Matt Wells: 'Win everything except the Fair Play Award' at Colorado Rapids

Matt Wells has taken his first head coach role with the Colorado Rapids after spells as an assistant at Tottenham under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Scott Parker. He set the tone in preseason, shouting at players during a friendly to give them "very clean feedback," and believes his aggressive style can lift a talented but inconsistent side back into the playoffs.

Wells wants the Rapids to be the proactive team on the pitch, aiming to dominate possession, pressing, both boxes, set plays, transition moments and momentum. Calling himself a philosophy coach, he used a long preseason, double sessions and intense drills to embed those principles, pairing the eye test with data analysis and individual feedback.

Zack Steffen called the approach "just intense," praising Wells' demand for a strong mentality. At the centre of Colorado's hopes is Paxten Aaronson, a club-record signing whose deal could reach up to $8.5 million.

matt wells, colorado rapids, head coach, preseason, pressing, possession, paxten aaronson, club record, zack steffen, playoffs