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Byline: Jon DeStefano

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Rich Levine, the new General Manager of Colorado's new Major League Soccer team, the Colorado Rapids. Rich comes to Colorado straight from World Cup '94 Marketing, where he served as General Manager and General Counsel. Rich brings with him to Colorado not only a sterling reputation amongst the national soccer community, but also his wife Kim and three children, Michelle, Miriam and Jesse. Here's what Rich has to say.

Jon DeStefano: Let's start with the big picture. Tell me about Major League Soccer (MLS).

Rich Levine: Major League Soccer is an outgrowth of the World Cup '94 mission. With World Cup we had two goals: first, to host the best World Cup in history, and second, to leave a lasting legacy for soccer in the United States. The World Cup showed everyone that, given the chance, U.S. players can compete with the best players in the world, and that, given the chance, the fans would embrace that quality of play. Major League Soccer is the fulfillment of our World Cup goal to leave a legacy of top-caliber soccer to players, coaches and fans in the United States.

To me, the most critical aspect is that we are "Major," and in that regard we are pleased to have been selected by USSF and FIFA as the only Division I soccer league in this country. We have begun signing the players and coaches to prove that we deserve Division I stature, and are indeed Major League Soccer. MLS players such as Alexi Lalas, Tab Ramos and Jorge Campos, all of whom have played at top levels internationally, will provide fans what they expect-exciting soccer at its very best.

JD: What do you hope to see MLS bring to Colorado?

RL: We really have several goals (no pun intended). Of course, we want to join the ranks of the Rockies, Nuggets and Broncos so that soccer fans can enjoy their sport in the best possible light, as fans of baseball, basketball and football can already.

But as important as our success at Mile High Stadium will be, we want to become an integral part of both the soccer community and the community at large. We see ourselves reaching out to the organized youth and adult soccer leagues through coach and player appearances and clinics. We'd like to lend ourselves to fundraising efforts in support of important local causes such as inner-city youth development and support for underprivileged children.

Our team, the Colorado Rapids, is owned by Phil Anschutz, and Mr. Anschutz has made it clear that each member of this team, be they player, coach or manager, should work as hard to contribute to our local community as we do to win games on the field. That's what we intend to do.

JD: Rich, tell me a bit more about the MLS league structure.

RL: We are launching the Inaugural MLS season with 10 teams. There are two Conferences: first, the Western Conference comprised of Denver, Los Angeles, San Jose, Kansas City and Dallas. We will play each of these teams four times during the regular season. In the Eastern Conference, there are teams in Columbus, Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., and Tampa. We play each of those teams three times, and one of them four times.

JD: How many games are there going to be in the season, and when will you play?

RL: Our regular season runs from early April to late September. Our final schedule is now being set by the league, but we do know we will play 32 games in our regular season, 16 of these on our home turf at Mile High Stadium. We will also play at least two exhibition games during that time frame at home. These games will likely involve international teams from outside our league. The top four teams in each Conference advance to the MLS Playoff series, which consists of two rounds (each round is a best-of-three series) followed by our Championship match.

In scheduling our games, we are paying close attention to the existing schedules of organized soccer. We want to avoid conflicts with existing soccer schedules, if at all possible. I expect you will see most of our games played on weekends, predominantly on Saturday evenings and/or Sunday afternoons, as well as some mid-week games, probably played on Wednesday evenings. If possible, I'd like to see the mid-week games during the summer, when kids are not in regular school session.

JD: Can you tell me about the player pool? How deep is the talent?

RL: Our talent pool is tremendous. On Oct. 17 we will be announcing a new round of player acquisitions, but already we have secured contracts with the likes of Alexi Lalas, Tab Ramos, Tony Meola, Hugo Sanchez and Jorge Campos, to name a few. We are going after the top U.S. players from the National Team and the Olympic Team, as well as players who have shown great promise and talent in the A-League, CISL, USISL and NPSL. We will also recruit about 25% of our talent pool from the ranks of foreign players. This diversity and depth will bring us the quality and excitement we want to see on the field.

JD: How about ticket prices? What will it cost to see these matches?

RL: Our tickets are affordable, and a good value. Season ticket prices range from about $10 to $20 per seat. We not only plan to showcase great soccer, but our fans can expect a festive atmosphere at each game, with music, interactive skill centers, and ample opportunities to meet their favorite players.

In setting ticket prices, the single largest factor for us is to cover player salaries. If we want to attract the best talent, we have to match the salaries paid by the top leagues in Italy, Germany, England and South America. So, in this way, it really is up to the American soccer fans to tell us if they want to see "World Class" soccer here in the U.S. I think we're ready. The ticket prices compare favorably to our counterparts in other major league sports.

JD: I've heard you call our team the "Rapids." Is that official now? How did that name get selected?

RL: Well, no one was supposed to know before our announcement on the 17th, but you heard it first, and now it must be official.

Yes, we're the Colorado Rapids. We wanted a new name: a name that reflected our pride in Colorado's natural beauty and that conveyed the excitement of soccer. A rapid is unstoppable, raging water meeting immovable rocks in a great and beautiful collision of elements. That's the kind of excitement and beauty I want to see on the field. Come see the Rapids-you'll be swept away.

JD: Rich, what about the soccer clubs? Do you plan to reach out to them?

RL: Absolutely. These clubs serve as places where our youth as well as others can develop their athletic talents, and enjoy theselves cooperating with their teammates and competing with their rivals.

In the coming months, we plan to meet with representatives of every single club in this State to try to reach out in support of their activities. We will offer the opportunity to participate in coach and player clinics with our team. At our games, we will offer instructional facilities where club teams can gather before the game and at halftime to discuss the play and strategy they see on the field.

In fact, in our first ticket offering for every "Founders Club" season ticket package purchased, we are offering a scholarship donation of $15 to the club specified by the Founder. We know what the support of the clubs will mean to our success, and we intend to return that support in full measure every step of the way.

JD: In terms of your activities between now and April, what do you have left to accomplish?

RL: Between now and April we have some exciting milestones to meet. Right now I'm working on some very important player issues. I expect that within the next few weeks we will announce out selection for Coach and Assistant Coach. We will also be announcing the placement of a few marquee players on the Rapids squad.

There will be a tryout for local players, probably before the year is out. Then, in February we have our player draft. After that, we have training and practices leading up to our Inaugural season. These are exciting times for soccer in Colorado, and throughout the United States. Every morning when I wake up, I'm happy to see these days are here at last for soccer.

JD: Rich, good luck with everything you're trying to do with this new team. Thanks for speaking with us.

RL: Thank you, Jon. I enjoyed it.