COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Center back Drew Moor left the Colorado Rapids as a free agent at the end of the 2015 season. He spent nearly seven years with the club, winning MLS Cup in 2010. After four seasons with Toronto FC and another MLS Cup, Moor is back in Burgundy and Blue. Maybe it was planned, maybe it was perfecting time. One thing’s for certain: He’s got unfinished business here.
Drew Moor: “I had a Responsibility to Come Back to Colorado”
The 36-year-old spent the prime of his career with the Rapids. He was a leader on the backline and a big part of the 2010 championship team. While fans were disappointed to see him leave, the timing was right.
Colorado was due for a rebuild that ultimately took longer than desired. Moor was part of the first class of free agents in MLS history. He was one of the most sought after defenders in the league. TFC offered a financial and competitive opportunity too good to pass up.
Fast forward to the end of 2019. Moor’s a father of two. He’s won another MLS Cup, a Supporters’ Shield, and several Canadian Championships. Toronto is looking to retool having lost another final. Robin Fraser has left Toronto to take the head coaching job in Colorado. The Rapids are ready to compete and spend more money going into 2020.
“The day we left Colorado, my wife and I dreamed and would talk everyday about hopefully coming back. Fortunately, at the end of last season, there was some interest. I jumped at the opportunity. I do feel a tug to come back and to help this club. It’s a club that means so much to me and to my family and everything aligned, fell into place, and here we are,” Moor told Last Word on Soccer.
It’s almost poetic that he returns via the same mechanism he left.
The veteran center back joins an improved defense that’s looking to be one of the best in the league this year. They have plenty of young talent at the back, some familiar, some new. Moor elevated the club to its greatest achievement a decade ago. He’s in position to help them to be competitive again. What’s more, he feels an obligation to give back to the club in doing so.
“I feel a little bit of responsibility to come back to the Rapids to and continue to work for them and do everything I can on and off the field and move forward,” adding “I’m super excited [to be back]. The Rapids are an organization that means a lot to me having spent six and a half years here. My wife and I love the city are are excited to raise our boys here for a little bit.”
He understands what the club needs from him. He has a good report with both the manager and Clint Irwin, the starting goalkeeper. There’s three quality center backs on the roster with a lot of potential who need a leader to challenge them for minutes, mentor them, and hold them accountable. Moor doesn’t have to change a thing to fill this role.
“My #1 responsibility on this team is to win a starting spot. I want to play every single game. I want to be the #1 center back. That has always been my mentality. That will never change.”
Three familiar faces that won MLS Cup in 2017 are back in Colorado to reaffirm this team’s defensive reputation. The front office is out to prove that what they’ve built since the Kellyn Acosta acquisition has worked. Drew Moor has returned to give back to the club that gave and meant so much to him.
The opening game of the season can’t get here soon enough.
