Soccer <\/p>\n
From his breakthrough as a Philadelphia Union<\/a> homegrown player in 2021 to his time with the US men’s national team<\/a>, Paxten Aaronson<\/a> is no stranger to the spotlight.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n But Aaronson, who joined the Colorado Rapids<\/a> last summer on a Designated Player deal, knows he’s not yet the finished product.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 22-year-old, who arrived last summer from German Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt, detailed his mindset on Off the Ball<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It was just that initial feeling of the things that [Colorado] could offer me to not only better my career, but better who I am as a person,” Aaronson said, “and really grow in things that I haven’t been able to grow in with my short career \u2013 like leadership, being a big guy on the field, taking that pressure and how can I make the most of myself?<\/p>\n “What Colorado offered me in that sense was, I think, the best that I could get.”\u00a0<\/p>\n Aaronson will look to demonstrate that growth in Colorado’s biggest match yet this year: a Matchday 8 showdown against Lionel Messi<\/a> and Inter Miami CF<\/a> on Saturday afternoon (4:30 pm ET |\u00a0Apple TV<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Rapids welcome the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions to Empower Field at Mile High, the 76,000-plus-seat venue that’s home to the NFL’s Denver Broncos.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n