LAKEWOOD — The Colorado Rapids have signed forward and fourth-round draft pick Dominique Badji after acquiring him in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft as the 67th overall pick.
It’s been a whirlwind 2015 for the former Boston University striker, who graduated early in December, then went to the MLS combine in January.
“We saw Dominique in the MLS Player Combine, and he performed well,” coach Pablo Mastroeni said in a statement. “We thought he could bring something to the group. Once he settled in with us, he really found his game and showed his qualities.”
Badji received high marks at the combine, and many believe the Senegalese striker only slipped as far as the fourth round because he requires an international roster spot. Terms of his deal with the club were not disclosed.
Days after the MLS SuperDraft, Badji was off to Colorado in hopes of earning a contract.
“You don’t really have time to adjust, you just kind of have to hit the ground running,” Badji told The Denver Post. “But, (MLS) is everything I expected. The level of play is a lot faster, everybody is a lot stronger, smarter, but I’m fitting in, I’m enjoying it.”
Badji, listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, was born in Senegal and appeared in 69 games for BU, starting in 64. He had 22 goals and nine assists in 5,093 minutes played. As a senior in 2014, he led BU to its first conference championship since 2009 with eight goals and four assists. He was named the Patriot League offensive player of the year.
He impressed the Rapids during preseason playing as a target striker, gelling nicely with some of Colorado’s key attackers, including Gabriel Torres and Vicente Sanchez.
“It’s nice to play with a lot of guys with experience in the league,” Badji said. “Vicente helps a lot. He talks to me a lot, especially in practice and during the games. I’m still a rookie, I’ve made a lot of mistakes and they’re there to tell me the way it should be done and that’s all you can ask for really.”
Badji also scored in preseason against UNLV and Sporting KC. The goals, he said, were a weight off his shoulders.
“I think that’s the hardest part. From there it should be smooth sailing,” Badji said. “Hopefully there will be more to come.”
