Rocky Mountain hi: Moor keen to welcome old team to Colorado

Former Reds defender says he’s been ‘looking forward’ to match

Toronto FC’s game in Colorado on Saturday will be part reunion, albeit with three points on the line.

The Rapids are full of TFC connections starting with head coach Robin Fraser, a former assistant who took over the Colorado team in August 2019.

TFC alumni on the Colorado roster include Drew Moor, Clint Irwin, Steven Beitashour and Collen Warner, while Mark-Anthony Kaye spent time at the Toronto academy. The Rapids traded former TFC forward Nicolas Benezet to Seattle last month.

“I haven’t seen them in a game that counts since I left,” said Moor, who rejoined Colorado as a free agent in November 2019. “I definitely miss seeing some of the guys and really the team as a whole.

“When the schedule came out, I knew it was going to be superimbalanced. But to have them on it was pretty special. I’m looking forward to it.”

Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono, for one, keeps an eye on the Rapids.

“It’s one of those teams, when you see them do well it kind of puts a smile to your face because you got to spend so much time with some of the players and the staff members of that team,” he said. “It will be good to see Robin and some of those guys. It will be fun to compete against them. They’re one of the top teams in the West right now.”

Colorado (12-4-8) is third in the Western Conference with 44 points, 26 ahead of Toronto (4-15-6) which occupies the MLS basement.

The Rapids are unbeaten in their last 10 outings (5-0-5), tying their last three games and four of the last five. It’s the team’s longest unbeaten run since 2016 when it went 8-0-7 en route to its best-ever regular-season finish (15-6-13).

Their last loss was July 24 at Real Salt Lake.

Colorado is also unbeaten in its last 11 (6-0-5) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since a 3-1 loss to Austin FC in its home opener April 24.

Toronto is coming off a short turnaround, following a 4-0 midweek win over York United FC in Canadian Championship play.

TFC defeated Nashville SC 2-1 last Saturday, snapping a sixgame losing streak and ninegame winless run (0-7-2).

Toronto and Colorado have not met since a pair of meetings during the 2020 pre-season.

Toronto will be short-handed Saturday with captain Michael Bradley suspended for yellowcard accumulation and Ayo Akinola, Jozy Altidore, Tsubasa Endoh, Ralph Priso, Jordan Perruzza and Alejandro Pozuelo out injured. Pozuelo, the reigning MLS MVP, will miss his fifth straight game with a lower body injury.