The words ‘Colorado Rapids, you are now on the clock’ are expected to echo around the Baltimore Convention Center very early on in this week’s MLS Superdraft, as the club from Commerce City has the second overall pick.
Only once before have the Rapids chosen second, and that was the inaugural draft in 1996, when Jean Harbor was selected.
Since then, a number of notable names have emerged from such a lofty position, including four that would go on to play for the Rapids - Ritchie Kotschau, Mehdi Ballouchy, Sam Cronin and Carlos Alvarez.
Other key figures that came out of the draft at #2 were USA internationals Jay Heaps (now head coach of New England Revolution), Taylor Twellman, Chad Marshall, Brad Guzan, Brek Shea and Darlington Nagbe.