had only been on the field for less than 10 minutes when his corner kick found the head of Rapids defender Reggie Cannon. Cannon hit his header across the face of goal and into the side netting. It took over 15 shots, but the Rapids found the much-needed goal.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Cannon said. “Just getting that stress relief, it really feels good. That offensive side is something every defender loves to add to their game. So you know, adding that on the set piece is really fortunate for me. I’m very happy.”

The Rapids, for the third home game in a row, got a goal in the 95th minute. Rapids midfielder Paxten Aaronson dribbled through three Kansas City defenders before passing off to Rafa Navarro. The Rapids striker spun his man and found the back of the net to put the game to bed. While it wasn’t a last-minute winner, it was a third straight goal at home in stoppage time.

“It’s actually an area from the first half of the season that I was frustrated with,” Rapids head coach Matt Wells said after the match. “That we’ve got more late goals, so it’s something we worked really hard on over the break. More the mindset shift of trying to convince the guys that we’re very capable of that.”

Sporting KC didn’t go away quietly. In the 86th minute, and down a man and down a goal, ex-Rapid Calvin Harris beat the Rapids’ offside trap perfectly. Through on goal with no one around him, he fired his shot wide.

It went from bad to worse for the visitors as, in the 92nd minute of the game, Navarro and Josh Atencio combined to play a long ball to Cannon. What should have been a relatively easy clearance for Sporting KC defender Moisés Mosquera turned into a disaster. A poor clearance played Cannon through, and Mosquera pulled him down. It was an easy red card, and from almost tying the game minutes earlier, Kansas City was down to nine men.

This match was the second in a row in which the Rapids dominated but didn’t show it on the scoreline — firing 28 shots and netting only two.

Rapids midfielder Maziz joins the list of Rapids to score or assist in their home debut. Lucas Herrington scored, Georgi Minoungou got an assist, Kosi Thompson scored twice, and Loic Williams scored a last-minute winner. Maziz got the game-winning assist on his first-ever corner taken as a Rapid. More signings may be needed to keep the Rapids in the playoff picture. Colorado currently sits in eighth in the MLS’ Western Conference standings with 25 points.

“He showed his quality straight away with his general play,” Wells said about Maziz. “We know his set play quality is outstanding. Both corners, wide free kicks and direct free kicks as well. Obviously, he was probably half a yard away from scoring a very good goal. It’s a good introduction for him.”

The Rapids also celebrated defender Keegan Rosenberry for reaching 200 appearances. Rosenberry has captained the Rapids for over seven years, and while he has become a bench player recently, it is a well-deserved honor for the defender.

“What an achievement it is for Keegan. He’s such an amazing guy, amazing player. He’s so good for the locker room. I don’t think in my whole career, and I’ve met thousands of people and players, I’ve never met someone as good as him. He’s such a good guy.”

The Colorado Rapids have a quick turnaround as LAFC comes to Colorado on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 pm Mountain Time.

Hull City will pay at least $15 million, with add-ons that could push the fee to more. The Rapids also have a 15% sell-on clause that could net the club even more money down the line.

The transfer was all but inevitable for Herrington, 18, who was far too good to keep in Colorado after Herrington became the youngest Australian to start a World Cup match earlier this summer — and the youngest MLS player to do so. Prior to his World Cup debut, Herrington quickly became a fixture in the Colorado lineup after signing with Rapids ahead of the 2026 MLS season, appearing in all of the club’s 18 MLS matches and starting in all but one. He logged 1,531 minutes, ranking second on the team, and scored one goal, while ranking among the league’s best in multiple stat categories.

The 18-year-old had been rumored to be of interest to European giants such as Barcelona and Liverpool. While Hull City, newly promoted to the Premier League, isn’t a giant, Herrington will see a much bigger spotlight in one of the biggest leagues in the world.

“Lucas is a special talent whose elite mentality and character match his outstanding ability on the field,” Rapids president Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of everything he accomplished during his time with the Rapids and excited for him as he takes this next step in his career. Identifying, recruiting, and developing the best young talent, locally, nationally and internationally, is a key part of our club strategy.”

Herrington has a good chance of starting with the Tigers.

“What an incredible and well-deserved achievement for Lucas to be heading to the Premier League,” Rapids coach Matt Wells said in a statement. “From the outset, Lucas embraced absolutely every element of the environment we set out to create here. In our first meeting, he expressed to me his ambition was to play ‘some minutes’ this season in the MLS. Just a few months later, he played in a World Cup and is now Premier League-bound. He’s a brilliant example of the type of people we want to bring to Colorado.”

It also feels like the perfect investment for the Colorado Rapids. Colorado spent around $1 million to sign Herrington in January. The Rapids also bought out his sell-on clause from his old club, Brisbane Roar in Australia, for around $400,000. That move alone saved the Rapids upwards of $8 million.

This transfer breaks the current Rapids outbound transfer fee record by a large margin. Colorado got $8 million for Djordje Mihailovic in the middle of the 2025 season. They got $7.8 million for Moïse Bombito when he switched to OGC Nice in France.

Herrington more than doubles both of those previous records and also finds himself among the highest transfer fees in MLS history. A sell-on fee might boost him over the $30 million man, Jhon Duran, who holds the current record. It is the highest-ever MLS center-back transfer, a record previously held by the Rapids’ Bombito.

Colorado has already seemingly bought Herrington’s replacement, Loïc Williams. A backline that consists of Rob Holding and Williams is league quality, and Noah Cobb is a good option off the bench. Another center back could be good for depth. Wells has already alluded to adding another attacking player soon. It����ap unlike the Rapids to spend big on a player, but another signing like Youssef Maziz is very much doable with the influx of cash.

“When I landed in Colorado in January, I had left Australia for the first time to come across the world and chase a dream. The Rapids and their fans took a chance on me and made me feel at home from day one,” Herrington said in a statement. “I’m grateful to my family, my teammates and coach Matt Wells, and Padraig Smith for believing in me, supporting my growth and giving me the opportunity to take the next steps in my career. To the fans: thank you for embracing a kid from Brisbane as one of your own. Colorado has given me so much, and I’ll always be proud to have been a Rapid. I’m excited for what comes next, but I’ll never forget my time here. Thank you.”

Corner kicks were the name of the game early, as the Rapids dominated possession of the ball and created chance after chance. After 16 minutes of the first half, Colorado had six corners. It took some heroics from Austin FC defenders to keep the Rapids off the scoreboard. While the Rapids could not capitalize on any of the chances, they were knocking on the door early.

After the early flurry of corners, the momentum evened out. Both teams had chances. Austin found some success on the counterattack, while Colorado found it difficult to break down Austin’s low block. Rapids midfielder Paxten Aaronson had a few good looks, but his shots found the comfortable hands of Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver.

Colorado ended the half with eight corner kicks, but no goals. The Rapids were certainly the better team in the first half, but couldn’t find that elusive goal. Once in contention for the highest scoring team in the MLS, the Rapids found themselves at risk of scoring only five goals in their last 10 matches.

Colorado came out of the locker room hot in the second half. Rapids midfielders Wayner Frederick II and Georgi Minoungou both had excellent chances to break the deadlock within minutes of starting the second half. Minoungou’s shot found the hands of Stuver, and Frederick’s shot whistled past the post. Agonizingly close chances, both created by Rapids forward Rafa Navarro.

The game seemed to be headed towards a scoreless draw until the 90th minute. A shot from Rapids forward Darren Yapi was saved, but parried to Navarro, who got a touch on the ball but was taken out inside the box by Austin FC defender Przemyslaw Placheta.

In the 94th minute, Navarro stepped up and buried the penalty kick, giving the Rapids the late lead. The late heroics were reminiscent of Colorado’s win against San Diego FC a week and a half ago. The Rapids have made a habit of leaving it late recently.

“I was very happy to win the penalty and get the win for the team after a very difficult match,” he said.

Rapids head coach Matt Wells was elated afterward.

“We just won a game, one-nil in the last minute,” he said. “It’s the second game in a row at home that we’ve done that. So I think big credit to the guys. Fantastic win, good performance.”

The biggest news of the night didn’t happen on the field but off it, involving Rapids defender Lucas Herrington. Reports came out that the 18-year-old could be on the way to England to play in the Premier League with Hull City. The reported transfer fee would easily be amongst the highest in MLS history. Lucas Herrington played all 90 minutes Saturday.

“The Lucas stuff’s off my radar,” Wells said. “I don’t know. Obviously, just finished the game, so pretty immersed in what was a pretty stressful game, and then just praised the guys afterward for the win. So yeah, no real update from that perspective.”

Herrington was originally going to be made available to the media after the match, then wasn’t available, then became available again, but wasn’t allowed to comment on any reports. Everything points to Herrington getting that big money move to the Premier League.

For the Rapids, incoming transfer Youssef Maziz could not make an appearance because his Visa paperwork was not yet complete. In a match where the Rapids needed creativity up front, Maziz would have been a big help.

Wells agreed.

“He sees a different pass to what I can see from the sideline, or a different bit of skill, which is a little bit what we lack in the group,” he said.

Navarro had less to say on the topic, telling the media, “I watched a YouTube video; he seems like a great player and will help the team a lot.”

Rapids defender Keegan Rosenberry made his 200th appearance with the team.

“I think it illustrates that I’ve been here the longest with anybody on the team,” he said. “Illustrates that I’m getting towards the latter stages of my career. … Just another of another milestone. But yeah, really happy that it came in a win tonight.”

Colorado got a much-needed three points to improve to 7-10-1, moving to 11th place in the West with 22 points. Colorado sits just two points back of Portland (No. 8), Seattle (No. 9) and Minnesota (No. 10). The top seven teams automatically make the playoff field, with the No. 8 and No. 9 finishers squaring off for the final playoff spot in a qualifier. The Rapids will return home against Sporting KC on August 15.

The 28-year-old is coming to Colorado on a free transfer from the Belgian Pro League, with his contract expiring at OH Leuven this July. Maziz is signed through the 2027-28 season, with a club option for 2028-29. The club will have to wait on his Visa approval before he can see the field for Colorado.

“Youssef is a player who brings creativity and football intelligence that we believe will have a real impact on our attack,” said Rapids president Pádraig Smith. “He has the vision and technical quality to unlock opposition defenses, create chances for those around him, and elevate the players alongside him. Combined with his experience at a high level in Europe, he is an excellent fit for the way we want to play, and we’re excited to welcome him to Colorado.”

Maziz bounced around France, playing for Le Mans and Metz before moving to OH Leuven, where he has spent the last three seasons. In 114 appearances for the Belgian side, he has scored 15 goals and assisted 16.

Smith said the Rapids have always had to look for diamonds in the rough. Maziz is widely seen as a good complement to Paxten Aaronson in the midfield. If the move can unlock the $8 million Aaronson, it could be worth every cent.

While the transfer cost was zero, Maziz comes to Colorado as a Targeted Allocation Money signing, which means he will be making a good chunk more than most of the Rapids’ roster. In a salary cap league, this is a big investment. This investment also suggests Maziz will start in the Rapids midfield.

A big reason Maziz is considered a good complement to Aaronson is that Aaronson can now move back to his more natural central midfield position. Maziz can take responsibility for creating chances and being the attacking midfielder, while Aaronson can stay back and do what he does best. A midfield of Hamzat Ojediran as the holding midfielder, with Aaronson and Maziz above, gives the Rapids an attacking edge that they desperately need.

And an attacking boost is just what the Rapids need. After starting the season near the top of the goal-scoring charts in the MLS, Colorado has just scored five goals in its last nine MLS matches. The Rapids have been on a slide recently, winning just twice in their last ten MLS matches. It has been a tough stretch for Rapids head coach Matt Wells and Co.

“Youssef is the exact type of character we have been looking to bring to the club. He has fantastic experience playing in high-level games and will be a great addition to our young midfield group,” said Rapids coach Matt Wells. “He is a very creative player; always looking to make and score goals but, crucially, he combines this with high-intensity pressing out of possession. For these reasons, he is a perfect fit for our style of play, and we are delighted to have secured his signature.”

Wells has been vocal about bringing in players with the quality to play his style. Wells inherited a team when he moved to the United States. It was a team in disarray, and while he made some signings, the roster has yet to become a Wells-made roster. Maziz coming in brings him closer to the team and locker room he wants to build. The Rapids will remain active in the summer transfer window. Wells said he expects two attacking transfers. Expect more moves from the Colorado Rapids soon.

At only 18, Herrington was the — and the youngest MLS player to do so. After making history on the world’s biggest stage, the Rapids center back is back in Colorado ready to help the local MLS side finish the season strong. Colorado resumes its season .

The call-up to the Socceroos shouldn’t have been much of a surprise given the level that Herrington has played at all season, but it still meant a lot to the teenager.

“I’m so proud to be from Australia,” Herrington said. ”So to be able to be the youngest player (to start for Australia) at the World Cup means everything.”

Herrington was an unused substitute for Australia’s first two games. He watched from the bench in a win over Turkiye and a loss to the United States. History beckoned in the third game of group play after Herrington was told he would start against Paraguay.

“It was special. I found out through training, match day minus one, minus two. I was being put into the starting team, so I could get a little taste of it there. I knew that might happen, so I was just preparing myself for (starting),” he said. It was just the best experience of my life. To be able to start at a World Cup, even play at a World Cup, was so, so special and so rewarding. It was just a great moment for me that I’ll never forget.”

The World Cup is the ultimate stage, offering unparalleled highs, but it can also expose players to brutal lows. Unfortunately for Herrington, he suffered one of these moments.

After helping Australia to a penalty shootout against Egypt, he stepped up to the spot to take the fourth penalty kick for Australia. His shot was well-struck, but it .

“It was a tough moment for me,” he said. “Obviously, that was the biggest moment of my career. So to miss was tough.”But to be given the opportunity to step up and play for the country and take a penalty for the country at a World Cup was so special.

“To the coaching staff who gave that opportunity, that was a great moment for me, and just to realize how much confidence they have in me, and I have in myself. Being the youngest pro on the team, them putting me out for a penalty and me wanting to take a penalty was a great moment. Even though I missed, it’s still something I’ll take a lot of confidence and courage from.”

He added: “Hopefully I get another chance like that one day, and I can score and take the country through.”

Fans’ reaction to a missed penalty is often angry — but that wasn’t the case for Herrington. The world seemed to appreciate the bravery in such a young player and had his back. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“It meant a lot,” he said. “Obviously, I was gutted after the game, so it took me a few hours to get over that. I still probably really haven’t, but to be able to see all the support that I got from legends of the game, even people back home, people here just meant so much to me, and to my family because it was a tough moment.”

Despite the Aussies’ World Cup ending not being a fairytale one for the Rapids youngster, he is still bringing loads of confidence and experience back from the world’s biggest stage.

“It was definitely a dream come true for me to be able to play at the highest stage and to represent my country at the highest stage,” he said. So it just gives me just the the ability and the confidence to keep working hard, and just hopefully many more of those opportunities come, and I can just bring that back to Colorado.”

Herrington’s rise has been a surprise, even to the youngster.

“It has happened really quickly. Obviously, seven months ago, I was just playing in Australia and was taking a risk by coming over here. But it seemed like a great project from what I’d heard from the club, and I was excited to get going,” he said. “But to be given the opportunity to play this many minutes and to be given the opportunity by the club to put me on the map for that World Cup selection has been everything to me, so it’s definitely something I’ll forever be grateful for.”

Herrington has become a sensation around the world, with many top teams in Europe looking to snatch the youngster from the Rapids. While he has heard all the noise, Herrington remains focused on Colorado.

“You hear a lot of things, some that are true, some that aren’t true. Being back here, I’ve just loved being back in training, and my only focus right now is Colorado, and I’ve got a game in a couple of days, so I can’t wait,” he said. “I work as hard as I can for the team, for the fans, for the club, just to help push as far as we can. Hopefully, winning the Open Cup and making a good push in the playoffs to finish as far as we know we can.”

The Rapids will host Liga MX side FC Juárez for a friendly at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on July 9 before returning to MLS play against San Diego FC on July 22, the club announced Wednesday. It will be the second time in three years that Juárez will visit Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, this time with much lower stakes and a different format: four 30-minute quarters.

In 2024, the Rapids met Juárez in the Leagues Cup round of 32 en route to Colorado’s miraculous third-place finish as the 44th seed of 45 teams. That game at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park ended 3-2 in favor of the hosts in front of a large Juárez contingent in the stands. It was the second of an MLS-record four straight wins against Mexican competition in the same tournament.

The rematch, 23 months later to the day, will be open to the public and will serve as a somewhat competitive ramp-up for the second half of the MLS season, where the Rapids have some ground to make up if they want to cash in on promises to be a playoff team this season.

Colorado is selling general admission tickets for $25 on the west stands only, though season ticket members can attend for free. It will be the 16th matchup against a Liga MX squad in team history.

Juárez finished 12th of 18 in the Clausura phase of the 2025-26 season. They performed much better in the Apertura, finishing eighth but losing in the first round of the Apertura tournament to eventual champion Toluca.