ROLE	Right Fullback
SQUAD STATUS	Homegrown Prospect
KEY 2019 STATS	318 min; 1 G; 2.3 interceptions/90
OVERALL GRADE	B

Season in a Sentence

The youngest first team signee in Rapids history put in over three hundred MLS minutes in a season that, while not always ideal, still exceeded expectations.

Performance Review

Sebastian Anderson was thrown to the wolves in his first appearance with the Rapids, a 1-0 road defeat to Eastern Conference giants Atlanta United at the end of April. It was the sole road match I witnessed in person on the season, but Anderson impressed me as he was forced to defend attack after attack from Ezequiel Barco and Hector Villalba on the right flank. Though he repelled several efforts, United broke through in 74th minute after Anderson was overrun.

The duality of his debut mirrored his other most memorable performance on the year where he scored a “goal” against New York City F.C. before unceremoniously exiting the game less than a half hour later on a tackle that saw red.

Despite these errors, I think what Anderson provided on the season absolutely met expectations for the youngest player ever signed to the first team. It’s expected that these kinds of mistakes will happen every once in awhile when you commit to developing young players.

Future Expectations

With Keegan Rosenberry’s iron-like grip on the right back position, it might be difficult for Anderson to vie for consistent first team minutes. Expect the homegrown to split time in 2020 between the Rapids and Colorado Springs as he seeks to hone his abilities.

In signing Anderson on a deal that includes an option year for 2024, the Rapids made it clear that Anderson is in their long-term development plans. The responsibility lies now in their hands to see that he becomes an important asset to the club in the future.

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Image Credit: Colorado Rapids