NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Chris Sharpe wasn’t even looking for Abraham Rodriguez the day he discovered him.
The Colorado Rapids goalie coach was watching a Rapids Academy game about five years ago when someone tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to the field behind Sharpe. “Have a look at this kid.”
And there Rodriguez was, an undersized, athletic kid who kept making spectacular plays.
“He came from nowhere,” Sharpe said. “I turned around and here’s this little kid darting around making unbelievable saves but super raw like no technique, no coaching. … We monitored him for a bit, but we had to have him.”
Now 17, everything points toward Rodriguez becoming the newest homegrown talent within the Rapids organization. Already a professional, he signed a full-time contract with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks in August, where he shined in 2019. Named to the USL’s 20-under-20 list, Rodriguez was the club’s primary goalie.
“There were nice moments down with the Switchbacks,” the Broomfield native said. “I realized that I always had that fire in me to be on the next level. Even right now you know I’m still at a point where I want to move up to the next level and be the best I can be.”
Currently, Rodriguez is with the Rapids at their preseason camp here in California.
The retirement of Tim Howard moved everyone up a spot on the Rapids’ depth chart. With Clint Irwin and Andre Rawls the top options with the big club, it is likely Rodriguez spends most of the season starting for the Switchbacks. As the only one of the three under 25, he has plenty of time to develop into the Rapids’ goaltender of the future.
“It’s great playing with the older players,” Rodriguez said. “The role of a goalie is being a leader and I have to be confident.”
Rodriguez’s goal is to be starting in burgundy and blue.
“Coming from the community I came from, stepping on the Rapids field would be awesome,” he said. “Representing the Hispanic community would mean the world to me. I want to bring that Latino community with me out to the games.”
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
Broomfield native Abraham Rodriguez made a big impression with the Colorado Springs Switchbacks last season and is hoping to soon find a place with the Colorado Rapids.Rodriguez is already known for the highlight saves he made after blocking two penalties last season in US. It’s a captivating style that could very well win over the Rapids fan base.
At 5-foot-9, 165 pounds, he is a far cry from the typical burly goaltender used in the American game. While that may mean he initially gets overlooked, there are things he does that will undoubtedly turn heads.
Just ask the Rapids’ Sharpe.
“It’s not teachable,” Sharpe said. “You can work on the big saves, but the biggest thing is that he does not want to get beaten. He’s enjoyable to watch because he makes things that are hard look very simple.”
Footnote. Two other Colorado teens from the Rapids Academy are also training with the team this month. Will Vint, 18, could be the next in line to go professional and Darren Yapi, a 15-year-old freshman at Northfield High School, is also here. Vint, a midfielder, spent time with that Manchester United Academy and then Atlanta United 2 of the USL. He is likely to see minutes with the Switchbacks and is spending camp shadowing Jack Price and Kellyn Acosta. Yapi was recently called up to the US U-17 national team as a forward and this is his first pro camp.
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