Reporting For Duty

Today was the Rapids' report day for the official start of the 2009 preseason.

Players will have a team dinner tonight and then take their physicals tomorrow. This Wed., Jan. 28 will be the players' first day on the pitch; hopefully there won't be a repeat of this morning's blizzard on the fields complex at Dick's Sporting Goods Park!

Starting on Thursday, Gary Smith’s squad will be starting two-a-day training sessions. All training sessions during the 2009 preseason and regular season are closed to the public.

Here is a look at the Rapids' preseason roster as of today:

Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (FWD), Mehdi Ballouchy (MID), Preston Burpo (GK), Conor Casey (FWD), Steward Ceus (GK), Colin Clark (MID), Nico Colaluca (MID), Terry Cooke (MID), Omar Cummings (FWD), Greg Dalby (MID), John DiRaimondo (MID), Kevin Forrest (FWD), Cory Gibbs (DEF), Christian Gomez (MID), Mike Graczyk (GK), Brian Grazier (MID), Ty Harden (DEF), Jordan Harvey (DEF), Mike Holody (DEF), Justin Hughes (GK), Ugo Ihemelu (DEF), Henry Kalungi (DEF), Stephen Keel (DEF), Kosuke Kimura (DEF), Nick LaBrocca (MID), Pablo Mastroeni (MID), Ciaran O’Brien (MID), Jacob Peterson (MID), Matt Pickens (GK), Kwame Sarkodie (DEF), Ross Schunk (FWD), Jordan Seabrook (FWD), Chris Sharpe (GK), Cesar Zambrano (DEF)

Additional tryout players will be brought in throughout the course of training camp as well.

Some noticeable names missing from this year’s preseason roster are Jose Burciaga Jr., Bouna Coundoul, Facundo Erpen and Tom McManus. Burciaga Jr. and Coundoul are both out of contract, while the Rapids declined to pick up the contract option for the 2009 season for both Erpen and McManus. Two others that were on the Rapids '08 roster not returning are Mike Petke and Tim Ward, who both were waived in late November. Petke has since signed with the New York Red Bulls.

The Rapids will train at home the next two weeks before traveling to Ft. Lauderdale for a seven-day camp environment in Florida.

Reporting For Duty