COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Colorado Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni doesn’t want him to be labeled as a “savior,” but the Rapids’ anticipated acquisition, English Premier League veteran Zat Knight, certainly qualifies as bringing hope to a beleaguered club.
The 34-year-old English defender arrived in Colorado last Thursday to complete his transfer, much to the relief of Mastroeni and the first-year coach’s injury-ravaged defense. Having allowed an appalling 22 goals over a club-worst and ongoing seven-game losing skid (3.14 GAA), help is urgently needed in the back for Colorado, and Knight hopes he can provide a boost in the home stretch of the season.
“I believe that if they can get one or two more experienced players around them which can help them on the field, I feel that they’ve got a good coaching staff behind them that can help them off the field,” Knight said of the Rapids’ youth to reporters after practice on Tuesday. “Hopefully I can help a little bit.”
The other key to the towering six-foot-six former Aston Villa, Fulham and Bolton Wanderers man is his obvious experience, highlighted by a dozen years in the EPL.
With regular captain Drew Moor out for the season with a torn ACL and 23-year-old Dillon Powers, admittedly more of a lead-by-example type of player, wearing the armband in Moor’s place, Mastroeni wants a vocal leader to help steer the ship for the baby-faced Rapids, more than half of whom are under the age of 25.
“One thing that I was very clear with [Knight] was the fact that I’m not bringing [him] in to be the savior,” Mastroeni told reporters on Tuesday. “You’re just going to be one element, one aspect, and at this point, an important one with [his] experience to come in and contribute.”
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Knight likely will not play on Saturday night against the Portland Timbers (9 pm ET, MLS LIVE) at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as he completes immigration paperwork. But he hopes to make his debut in Rapids burgundy later this month, perhaps as soon as the following weekend for a match at rival Real Salt Lake on Sept. 19.
For the freefalling Rapids, Knight cannot take the field soon enough, and Knight himself cannot wait to ply his trade outside of his native England for the first time as a professional and prove to Colorado management he is worth retaining for next season.
“I’m just here until the end of the season at the moment, and then hopefully I can put in some good performances and [the Rapids] can pick me up,” Knight said. “It’s a learning curve for me as well. Playing in England at one of the best standards in the world, it’s an opportunity for me to try something different.”
Chris Bianchi covers the Colorado Rapids for MLSsoccer.com.
