Hello Colorado Rapids fans. Here is the second episode of Memories From Toronto. This week, Red speaks to right back Kosuke Kimura. We discuss his soccer origins growing up in Japan. Get ready for a wild story of how he annoyed an embassy and gamed the SAT to get into college soccer at Western Illinois.
We learn about his style of play as one of the first modern fullbacks in MLS and how he won his individual matchups. There’s that story, rumor, myth(?) how he and Quincy Amarikwa bought a fishing boat and hid at DSGP. Kosuke has some interesting and stoic takes on his teammates from that 2010 team. He talks about so many matchups against quality wingers that he got the best of. His #27 has special meaning related to that.
We get to the bottom of that goal in the Eastern Conference Final. Then of course there’s extra time of the final where he had to play two positions with the Rapids down a man. Get ready for more Jair BenÃtez hate.
Then we discuss the fallout from 2011, the end of his playing career, and how he reunited with Gary Smith in Nashville.