COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — When Colorado Rapids head coach Robin Fraser saw captain Jack Price on the ground, he had one thought.
“Ugh I can’t curse. Uhhhh shoot.” A similar sigh from Rapids midfielder and Littleton native Cole Bassett, “Ugh, you just feel terrible for him especially after he’s had so many injuries.”
The Rapids captain ruptured his Achilles tendon on Saturday against Minnesota United FC, ending his season. Another devastating blow to a player who missed half of last year due to multiple injuries. 2023 was supposed to be his comeback story.
“Yeah it’s never easy,” said Coach Fraser. “It really isn’t, even if you have a number of leaders on your team. You lose your captain, it’s still an unsettling feeling. As I said, the rest of the group really needs to come together.”
Bassett says the team tried to comfort him after the game, “We talked to him after, he’s obviously not in the best spirits. Even today, we see him. He’s always got a smile on his face and it was just good to see him.”
The Rapids homegrown star says he’ll need to do more, in the absence of Price, “I’m probably the only guy that’s been here under Robin [Fraser] in the midfield for that long of a period of time. I definitely have to step up in a leadership role whether that’s dropping back a bit deeper and playing like Pricey and dictating attacks or just helping carry the team in the attack with goals and assists. Either one suits me and just whichever one helps the team win but I definitely need to step up into a bigger role.”
Achilles injuries are one of the toughest to come. The Rapids hope he will make a full recovery ahead of the 2024 season, “When you lose a player like Jack, that’s a tough void to fill,” Fraser stated.
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