The Colorado Rapids brought back the man in goal for the club’s most recent playoff appearance with hopes there will be more in the future.
After spending the 2020 season with the Rapids on loan from Liga MX (Mexico) club León, and starting the first-round MLS Cup Playoffs, Colorado announced the return of goalkeeper William Yarbrough on a three-year deal that includes a club option for a fourth year.
“We’re thrilled to be able to bring Will back to the club,” Rapids general manager Pádraig Smith said in a club release. “Will is a proven winner and his leadership within the locker room was invaluable as we navigated an unprecedented season last year. Bringing him back on a permanent basis was one of our top priorities this offseason and reinforces what we believe to be one of the best goalkeeping groups in the league.”
Standing 6-foot-2, the 31-year-old posted four clean sheets while starting 14 of the team’s 18 regular-season matches. His 6-4-4 record in goal and 1.43 average goals allowed helped the Rapids finish fifth in the Western Conference, good enough to earn a playoff berth.
The Rapids lost their first-round matchup with eventual Western Conference finalist Minnesota United, 3-0, but the appearance ended a stretch of three seasons without a postseason berth.
Rapids great on hall of fame ballot
Pablo Mastroeni’s was one of the 20 names on The National Soccer Hall of Fame ballot released Tuesday.
The midfielder captained the Rapids from 2004 to 2013, which included the club’s first MLS Cup Championship in 2010, and still owns the club records for games played (225), games started (217) and minutes played (18,667), according to the club’s release.
Mastroeni made 65 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team and was a member of the 2002 and 2006 World Cup squads. He’s a member of the Colorado Rapids Gallery of Honor and was named to the club’s all-time Best XI last year.
Following his retirement, Mastroeni coached the Rapids from 2014-17. He’s currently an assistant at Rocky Mountain Cup rival Real Salt Lake.
This content was originally published here.
