Three Questions: Atlanta United at Colorado Rapids

To get everyone ready for Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids, we spoke to Burgundy Wave’s Abbie Lang to get her take on Anthony Hudson, Kellyn Acosta’s availability, and a timetable for Tim Howard’s retirement.

DSS: It’s been a disappointing season for the Rapids. What do you make of Anthony Hudson’s first year as coach?

BW: At the beginning of the season, there was a lot of talk from the FO about what great things Anthony Hudson would do in MLS and being able to work with a team day in and day out versus seeing players occasionally with a national team. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out quite as we had hoped. Many of the players brought in during the offseason—and a few that were around from last season—have been a bust and Hudson’s lineups are often questionable at best. He rewards those who work hard in practice, which is admirable, but the sacrifice is that we aren’t seeing our best players on the field, which is disappointing. The eight-game losing streak was especially frustrating, and any other coach would have probably gotten fired during a run like that, but Kroenke is still paying for former head coach Pablo Mastroeni’s contract so it’s unlikely we’ll see a change anytime soon. The fanbase really gave Hudson a chance and many are disappointed with the results, especially when there were some big promises made at the beginning of the season.

DSS: With Kellyn Acosta having played most of the US’ midweek match against Mexico, do you expect to see him starting on Saturday?

BW: It’s hard to tell. He’s had a huge impact on the Rapids since he got here and we will really need him, especially against a team like Atlanta. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see him start and then get subbed out, depending on how things go. That being said, it’s not a conference match and the Rapids aren’t making a playoff push, so it also makes sense to let him recover from the national team match in my opinion.

DSS: Tim Howard is moving into a role in broadcasting with his commentary of the UEFA Champions League. Is there a sense that this is his last season before retirement?

BW: I don’t think so. He continues to talk about retiring when his contract is up at the end of 2019 and I can’t imagine him giving up that $2 million salary. I see the broadcasting position and his role with the Memphis USL side as putting things in place for when the time comes. Whether or not I think it’s time for him to retire is another question, but I do not expect him to make an early exit from the Rapids.