Pádraig Smith is making a huge gamble.
Fresh off a disappointing 2022 campaign, the Colorado Rapids’ Executive Vice President and General Manager has bucked the club’s typical acquisition trend by looking to add reinforcements from abroad. While Smith did well to nab former LA Galaxy Designated Player Kévin Cabral and FC Cincinnati prospect Calvin Harris before the new year, the bulk of Colorado’s off-season transfer business has uncharacteristically involved shrewd international moves.
First came Connor Ronan—an up-and-coming versatile Irish midfielder who got stuck in the European loan merry-go-round when he couldn’t crack the first team with the Premier League’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.