Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park
The Colorado Rapids are among the 10 charter clubs of Major League Soccer, debuting in its inaugural season in 1996. It didn't take long for the Western Conference contenders to establish themselves as one of the premier teams in the then-nascent league. They made it to the MLS Cup final in just their second season and earned playoff berths eight times in their first 10 years of play. Up to that point, the Rapids shared home turf with the Denver Broncos at the legendary Mile High Stadium and its successor, Invesco Field at Mile High.
In 2007, the Rapids moved into a state-of-the-art facility to call their own: Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a 19,000 capacity stadium located in the suburb of Commerce City. As was the case at Mile High, the venue's exceedingly high altitude — 5,200 feet above sea level — has given the Rapids a considerable home-field advantage, with the club winning roughly two thirds of the games held in their own backyard.
The relocation coincided with a wholesale rebranding, with the team introducing their current mountain-themed logo and a change in uniform colors from black and blue to burgundy and light blue, to match the other professional sports franchises owned by Kroenke Sports Enterprises (whose roster includes the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, and English Premier League soccer team Arsenal FC).
In 2010, the Rapids made their second trip to the MLS Cup Final and defeated FC Dallas in a dramatic, come-from-behind 2-1 victory for their first championship. Since then, the team has been on a roller-coaster ride in and out of postseason contention. But no matter their fortunes on the field, the Rapids' loyal supporters club — dubbed Centennial 38 — will be there in the south-end terrace to cheer on their boys in burgundy and make life miserable for the visiting team.
