Price ready to captain team out of 4-game winless stretch
COMMERCE CITY » Jack Price is familiar with the cyclical nature of team runs and ruts.
The 29-year-old captain of the Colorado Rapids is not worried about his team’s most worrisome stretch since 2020 — four games without a win and two consecutive 3-1 defeats.
While with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2014, the club went through a nasty spell of five straight losses before a young Price forced himself into the side and helped lift the team to five wins in its next six matches and an eventual seventh-place finish in the EFL Championship.
“To be honest, here more so, we just get on with it. We accept the fact that we probably have not done as much as we should. No one really blames each other,” Price said. “Whereas I feel maybe that year in the Championship it was tougher at times because at training you’d start having pops with people. Here, maybe we need that at times, but I think right now as a team and as a squad, the chemistry is great.
“Nobody is putting blame on anyone if they aren’t taking a chance. That’s what got us to where we were last year. I know it’s tough when the results aren’t what we want, but I know we’re gonna come good, especially here at home. If we get six points it’s all of a sudden a lot different.”
The Rapids (2-2-3, 8 points) currently sit in 10th in the Western Conference entering Saturday’s 7 p.m. clash against new MLS expansion side Charlotte FC (3-0-5, 9 points.). Charlotte is coming to altitude for the first time and just played a U.S. Open Cup game Wednesday that went to extra time, with the starters subbed in to avoid an upset.
Colorado will be looking to set a club record of 20 games unbeaten at DSGP.
For Price, it comes down to executing on set pieces and leadership. The Rapids have scored twice indirectly off of free kicks (28 free kicks, 22 corners, zero direct goals). He has yet to assist, but had eight from set plays last season.
“Just keep at it and hopefully we get one or two here soon, I want a couple assists, the boys want some goals too,” Price said. “Just little things, details we are working at and we’ll get better at.”
As a leader, it’s up to Price to help steady the ship. The team has answered for being accountable to one another. Now it’s time to prove it on Saturday.
“It’s about lifting people up and giving lads the confidence to go out there on the weekend and put on a strong performance,” Price said. “There’s no point of getting on people, it only makes it worse. It’s just about keeping the spirit up. Everyone works for each other. Now I feel like I need to have an arm around the younger boys to keep going, and I’m enjoying that role.”