Hudson wants Colorado to play “total football”

Progress is not always linear. For the Colorado Rapids, it’s a slow climb based on a process.

The club’s 1-1 draw against Sporting KC last weekend flashed some of what the Rapids are trying to accomplish though they have a long climb up, as they were limited to a MLS-worst 36 goals a season ago. A few recent acquisitions have added talent and experience for second-year head coach Anthony Hudson. Still, he is working to blend new players into the mix.

“We are still early in our development in our attack,” Hudson said. “Every game we are seeing more and more that our fullbacks getting involved, more and more we are seeing our attacking midfielders getting involved.”

Hudson’s philosophy is based on the soccer theory of total football which entails every player being able to assume any position on the team. This organizational structure is fluid in-game and players are asked to replace each other meaning any player– no matter the position–can accept any role.

The success of the system is contingent upon the adaptability of players and how quickly they can adequately switch positions. This requires smart players with diverse skills.

“We know how we want to play,” Hudson said. “We had a meeting with the players when they came in to start the year and we went over our key principles. Nothing has changed up to now but the pace has been adjusted. For instance week one we wanted to do midfield rotations but we couldn’t because we needed to get back to basics.”

One of intricacies of playing total football is the necessity for supreme communication. Before the Rapids get to that place, they have to learn how to play together. Hudson has repeated several times that his team is several weeks away from getting to where he wants them to be.

“Every game we’re progressing in the final third,” Hudson said. “Look at the two strikers, they are an absolute handful. Not only are they a massive threat, but they both have the most unbelievable mentality and attitude and are team players. It’s still early days for us.”