The Colorado Rapids have waived defender Danny Wilson and winger Sam Nicholson, the club announced Tuesday.
Wilson, 32, arrived in Colorado in 2018 and has appeared in 136 matches, starting 125 of them. Last season, he recorded one goal and one assist in what turned out to be the worst campaign in club history.
He racked up the third-most minutes on the team with 2,315, behind center back partner Andreas Maxsø (2,924) and midfielder Connor Ronan (2,846).
With the announcement coming less than a month after the Rapids traded 28-year old defender Andrew Gutman for 24-year old defender Miguel Navarro, it’s clear the club is committing to a younger core, which new head coach Chris Armas and Rapids president Pádraig Smith discussed at length upon Armas’ hiring.
With Wilson’s departure, there is just one remaining player on the roster above the age of 30: Keegan Rosenberry.
A suitable replacement for Wilson could be 23-year old Moïse Bombito, the Canadian international who was given more minutes towards the end of the season when Chris Little took over interim coaching duties.
“We’d like to thank Danny and Sam for their contributions on and off the field during their time at the club,” Smith said in the club’s statement. “We wish them both all the best in their future endeavors.”
Nicholson, 28, played all over the field for much of the 2023 season thanks to an injury bug which ravaged the team for months to start the year. He also tallied a goal and an assist in 22 matches.
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