The Rapids Undercurrent

Undercurrent & ColoradoRapids.com Update

2010-08-23T13:41:00.006-06:00

Hey Rapids fans (and others that visit this blog) –

As some of you may have noticed, we’ve been moving away from providing updates on the Rapids Undercurrent blog to communicating with fans via the team’s social media sites, Facebook and Twitter, as well as through the club's official website, ColoradoRapids.com.

These sites allow us to provide fans with news and nuggets on the team while allowing fans to provide feedback and opinions as they could have on the Undercurrent.

Many are aware of the challenges that MLS and the teams faced with the launch of the new internet network earlier this year – and to some extent are still facing. It was originally expected that teams would have a blog functionality on their sites (like DC has). While this still may happen at some point, the blog feature has taken a back seat to other elements that teams prioritized.

That said, the Rapids official site continues to make progress on other fronts.

Last week, the roster page and team stats pages were finally added, so visitors are no longer re-directed to MLSsoccer.com to get this information. We still have a bit of work to do to update and make the player bios more current and uniform, which we're working on.

Other new features are the Facebook comment and ‘Like’ options and the Twitter button on every article that is published on the site, allowing fans to quickly comment on any story and share the story with others, similar to what some used the blog for.

A new module has also been added to the front page - the Recommendations box, which has replaced the Rapids Undercurrent blog space. Through this, fans can quickly see which stories others ‘recommend,’ which they do so when they like, share, or comment on a story.

Moving forward, we’ll continue keeping fans updated on the Rapids via the team’s Facebook and Twitter sites, as well as with original content on ColoradoRapids.com.

We will consider bringing back the Undercurrent down the road if and when the blog functionality is available to be added to the main site, if it makes sense to do so (technology can sometimes make one to adjust how things are done).

Thanks again for your patience, for keeping up on the Rapids and sharing your opinions, and for your continued support of the team.

If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas that you’d like for us to consider for our digital platforms, please send via email to: RapidsDigital at dsgpark.com.

Thanks,

German

German Sferra
Director, Digital Media
Colorado Rapids

Find the Jumbo Jabulani

2010-07-07T09:02:00.003-06:00

For the past month, the Colorado Rapids and a handful of local bars have come together to show every match of the 2010 World Cup. Today, tomorrow and Friday the Colorado Rapids will be releasing pictures of the Jumbo adidas Jabulani ball hiding out at these Official Viewing Locations (see full list here).

Check back to the Rapids Twitter page ( http://twitter.com/RapidsSoccer) regularly so that you do not miss your chance to win! When you see a twitpic posted of the Jumbo Jabulani reply @rapidssoccer and tell us which partner bar you think it is at.

The Colorado Rapids will randomly select a winner from those who guessed correctly. The winner will be announced at the Rapids World Cup Final Street Party on Sunday, and he or she will go home with the Jumbo Jabulani!

Street Party Details:

Sunday, July 11

Kick-off is at 12:30pm MT - But fans are encouraged to arrive early, as the Rapids are expecting a crowd of 2,000+

British Bulldog

2052 Stout Street, Denver

303.295.7974

For more street party details, click here

Time to return...

2010-06-29T01:41:00.005-06:00

It's been a couple of days since the U.S. lost to Ghana 2-1 in the second round of the 2010 World Cup. It was time some of us needed to get over the disappointment, yet, hopefully, look positively at soccer in the U.S.

I was at the game, and from the stands, one could tell is was not like any of the previous three games. The U.S. had played England at this stadium two weeks earlier, so we kind of knew that the stadium did not lend itself to much emotion, at least in our view.

No need to go into the details of the effort it took to get to the stadium or to get out (debacle!), but I can tell you that it's a beat down. We had faced it two weeks ago, so we made sure to avoid some of the issues by arriving five hours before kickoff. NOTE: you can't park cars at ANY of the World Cup stadium, so you're left with utilizing the means provided by the local venue.

We met even more fans this time that were either stuck in traffic, in the long bus lines at the park n rides, or lost. Some fans were already walking in stressed, and then you notice that there is no one section of the stadium where a large majority of USA supporters are placed. Instead, everyone is spread out - unlike the Slovenia or Algeria game, where U.S. supporters filled in entires sections side-by-side.

Our Colorado group, sitting in the corner behind the goal where the goals where scored, tried to lead the chants and cheers, but the feeling in the stands was not there from the onset. It wasn’t loud – there weren’t enough fans to help spread the fun. And, there were so many fans supporting Ghana.

The crew that carries the big USA flag, often at the center of the fun, was sitting across the stadium in the first half. They saw our sections effort and found their way to our corner for the second half. It helped, but in the end I think we were all just spent.

When the U.S. tied the game, there wasn’t a new level or raised excitement. It was not the euphoria that you may expect, or that quite possibly you felt by watching it on TV. There was something missing in the stadium this day. Fans in general felt as tired as the players looked in that last overtime period. We had given it out all.

Many stayed to applaud the players. We made our way from row to row, section to section saying goodbye to so many that we'd seen at all four games. Fans of most MLS teams, that had traveled from all over the U.S., began to know us as the Colorado crew, because at least one us always had a Rapids' beanies or jerseys or sweatshirts on.

The taste of defeat is often shocking, for some reason. We had never discussed the U.S. winning the World Cup, but we were disappointed and sad when the game ended.

Why is that? Maybe because we still came to South Africa, thinking what if? Or because of the run the U.S. had that gave us optimism? Or maybe because of how positive the world seemed to be talking about soccer from the U.S. Or maybe because we just didn’t want the fun to end.

It doesn't end. The Rapids and British Bulldog will host another street party for the World Cup final on July 11, and I'm looking forward to being there (and at other partner bars for the Quarterfinals and semis). We'll all have another chance to come together again and remember how fun this ride was, and realize how bright the present and future of soccer is in Denver and throughout the U.S.

Witness to the drama!

2010-06-24T13:07:00.004-06:00

Where do I begin; or better, how do I begin to explain what it was like to be in the stadium yesterday to witness the USA’s 1-0 win over Algeria.

It was game day, and the game was being played in our temporary hometown – a 15-minute walk.

Three hours before kickoff, I was already antsy. I wanted to get out to Hatfield Square to see how fans were arriving; check out the atmosphere hours before kickoff. Two of us took off while the rest of the crew applied the facepaint and otherwise prepped.

We walk on the street that borders Hatfield Square – it’s been closed off to traffic. The pedestrians – all Algerians!

I don’t know how it was coordinated, but the hundreds of Algerian walking the street were dressed almost exactly the same: in a white jersey and green sweatpants. They waved flags as they walked around chanting in their language. We understood the words Washington and Algerie – that’s it.

We decide to walk towards the stadium in search of what for sure had to be a large group of American fans, somewhere.

On our way we stop at a bar and see the first Americans fans, quietly eating at a couple of tables. This was definitely not the scene I had anticipated, and it was bit concerning given that it was only two hours from kickoff.

We begin to see more Americans flags as we approach the stadium, but not too many. We spot ABC / ESPN / Univision crews on the street. We also notice the raised level of police presence – and watch how closely cops are looking for scalpers.

Walking a little further, we find a shopping plaza with a restaurant that hosts about 200 hundred decked-out American fans. Finally!

We catch up with the rest of the group – they had all been at Hatfield Square for the past hour, and tell us it was a boring environment. We walk in to Loftus Versfeld Stadium about 30 minutes from kickoff, wondering how this crowd will look.

Coming out of the tunnel into the stands, we’re realize we’re in a sea of red, white, and blue. There are so many Americans, all already loud and ready.

The U.S. National Anthem comes on and from above a large U.S. flag begins to be unrolled down from row to row. We’re now under this 20’ by 40’ foot flag, singing the anthem louder than can be imagined - joined by the other thousands of neighboring American fans.

The chanting starts before kickoff. “USA, USA, USA…USA, USA, USAAAAA…USA, USA, USA, U.S.Aaaa, U.S. Aaaaa.”

We breathe a sigh of relief when Algeria hits the crossbar in the first minutes.

“Oh when the Yanks, go marching in. Oh when the Yanks, go marching in.”

We grab our faces and hold our heads when they call back Dempsey’s goal.

One guys pulls up the England score on his phone – they are winning, and we need them to tie.

We briefly sit down in amazement when Dempsey’s shot hits the post, and his rebound is wide.

“Stand up, for the USA. Stand Up, for the USA. Stand up, for the USA, stand up, for the USA!!”

We’ve had so many chances, but it’s not going in.

We look at each other, that look that says we’re all thinking the same thing: it could be one of those days where the ball just won’t go in.

We don’t stop, and neither does anyone in the entire section. We yell louder, making sure everyone can hear us. Our group has loud voices: what we start is quickly picked up and spreads through the section. The vuvuzelas have nothing on us today!

We’re in stoppage time, but the energy the players are showing makes the crowd stay strong and loud. We sense it. There's still a level of confidence that it CAN happen.

Tim Howard catches a soft shot, and we see Landon take off down the right. Howard hits him in stride, like a quarterback to wide receiver. Landon’s first touch advances the ball. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey are right next to him. It’s a counter attack that has so much promise.

The chanting stops, it’s now quiet, it seems.

Landon passes right to Jozy, who enters the box. We couldn’t stand any taller, but try to so by getting on our toes.

Our heads move slowly as the players run by down below. Our eyes see Dempsey running in the middle. Jozy sends cross – which I think is a shot. Dempsey, the keeper, and a defender collide. Everything is in slow motion.

The ball is sitting 10 feet away from the keeper, who is on the ground. From the stands, we all think we can reach it to knock it in. Landon is there, and neatly touches it in the back of the net.

Hysteria in the stands. We have no idea how the player celebrated. A brief look at the assistant and central refs, and it looked like the goal stood. Did we really just see this?

Our group ends up rows apart – jumping up and down the entire section. Someone grabbed me from behind and gave me a massive bear hug. I have no idea who he was. I actually see an older American male crying two rows behind - he couldn’t even scream, couldn't believe this just happened. Tears of joy. The little kids in front of us were hugging each other. It's just a reaction - you do whatever comes to you to celebrate. You lose your head in emotion and joy!

We miss the final three minutes, just going crazy. Waving whatever we have up high, chanting, singing. Some just can’t. They can only hold their heads, mouths closed. Yes, you just witnessed that, I try to tell a few.

For the next 45 minutes, you would think the USA won the World Cup – it was so awesome to look around and see the madness, and be part of it. Three quarters of the stadium had emptied, but the U.S. fans remained in the stands. We see the players on the field looking up at the big screen watching the replay. They come over to the sidelines and give their routine waves and appreciation to. I wondered how cool the stands had to look to the players.

We see some fans from Colorado, evident with the big state flag they are waving, and stop for photos. After some 30 minutes of celebrating in a near empty stadium, fans begin to walk out. But, most stopped on the concourse – thousands, it appeared.

Our group, many who have been to many world cups, looked on from the side, smiling. To see so many American fans – and celebrating like the biggest soccer countries in the world – it was something to step back from and notice once again how far soccer in the U.S. has come. It was, just amazing.

Ellis Park, USA Game Two

2010-06-20T01:50:00.006-06:00

Our group with the two local kids entering the USA vs. Slovenia game.

---------------------------------------------

With USA gear on, we depart Petroria for Johannesburg, an hour drive to Ellis Park for the USA vs. Slovenia game. We've all seen the horrible call at the end of the game by now, so what follows is about the gameday experience, rather than the game action.

Since we had two cars, we agree to follow the signs to the Park n Ride near Ellis Park - it's a place where we can park our cars and take the free shuttles to the stadium. The highway ride is pleasant, meaning no traffic, but the smoke that is visible as we approach Johannesburg is amazing. The dry grass on the side of the highway and internal areas is literally on fire – we can see the flames, but can’t react fast enough with the cameras.

On one left turn, we find ourselves in a very different environment. We are on a street that I expected to see much earlier. So many locals had advised us against driving in neighborhoods that look like this, so you can imagine what goes through your mind when you’re driving through it.

A few blocks away, traffic slows as we near the stadium, and we are approached by no less than 30 people trying to get us to park on the hills and open spaces they are creating on the side of the road. No one seems official, and the number of people that approach our cars asking us to follow them to a spot is a bit intimidating. And, most of them are wearing different colored 'vests', some of which say security or guard and / or are ripped or faded.

We kept driving and eventually settled on a Park N Walk location, run by the city's World Cup organization. Once parked we enjoy a celebratory beverage and then begin our walk to the stadium.

It's possibly one of the cooler strolls I've taken to a game, through a neighborhood street in Johannesburg, South Africa. Houses on this street did not have electronic wires protecting their front yards. Instead, they had people grilling and selling all kinds of meat for those of us walking by.

A woman and child are holding up a hand-written sign inviting us to their school - which was turned into a bar to raise money.

A little further down, a larger group of little kids are cheering "USA, USA, USA," as we approach. They want pictures, and so do we.

Everyone we pass waves and say "hello," or "good luck." Some approach and ask how we like Africa. It's a bit touching to feel such love from a place that others had described to us as dangerous.

The final block to the stadium was filled with vendor tents and tables, selling all kinds of food and gifts. In a twist from other games, we actually had an extra ticket to this match from a buddy that couldn't make it. We see two little kids playing by their family's vendor tent and we want to try get them in the game. We see another American fan holding up one ticket, so we ask if he'd be willing to give it up so we could offer both kids a ticket to the game. The guy didn't want to.

A few minutes later, we see one of the little kids running from the tent and towards us, waving a ticket. It set us up perfectly to give our spare ticket to his relative / friend. If you could only have seen how big their eyes got when we asked if they wanted our extra ticket. They quickly run back to their family and then join us at the turn style.

Once inside we pose for a photo, the two kids only saying "too much" when we ask if they are excited. They can't contain their excitement and make a dash into the stadium. We find other friends and take up 10 standing spots in the top rows of the lower level.

There are many, many American fans in this section. We can see when arms are raised but can't hear what is being said - the vuvuzelas drown out any attempt to have unified singing.

When it appeared the U.S. tied the game, we all ended up all over the place, hugging and high-fiving everyone within a ten-row area. Within 30 seconds, we realized it had been taken away, no one with a clue as to why.

The comeback over and a point secured. We pose for many photos - with other Americans, with Slovenias, and with many African fans. Our return to the car allowed to stop back at the school, and order more food from the street vendors. We had just watched a great game. We believe we made two little kids very happy. It was a great experience.

The Annoying Vuvuzelas

2010-06-19T03:14:00.004-06:00

If you've been watching or reading anything about the World Cup, you surely have an opinion about the vuvuzelas, the trumpets that are now a symbol of South Africa and this World Cup.

I'm going to take a minute to give my rant of this annoying instrument, from an in-stadium perspective (we've somewhat learned to tune them out when watching a game on TV, but it's much different in the stadium).

I've been to many soccer games around the world, and one of the aspects of the games I enjoy most are the fans: how they dress, celebrate, cheer, chant, sing. At this World Cup, any attempt at song by fans is almost completely killed by the sound of the horns, which, in my opinion, don't add any flavor to the atmosphere.

We've been to four games this week, and we've seen fans of the participating countries representing their colors in good numbers. We can see them jump around, pump their fists, wave their flags. But we can't hear them, even if they are only one section away. It's unlike any of the recent World Cups, where it felt like the section could be heard from across the stadium.

You're left hoarse after a game, as much for the attempted cheering as by trying to talk to the person next to you. I understand it's a popular way to enjoy a game down here. I just wish that for even short stretches of a game they would stop to allow the visiting fans to enjoy the game as they know how.

The Argentina game

2010-06-18T02:24:00.007-06:00

After a failed attempt at scalping tickets for the South Africa vs Uruguay game that was right down the street, we moved on to our next attempt.

On Thursday morning, we drive down to Johannesburg to try to watch the Argentina vs. South Korea game at the new Soccer City stadium.

The hour-long trip takes longer because there is so much traffic. There is clearly an attempt being made by everyone to make the game experience smooth. However some things we may take for granted, stand out here.

For instance, signage. You can follow a sign to the stadium – but once off the exit ramp, and with the option of turning left or right, you may not see another stadium sign again, so you guess.

Or, as happened to us, when one traffic police person tells us to stop at an intersection, and another other across the way is waving us to drive. We’re stuck in the middle of a decision, watching the two argue.

We park in a casino parking lot and approach the police at the end of the road to ask for walking directions to the stadium. ALL of them tell us no: "it’s too far and too dangerous." We walk to the free shuttle buses about a block away and are on our way, arriving at the stadium 45 minutes from kickoff.

It’s really the first facility I’ve seen that has World Cup written all over it. It’s the size of any large stadium in the U.S., with huge parking lots and long sidewalks that lead up to it. It’s also far from anything, it appears, so the transport buses keep driving in unloading passengers.

After a few photos, two of us tickets at face value from a Canadian guy that is decked out in Argentina gear. Three of the guys find tickets, and then we get the final missing pair. With 30 minutes to go, we're all!

My seats were actually great, right at about midfield and high up. An awesome view of the field. We see the two huge flags the Korean unveil during their anthem. Amazing. One flag was at least 55 yards wide.

There are a ton of Argentines in the stadium, most attempting to start the popular songs and chants. It’s unfortunate that there are so many vuvuzelas that drown out any such attempt at a normal soccer chant. Still, at one point, the Argentines fight through and can be heard. The loud ones are mostly downstairs.

Halfway through the first half, one of our crew texts us to let us know there are plenty of seats around him. We join them at halftime, in the corner of the lower level, in the middle of a large group of Argentines.

There are many “No Smoking” signs in the stadium, but apparently that means nothing in this section. These Argentines don’t sit, and exact seat locations are also a meaningless thing – this makes it easy for us to jump in. We notice the Boca Jr. flag - hard not to notice since it's about 20 feet long.

Before I made it down there, some of the rowdier fans approached my buddies and asked them to pay some money. Really. After denying the 'request,' the Argentines in front of my friends turned and said, "You're lucky this is the World Cup, because if you say no to those hooligans in Argentina, there would be trouble." Incredible!

The second half is underway, and soon it starts...

“Vamos, vamos, Argentina. Vamos, Vamos, a ganar.” I’m jumping around pumping hands in the air, as are the other three.

“Se mueva para aca, se mueve para alla.” (And we move over here, and we move over there)…And we hop a few places to the right, then back to the left.

“Es un sentimiento, no puedo parar!” (It’s a feeling, I cannot contain)…singing non-stop as we waive anything in a circular motion high up.

As I jump around and watch the game, I have flashbacks to 1994, when my parents took brothers, sister, and me to Boston for the three Argentina World Cup games. The irony to look to my side and have three American buddies standing in their places, enjoying their first Argentina game as we I did back then.

Africa Unite!

2010-06-14T11:33:00.005-06:00

We wake up on Sunday morning and had already made plans to attend the Ghana versus Serbia game, which was being played at Loftus Versveld Stadium, about a 10 minute walk from where we are staying.

The World Cup stadium have a lot of security around them. The streets are blocked in a big perimeter, so even walking around a stadium can be a long journey, as we found out.

It's a walk worth taken, we thought, because as you walk around you see the colors of the teams and fans excited to show their support.

We walk in and see that we are smack in the middle of what in our eyes is an awesome section of Ghana fans. We're talking drums, huge hats, bright colors, costumes, dancing, swaying - non-stop. At halftime, about 3-4 rows walk down the the field level, where a barrier separates a walkway from the field. This is great, because they allow the fans to march around the field. It's hard to explain how cool it looked, and sounded.

We ask and are accepted to jump in and celebrate with them. Ghana scored on a penalty kick late in the game, and we're in the middle of a massive party.

The South African's we meet are also behind Ghana. It's about uniting Africa, we are told.

Rustenburg - Royal Bafokeng Stadium

2010-06-13T11:03:00.000-06:00

On Friday, upon landing, we found out at an airport info booth that there were buses scheduled to take fans from Petroria to Rustenburg for the USA vs England game. A nice lady at the info booth had requested we call her cell phone to set it up once we were ready.

We called her on Saturday morning. She takes our names, and tells us to be at the Petroria City Hall for the 3 pm bus, and that a man named Andrew would have our tickets for the bus.

We show up and there is a trailer parked at the Hall that says something along the lines of World Cup Transport. Inside, on a card table, a person hand writes our receipts that indicate we've paid for the bus tickets. Change is given from a person's pocket, not a register. It's all very interesting to me - no computers or high tech anything, but functional.

We are also told that the bus would not leaving at 3, but rather at 3:40. Shortly after boarding with maybe 20 other people, we're told that we'll be waiting until 4:30 to depart, but are reassured that the driver "he will fly," and we'll get to the stadium by 6:30, two hours before kickoff.

A little over an hour into the drive, we realize that the traffic on the one-lane highway will make it impossible for us to arrive by 6:30. We also see our first sunset. Pretty incredible.

Cars were not only passing us on the right, but also from the shoulder. Enough on the drive. We pull up to the stadium about 40 minutes before kickoff, write down the license plates, and begin a fast walk to gates.

We pass one security stop point, then a place where they tear the bottom of your ticket, and finally through a metal detector and ticket scan. Now inside the stadium, we each go to our respective gates since we have seats in different spots: three together, two together, and two on our own, including me.

I'm down low, three rows from the track, in a corner behind the U.S. goal, and, with English fans in front, to my right, and behind me. It was a bit lonely to be a U.S. fan in this seat, especially when I could see the larger contingency of USA fans off to my right and a few rows behind.

I heard some interesting chants when England scored first. And when Dempsey evened it up, I turned to realize those immediately around me were not in the mood to high five.

At halftime I walked across five sections worth of rows, and made it to the upper deck, where I find three of our crew. Another guy, also sitting on his own and in a similar situation, spots me and also joins us. We explain to the other US supporters were we were sitting, and they tell us to stay in this section. They'll make room.

When the game ends, the New York / New Jersey crew that brings that huge U.S. flag takes it out and I'm underneath it. When we take it down, we realize that almost all the English fans have left the stadium, and realize how many American fans were there. To our right, left, below, way up in the upper deck. All singing and chanting. The U.S. players walked to each section and clapped high in appreciation.

We begin to walk out and in the concourse, a large group of U.S. fans had gathered to continue their chants. Pictures are being taken from all sides. The party continues outside, as everyone begins to walk to their cars.

We see and greet MLS Commissioner Don Garber and U.S.A Bid Committee Executive Director David Downs. They know Denver was represented!

South Africa, first view...

2010-06-12T03:30:00.005-06:00

I've made it to South Africa. It was a long flight, about 3.5 hours from Denver to New York, and then 14.5 hours from New York to Johannesburg.

When you arrive in South Africa, you immediately notice all the signs and ads that make sure you know this is the home of the World Cup. As you walk past customs, you are greeted by the obnoxiously loud sound of the famed vuvuzelas - the plastic trumpet horns that in many ways are a symbol of South Africa. No pictures can describe what it's like to hear this droning and monotonous sound.

I think every country's fans is represented at the airport, with Mexico and Brazil fans being the two that most stood out. (Algeria fans in photo).

We wait a few hours and meet two friends that flew in on two other flights, rent our car and drive to our lodge in nearby Petroria, where we meet up with the other three guys that made it here the day before. The lodge is new and appears to be in a really nice neighborhood, and then you notice that all the houses and lodges have electric wire fences above the walls in their front yards. We are a few blocks from the Iraq Embassy, among others.

The FIFA ticket center is in a mall, where we go to claim our tickets. After an hour wait, much patience is required as one of the guys is told his tickets can't be claimed. It appears they had some glitch - so a short while later and after a bit of nervousness it's all figured out.

There is at least one person selling South Africa flags at every corner, it seems. You see the flag or at least the colors on just about every car driving around. South Africa was about to kick off the tournament against Mexico at 4:30 pm local time, and the streets were buzzing with activity. Everyone was walking around with the yellow jersey on.

We all decide not to battle the crowds at the Fan Fests, so we settle in the TV room at our place. Although Mexico is our neighbor and part of CONCACAF, we decide we would like South Africa to win because we know how cool it is when the host country is winning. When South Africa scored first we could only imagine what it must have been like at a big gathering place. We walk outside to see if we could hear anything, and of course, we could hear the sound of the vuvuzelas. It was like a swarm of bees was hovering.

When the game ends, it's dark outside, yet only 6:30 pm. We now want to watch the second game with others, and wondered where buzzing sound was actually coming from. We find out there was a fan fest not too far from where we are staying. However, when we ask how to get there - walking - we are told it's not a good idea: not safe, was the reason.

I ask more questions, because there has not been one person that has not warned us about safety. It just couldn't be that bad, I thought - but when the locals tell you not to go walking around, it sinks in a bit better. The lady at the front desk further explained, in a soft and matter of fact voice, that it's not that they carry guns, but rather they approach you with knives.

She then says that if there are more than three of us going, we should be ok so long as you walk straight to a main road. She tells us that if we go, to only carry a small amount of cash, no cards and definitely not our passports or anything of value. The seven of us nervously begin our walk, following the directions she had given us.

Not too far into the walk we are at ease. It's not that bad. We made it to a small fan-fest like square that had a decently large outdoor screen to watch the Uruguay vs. France match. It was packed with people, mostly South Africans, but also fans of many other countries. We find a spot on a terrace of one of the bars that overlooks the crowd and is directly across from the screen. This is where we perched ourselves for the next few hours.

So here were are on Saturday morning, day two. In a few hours we'll be taking a two-hour bus from Petroria to Rustenburg for tonight's USA v England game. Soccer fans in the U.S. have waited a long time for this day - I hope everyone finds a way to enjoy the game, which if you're not here you will likely do so without the sound of the vuvuzelas.

A Coloradoan in England

2010-06-09T10:28:00.006-06:00

One of the guys that I'll be traveling to South Africa, Brett, is originally from Grand Junction, Colorado, and even spent time working with the Rapids back in the day. Though he now lives in England, he still follows his hometown Rapids and the U.S. National Team.

I asked Brett if he could describe for other Rapids fans what it's like to be a Colorado / USA soccer fan living in England. Below is his story:

====================================

I, like some of you, am preparing to head off to watch the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth…the World Cup.

The excitement is building, and I am counting the days until I can board that big jet plane that will take me to the Dark Continent. While I have been to the last 4 World Cup Finals, coached and played the beautiful game since I was a child, and worked in many capacities in the professional game, I am just like most of you.

This might lead you to wonder why I was asked to write this article, or why you are bothering to read it. Good questions, I must admit. I am a proud member of Sam’s Army, but I will be travelling to South Africa as a force of one surrounded by the enemy. I live in Northern England, the home of soccer and coincidentally our first opponent this Saturday.

I was recently asked how the buildup to the World Cup in England compared to that of the United States. The short answer is: it doesn’t. In fact, it doesn’t compare to anything in the US at all. Every aspect of daily life here now revolves around this amazing quadrennial tournament. To demonstrate this I would like to recount a couple of days last week that truly put things in perspective.

I was walking into to town with my wife and son, and everywhere I looked St. George’s cross was flying high…and I do mean high. The pub where I ended up watching the Mexico v England game has a 30 foot flag adorning the building.

This wasn’t a gradual transition mind you. It was as if there was a traditional English calendar that stated, “Exactly three weeks before the start of the World Cup Finals, all good Englishmen must present their colors”.

It’s as if the entire country began singing along with The Clash to “This is England”. We popped into the Mark’s & Spencer’s, a local grocery store, and they had converted an entire 100’ aisle into an English Supporters Section.

I asked a store clerk, “Um, excuse me. Where did the bread go?”

“Down on aisle 12, I think,” he said. “But we have a lot of England kit here!”

After assuring him that I didn’t really need any new kit, we picked up the groceries and continued down the main shopping street to find a place to have some lunch. Every store we passed had obviously used the same decorator, as that damn red cross was everywhere.

Within three blocks I realized that the entire town had been transformed. The health food store, the cell phone stores, the travel agents, the book stores, the florists, the charity shops…yes, the charity shops all had their windows painted in dragon hating pride. Each of them offering some incentive to cheer the boys to victory.

I probably could have lived the rest of my life without seeing a sign that urged me to “Help beat colon cancer in the spirit of Bobby Moore and England” (Sir Bobby was the captain of the Cup winning English side of 1966 and died of colon cancer). With the health of my colon imbedded in my mind, we continued on our way.

After getting nearly run over by a Peugeot with twin England flags proudly displayed, I was really starting to dislike the damn things. Truth be told, though, I was secretly begrudging of the national pride the country as a whole displayed for the sport I had loved since I was a child.

Returning home, my son wanted to watch some television. I acquiesced, and while scanning the menu was bombarded with a dizzying array of programs: The 20 Greatest Players in World Cup History, The 20 Most Embarrassing Moments of the World Cup. The 30 Greatest Goals in the World Cup…the list went on and on.

Which one to watch?

Of course my son, who was thinking more along the lines of Ben 10, was not amused. The Cartoon Network won out, but not before seeing a commercial that seemed to cement the day’s experiences. It was for a national banking chain and they promised to deposit 25 pounds in every current account if England won the World Cup. Every customer, 25 pounds. That is commitment. I went to bed that night wondering if I should move my checking account.

The next evening, I made my way down to the pub to watch the England vs Mexico game. Due to some very odd scheduling, which was the source of three newspaper articles, the match was on a Monday evening.

Thinking it might be a light crowd I showed up about 20 minutes before kick-off. Bad move. The place was packed, and people had obviously been there for hours. I managed to find a place standing at the bar where I had a view of one the big screens just as the game kicked off. While the game was less than exhilarating, the atmosphere in the pub was electric.

Everywhere around me, there were conversations about the team that Fabio Capello, England’s Italian manager, had put out. When England finally scored their first goal, it was met by a roar, but also a fair amount of cynicism.

That is the thing with English fans. They constantly expect their team to win, but just as often criticize it when they don’t do it with style and panache. At half-time I managed to wander over to a tall table where a spot had opened up, and struck up a conversation with the other residents of the precious real estate. I asked one of the guys what he thought of the game,

“Dreadful” he said. “It’s bloody Mexico, for ........ sake. The only thing they are good at is the Wave”

“Mexico are good team,” I said. “They have advanced to the second round in four straight World Cups.”

“They are crap. They qualify in a weak conference,” he replied.

Sensing a general bias here, I asked, “So you think that Mexico, and the US are only in because they qualify from a weak region?”

“Of course it is…..everyone knows the Yanks can’t play football.”

“But a lot of our players play for clubs in Europe, several in the Premier League.”

“Aye, but none of them are stars. You are a bunch of squad players. You have no one who can deal with Rooney, Lampard, and Gerard.”

Things got a little more contentious when I stated “Andorra did. You only beat them 2-0 and they only have 84,000 people.”

He smiled at that, bought me a beer, and we began arguing about how the English can claim that CONCACAF can be called “weak” when they qualified in group that contained Belarus, Andorra, and Kazakhstan. By then the second half had commenced and England started to look like the English team these 300 crazed and none to sober fans had expected from the outset.

Mexico’s performance was beginning to make my argument look very weak, but I continued the good fight. I even threw out the Holy Grail of Belo Horizonte Brazil where the US beat England 1-0 in 1950. Of course, the battle was lost from the beginning, because I am one of the aforementioned Yanks, and Yanks know nothing about football. Everyone knows that. Except us.
After the game, the mood in the pub was raucous, and I had made a few new friends, sort of. I had at least proven that I knew the game, and that when having a conversation with me you couldn’t take me for granted simply because I was a Yank.

I think the metaphor was lost on them.

I did agree to meet them 5 days later, same time, same place to watch the England vs Japan match. As you can imagine that one was a bit more fun to discuss with the natives. (Japan was winning before scoring two own goals to give England the victory).

Brett

The South Africa Blog - Intro

2010-06-08T15:55:00.007-06:00

The 2010 FIFA World Cup begins on Friday, June 11, and for the next few weeks, I’ll be hoping to provide a first-hand account of what it’s like in South Africa during the world’s biggest sporting event.

Allow me take a few lines (minutes) to give you a little background on who I am, and why you may want to check out this blog.

My name is German, I’m the Director of Digital Media for the Colorado Rapids and an avid soccer (and sports in general) fan.

I know I’m lucky to have this opportunity to attend a World Cup, my fifth consecutive. I consider myself fortunate to do what I do, and I don’t take it for granted. I appreciate that my job is to help grow soccer. I appreciate that I’m part of a group of professionals that get to continuously look for ways to engage our fans while also looking for ways to grow the base.

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re a Rapids / soccer fan. If not, maybe you’re caught up in the buzz that’s been created as World Cup nears.

I’m hoping that the combination of being a Rapids fan and my experiences traveling the world will allow me to give those of you that are not going to South Africa a picture of what the country and tournament is like through my eyes.

I will be joining six friends and friends of friends in Petroria, South Africa. We have plans to attend all the U.S. group stage games and other games in between.

So, in between watching and searching for online details about the event, come back if you want a different read. Leave comments, ask questions, share with others if you’d like.

The Rapids will be hosting viewing parties for all the matches at a bunch of area bars and restaurants. We hope to see many of you at one of these locations throughout the month.

And if you don’t come back to the blog or can’t meet others at one of the viewing locations, we hope that in one way or another you enjoy the tournament that has the power to unite the world.

Rapids partner with Maximized Living Chiropractic

2010-05-27T16:51:00.001-06:00

The Colorado Rapids are proud to announce their partnership with Maximized Living Chiropractic in an ongoing effort to increase the development of soccer and healthy living in Colorado. Maximized Living, a leader in chiropractic care for all age groups, offers a unique opportunity for both the Rapids and their developmental academy to increase overall wellness of all the athletes.

“Maximized Living Chiropractors have been an excellent partner to our organization. They’ve been a tremendous resource to our training staff, and helping our players get back, and rehabilitate any injuries they’ve had,” said Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush. “But they have also been a great partner for our organization in the community. They are committed to the community, not only the first team players, but all the way down to our youth. We’ve really enjoyed this relationship, and look forward to many years to come.”

The development of Maximized Living Chiropractic’s Wellness Advisory Council, which works with high level and professional athletes, aims to maintain the growth and development of the athletes by reducing the number of injuries, increasing performance and output, and overall extending careers of the athletes.

Maximized Living Chiropractic will give the Rapids an increase in ability to perform at the high level of intensity throughout the season and give help with Colorado’s push towards the MLS Cup.

Maximized Living Chiropractic also advances the wellness of the Rapids Youth Academy both in soccer as well as other sports.

“In the last 12 months, Maximized Living Chiropractic through the Wellness Advisory Council has pioneered what we do for children, for athletes, for families to improve and maximize their help both physically, emotionally, and mentally both on and off the field,” said Dr. Joe Arvay, Chairman of Maximized Living Chiropractic’s Wellness Advisory Council.

“This commitment with Maximized Living Chiropractic shows how much the Colorado Rapids care about the community. The Rapids care about children, the little soccer players, not just the ones in the stadium on the field, but the ones all around the world. Maximized Living Chiropractic is partnering with the Colorado Rapids to create a safe environment for families to enjoy the sport of soccer around the world for many years,” Arvay added.

With the help of Maximized Living Chiropractic, the Rapids will be able to focus attention on the advancement of soccer in the region while providing high quality chiropractic to the Rapids team members and the developmental academy.

For more information about Maximized Living Chiropractic’s Wellness Advisory Council and their programs for athlete wellness, please visit http://www.maximizedliving.com/.

UEFA Champions League Final

2010-05-20T15:02:00.008-06:00

Who is your pick for the UEFA Champions League final? This Saturday, May 22, Inter Milan will take on Bayern Munich for the final. The preferred viewing location, for the Colorado Rapids, is downtown at the British Bulldog (2052 Stout Street, Denver, CO 80205). Coverage of the game begins at 12:30 PM MST. We hope to see you guys out there.

We took a poll among some players and coaches to see who they think will win on Saturday:

Gary Smith – “Inter, you can’t bet against the Special One!”
Steve Guppy - Inter
Andre Akpan – Inter
Mehdi Ballouchy – “Inter. Eto’o!”
Julien Baudet - Inter
Conor Casey - “Inter, because I like the color blue.”
Colin Clark – SMU (former college)… (he finally selected Inter winning 3-0)
Omar Cummings – Inter
Danny Earls – Inter
Michael Holody – Inter, 2-1
Ian Joyce – Inter
Ross LaBauex - Inter
Jeff Larentowicz – Inter, 2-1
Claudio Lopez – “Inter, (Diego) Melito with two!”
Pablo Mastroeni – “Inter, it’s all about their coaching strategy!”
Drew Moor – Munich
Oscar Murillo – Inter
Ciaran O’Brien - Inter
Matt Pickens – Inter
Jamie Smith – Munich
Wells Thompson – “It’s going to be Liverpool!” (He later chose Inter)

Photos from Training - May 18, 2010

2010-05-18T14:47:00.006-06:00

Photos, Links, and Notes...

2010-04-29T14:29:00.011-06:00

We don't want to make the weather a point of conversation here all the time, but spring time here in Denver varies so much that it often forces the team to adapt from one day to the other.

For instance, on Wednesday, the guys were training under sunny skies and near 80 degree temps. Then, on Thursday, it was snowing on our way to the stadium - so the hats, gloves, and sweats were back out.

The team leaves for San Jose on Friday after their morning practice.

Here are some team links and notes:

For starters, here are some notes on the match up this weekend between the Rapids and San Jose. The game is on Sat, May 1 at 8 pm MT, live on KWGN-Channel 2.
Don't forget that the Official Away game viewing party on Saturday is The Oak Tavern in Lodo: 1414 Market Street.
Our new website it moving along. Still some frustrations but also much progress. Have you seen the new video page? Click here to see the Rapids in-stadium pre-game video.
No changes on the injury front. Ross and Ciaran are still out, though Ciaran has been working with the training staff out on the fields the past week or so. Also, Jamie Smith looks to be out this weekend after re-aggrevating his hamstring towards the end of last week.
Pablo was the guest on Class VI's Six Questions this week. Click here to listen to him talk about his goal versus New England, his celebration, the team's formation, yellow card messages, the World Cup, and more.
Did you read abou the star youth player from Salt Lake that left Utah to play for the Colorado Rapids U-18s? Click here for the story.
Former Rapids' midfielder Terry Cooke was back in Denver and was interviewed by Tribalfootball. Click here to read.
Quincy Amarikwa will be returning to San Jose this weekend for the first time since he was traded to Colorado. Still a fan favorite for Quakes fans, he talks to CenterlineSoccer.com about his transition, his classes, and more. On that note, Quincy has gone the way of Ceus with his new hair-style.
If you haven't heard or read, our partner-club Pachuca has won the CONCACAF Champions League for the third time in four years. They'll play in the FIFA Club World Cup once again in December.
Did you notice the picture on FIFA.com last week? With Conor and Pablo congratuling each other and the Supporters Terrace celebrating? Here it is.
The New York Red Bull defeated the Philadelphia Union in an Open Cup play-in game 2-1 on Tuesday. New York will now host New England on May 12, with the winner hosting the Rapids (before June 9) for the right to enter the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Rapids return home next Wednesday, May 5 to host the LA Galaxy (7:30 pm MT). One of our partner radio stations, KTCL 93.3FM, will be offering perks for the first 93 Area93.com members to flash their membership card prior to the game. Click here for more info.
93.3 is also doing another promotion: win a chance to sing on stage with the pre-game tailgate party band, The Synthetic Elements. Click here for more.
We're not too far from the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. If any of you are going, you may want to check out U.S. Soccer resource guide by clicking here.
We'll leave you with MLSsoccer.com's Jonah Freedman's story on the Respect factor...are Conor Casey and other the Dangerfields of the USMNT?

VIDEO and LINKS: Rapids 2, Revs 1

2010-04-25T09:30:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, the Rapids received goals from Mehdi Ballouchy and Pablo Mastroeni to beat the New England Revolution 2-1 at Gillette Stadium. Colorado is now 3-1-1, 10 points on the season and in second place in the Western Conference.

Couple of quick notes:

The 10 points after five games is the most in team history. The previous best was in 2002, when the club past the 10 point mark in the sixth game of the year.
This was the team's third road win of the year: two in MLS play and the road victory over the KC Wizards in the Open Cup play-in game.
Mastroeni scored his third goal in 162 games played for Colorado. It was the 27th time he's faced New England in his career, more than any other MLS team.
Colorado has yet to give up a goal from the run of play this season. All five goals surrendered have come on set pieces: one corner (CHI), two PKs (CHI, TOR), two freekicks (KC, NE).
The team lined up in a different formation than the first four games. Mastroeni and Larentowicz were in holding spots in front of the defense, with Mehdi Ballouchy in front, Omar Cummings and Wells Thompson on the sides, and Conor Casey up top. Something like a 4-2-3-1.
It seems this may have surprised former Rapids goalkeeper - current Revs - Preston Burpo, who said after the game: "Give Colorado credit. They played well tonight; they actually tried to play on the road which, to be honest, is quite a shock because they never do."

Click here for the game recap.

Click here for comments from Smith, Larentowicz, and Mastroeni.

Click here for the video highlights.

Watch Smith and Ballouchy's post-game comments below:

The New ColoradoRapids.com

2010-04-20T14:56:00.007-06:00

Today we launched the new ColoradoRapids.com, in beta form. We'll be keeping our current (old) site live for the short term as fans get used to the new site and as we continue to fine tune it.

Click here to go to the new ColoradoRapids.com; have a look around and let us know your thoughts, either by posting comments or via email: rapidsdigital@dsgpark.com.

VIDEO: Highlights and Smith on 3-1 Win over Toronto

2010-04-18T17:57:00.007-06:00

The Rapids took advantage of three set piece goals to defeat Toronto 3-1 on Sunday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, extending the team's unbeaten run at home to seven games dating back to last August.

Conor Casey knocked in two penalty kicks and Jeff Larentowicz curled in a free kick for the Rapids, while Dwayne De Rosario scored on a penalty kick for the visitors. Read the recap here and watch highlights from the game by clicking here. Or...

Click here to see Casey's first penalty kick.
Click here to see Larentowicz free kick.
Click here to see Casey's second penalty kick.

Casey has scored 32 career goals in a Rapids uniform - in 64 games -moving into third place on the team's all-time goal scoring chart. He trails Paul Bravo who scored 39 goals in 135 games with Colorado, and John Spencer who racked up 37 goals in 88 games with the Rapids.

Head Coach Gary Smith talks about the game in the video below:

Notes: Sunday's Home Game

2010-04-16T15:41:00.007-06:00

The team is back home after the two games last week in KC. On Sunday, April 18 the Rapids will welcome Toronto FC for a 3 pm MT kickoff at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Click here to read a bunch of notes on the matchup. Here's the official game notes provided to TV.

Some other notes to bring you up on:

Goalkeeper Steward Ceus, who made his official Rapids debut in the 2-1 win over KC on Tuesday, has returned to the Charlotte Eagles - the team to which he's been loaned to. Ian Joyce, who backed up starting keeper Matt Pickens in the season opener, has returned from an ankle injury that required us to call Ceus back for the Chicago and Kansas City games.
Defender Rob Valentino has been waived. We had been considering a loan to Tampa Bay, but it turned out that it was in the best interest to cut ties. Although Rob was a Generation adidas player, his contract was created in a way which allowed for such a release.
With that note, Claudio Lopez will use #7, which up until last week Valentino had occupied.
We also want to clarify one error. At Tuesday's game, the stats crew, media, and it seems like everyone that observed the Rapids' game-winning goal had Claudio Lopez with the assist. We talked to Claudio and other players that were nearby on the play, and they all confirmed that Claudio fed Mehdi Ballouchy, who advanced the ball to Wells Thompson for the winner. Thus, Mehdi will go down as having the only official assist on the play (U.S. Soccer registers at max one assist per goal).
Staying on that topic, this week it was determined - by coin toss - that the Rapids will play the next play-in game for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the road. New York will host Philadelphia on April 27, with the winner hosting the New England Revolution on May 12. The Rapids will play at one of those three locations (before June 9), with the winner advancing to the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16.
Fans should know that the visiting supporters section at Dick's Sporting Goods Park has been moved from section 136 to the top rows of section 121.
The Rapids away game at Chicago originally scheduled for May 22 has been moved to Wed. June 9. TV details still to come.
If you're coming to the game on Sunday, join us in the Cantina for the pre-game TV show and / or Marcelo Balboa's post-game From the Pitch radio show, sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods.
The Denver Post's coverage: Lopez Brings Unpredictability. Balboa on the '09 Rapids.
Get to know a little more about the Ginger Ninja by listening to Six Questions with Class IV, an interview with Jeff Larentowicz. Click here to listen.
American Soccer News: "is ultra-positive, ultra-bright, and ultra-effective."
SI.com's Grant Wahl did a QnA with former Rapids forward Shaun Bartlett. Did you know that when Barlett was sold by MLS to Zurich in 1997, it was at the time the biggest transfer fee received by the young league. Click here to read more.
Here's another story on another former Rapids player, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.
And finally, Jamie Smith saw his first minutes last week after coming back from injury. Click here for his latest blog post to SportTV.

Video Clips: Thompson, Bunbury goals

2010-04-14T09:34:00.006-06:00

Below are some highlights of Tuesday's game between the Rapids and Kansas City, courtesy of the Wizards. Due to some technical difficulties, they unfortunately (for Rapids fans) missed Thompson's game-winning goal; but you will be able to see his first as well as KC's goal, and a few other clips.

VIDEO: Thompson, Smith on Open Cup Play-In Victory

2010-04-13T22:17:00.005-06:00

The Colorado Rapids defeated the Kansas City Wizards 2-1 on Tuesday in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in game. Wells Thompson scored both goals for the Rapids, one in the 24th and one in the 80th, to help Colorado advance to the next phase of qualifying for the 96 year-old tournament. Click here for more on the match.

Watch Wells and coach Gary Smith talk about the victory below.

U.S. Open Cup Qualifier: Rapids at KC, Tonight at 6:30

2010-04-13T09:12:00.007-06:00

The Rapids begin their quest for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tonight with a play-in game against the Kansas City Wizards at 6:30 p.m. MT. Click here for more on the 2010 pairings and how Colorado and KC have fared against each other in Open Cup play.

While there won't be a radio or TV broadcast, we will be bringing you a live, play-by-play through Cover it Live below. &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=9c81c7ad84"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Colorado Rapids v Kansas City Wizards - US Open Cup 2010&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Training in KC - Sunday

2010-04-12T09:22:00.013-06:00

About 12 hours after arriving at the team hotel following Saturday's game, the Rapids were at the Kansas City Wizards training center beginning preparations for Tuesday's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Qualifier.

There were some different faces at the morning workout. Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark, Julien Baudet, and Conor Casey returned to Denver on Sunday, while Claudio Lopez, Andre Akpan, and Michael Holody arrived in KC.

One item to note: the U.S. Open Cup allows teams to list no more than five international players on a game day roster. For the Rapids, the available internationals for Tuesday will be Danny Earls, Jamie Smith, Claudio Lopez, Omar Cummings, and Mehdi Ballouchy.

Some more photos from Sunday's workout...

VIDEO and LINKS: Rapids 0, Kansas City 1

2010-04-10T23:12:00.004-06:00

The Rapids fell to Kansas City 1-0 on Saturday night, evening their record at 1-1-1 early in the season.

Click here for the game recap and lineups.
Click here for a sidebar with notes and quotes from head coach Gary Smith.
Click here to watch highlights from the game.

And finally, watch the video below of Smith's post-game comments followed by thoughts from Conor Casey.

NOTES (and video): Facing KC Twice in Four Days

2010-04-08T19:35:00.003-06:00

What a nice day to be back out on the training field: yesterday's practice turned out to be an indoor workout because the fields were covered in snow. Today: blue skies, sun, and a pleasant 60 degree temps.

The team has a Friday morning practice and then leaves for Kansas City, where they'll play the Wizards twice in four days. Saturday's game is a regular season contest that will be played at their current home, CommunityAmerica Ballpark (6:30 pm MT, official viewing party at SOBO 151.)

The two sides will meet again four days later in a qualifying game for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Tuesday, April 13th at Stanley H. Durwood Stadium on the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (8:30 pm MT). Click here for the game preview and additional game notes.

Some other notes:

The Rapids acquired forward Quincy Amarikwa from San Jose on Wednesday in exchange for the clubs natural 2nd Round selection in the 2011 SuperDraft.
Quincy will take one of the roster spots that opened up when we placed Ross Schunk (knee) and Ciaran O'Brien (hip) on injured reserve. They'll both miss at least the next six games. In the meantime, they won't take up a roster spot.
MLS clarified the roster limits today, giving clubs more options to add home-grown talent.
Claudio Lopez still hasn't received his visa, so at the moment, he's in a holding pattern. There's still a chance it could be granted before rosters close for the weekend on Friday afternoon. Then it's up to the coaches to decide if when to add him to the roster and/or when they feel he's ready to play.
The loan of keeper Steward Ceus to Charlotte was completed. However, since Ian Joyce injured his ankle last week, we called Ceus last week back per the loan agreement. Steward was here all week and is likely to travel for both the Kansas City games.
Speaking of Ceus, here had a new look. Before. After.
We're also in the process of potentially loaning out Rob Valentino to Tampa Bay Rowdies of the newly-named USSF D-2 Pro League (formerly USL D-1). In order to get him started - similar to what happened with Ceus - he's already in Tampa training with the team.
Some may have notice a couple of number changes: Andre Akpan will wear #19 for the year, and Oscar Murillo will wear #6. Amarikwa will use #12. Lopez was wearing #7 during the week, the number Valentino had been using.
The club today announced another adidas Alliance Partner, the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club. Here's more info.

Below is a short video of Gary Smith talking about facing KC twice in four days...

Scrimmage vs. University of Denver

2010-04-06T16:03:00.003-06:00

After having Monday off, the team was split into two for Tuesday's two sessions. One group trained in the morning, and another set of players came in for a scrimmage against the University of Denver in the afternoon.

The wind blew strong during both time slots, however the temps had dipped considerably by the time the scrimmage was set to start at 2 pm. Still, the coaching staff was able to give a few roster players a full 90 minutes of game action. Scott Palguta, Michael Holody, Ross LaBauex, Oscar Murillo, Steward Ceus, and Andre Akpan played the full 90 and were complimented on the field by a few guest players and Rapids Academy players.

The teams played to a scoreless first half; however Denver then scored twice in the first 15 minutes of the second to take a 2-0 lead. The Rapids and company would come back to win the scrimmage, using goals by guests Nick Cardenas and Andy Lorei to even the score and one from rookie Andre Akpan in stoppage time for the winner (photo above).

Mile High Music Festival 2010 Lineup and Details

2010-04-05T10:08:00.002-06:00

While the following is not soccer-related, we thought many of you may also be interested in music in addition to the Rapids and soccer.

Today, the Mile High Music Festival announced the lineup for the 2010 show on The Fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Featuring the Dave Matthews Band and Jack Johnson and over 40 other performers, the event comes to town on August 14 - 15. Tickets go on sale on Saturday, April 10. Click here for more details and/or watch the video below for the rest of the lineup.

VIDEO: Smith, Casey on the game; Highlights.

2010-04-03T17:39:00.005-06:00

Colorado and Chicago tied today 2-2 in the Rapids home opener. Omar Cummings scored his second of the season while Conor Casey scored his first, off a penalty kick. Click here for a summary and lineups.

Thanks to MLSsoccer.com, we have highlights of Omar and Conor's goals, as well as a highlight package of the game. Click on the links above or go to MLSsoccer.com.

Below you can watch videos of Rapids head coach Gary Smith and Conor talking about the game.
Smith on the game:

Conor on the game:

Palguta Checks in (Before the Opener)

2010-04-02T18:34:00.002-06:00

Hey Y'all,

Sorry for the "y'all" thing. I thought I'd try to be like Drew for a quick second. Anyways, I thought I would give ALL OF YOU a quick update ahead of tomorrow's home opener against Chicago.

Although the 2010 season is just over a week old, we've already learned a few important things about this year's team:

First off, we know we are capable of going into a difficult environment and pulling out a win. Even more impressive, however, was our ability to record a clean sheet with a few new faces in the lineup.

Without even a practice together under their belt, Drew and newcomer Marvell Wynne stymied the Chivas attack for 90 plus minutes, while Pablo and Jeff frustrated their midfield all night long. We also know that Jeff, Pabs, and Colin--who all underwent surgery in the offseason--are fully fit and ready to contribute on a weekly basis.

Less importantly, we've learned some other interesting tidbits over the last week or so:

Ciaran O'Brien is still good for 2-3 petty locker room fines per week (although, that's like saying "Omar is still fast").
Jamie Smith is learning to throw a pretty tight spiral with Drew's Tony Romo mini football. Jamie also might be the biggest Rockies fan in all of Denver. Explain that one to me!
Mike Holody, if given the opportunity, would wrestle a toothless, clawless bear (but only for money).
Ross LaBauex never stops talking.....ever.
Oscar no habla ngles. But even he wishes Ross would stop and take a breath every now and again.
I won't be winning the team NCAA basketball pool, but I'm still proud of Cornell's run to the Sweet 16. Who is the likely winner? It's still too soon to tell, but we knew Larentowitz would finish last over a week ago. Unlucky, Jeff.

While only one game, last week's result was an excellent way to start the season and we hope that small bit of momentum, coupled with a strong week of training and the support of our fans, will provide us with enough of a lift to beat the Fire tomorrow afternoon.

The boys are definitely well prepared, confident, and relaxed for the game tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone for hanging in there for what was surely a long offseason. Hopefully the Supporter's Terrace will be rocking tomorrow!

See you at the stadium!

--Scott

QnA with Argentine Forward Claudio Lopez

2010-04-02T18:21:00.008-06:00

The Rapids today signed Argentine forward and two-time World Cup veteran Claudio Lopez. He arrived from Buenos Aires, Argentina this morning and will be at the Rapids game on Saturday.

We've started the process of obtaining his work visa, and we're hopeful that he'll have it soon in order to officially add him to the roster. Ironically, should he be eligible, our next two games after Saturday's are against Kansas City - the team that Lopez played on the past two seasons.

After Lopez took his photos in Rapids' gear, we caught up with him for a quick interview. Below is a translated transcript of the QnA:

On the decision to stay in MLS and join the Rapids...

Claudio Lopez: “In reality I had the intentions of staying one more year, staying in MLS for little while longer. When things didn’t work out in Kansas City, I started looking at my options. The option of coming to Colorado was presented, but then it didn’t work out. So then some time passed, and fortunately the option of coming here was presented and I’m happy to have the chance to play one more year in MLS.”

So will this be your final year...

Lopez: “I’m taking it one year at a time because my age is not the same. Sometimes teams and coaches look for something else, so you have to treat it with patience and try to make things work out.

On adapting to a new team in a league that you are familiar with...

Lopez: “I’m already familiar with the league, and how the league functions. As for changing to a new team, it will take me a little bit of time to adapt to my new teammates, to adapt to the new work asked of by the coach. And from my position, I want to help as much as possible so that things go well for the team.”

On what you can bring to the team...

Lopez: “I try to bring the best I can. Try to, above all else, to help thing really go the way the club wants them to go. And if they don’t, to make the maximum effort to intend to do so. Then, as time goes on, we’ll be able to realize in what areas I could help out more or in what way we can support each other more so that the team gets the end results.

What can a veteran presence bring to a club...

Lopez: “Patience. Patience and above all, a desire to help. To be useful to the teammate next to you; in whatever is necessary at any moment for the club. I think that’s the primary thing.

How have you stayed prepared...

Lopez: “I have been training because I was waiting for another opportunity to be presented. Besides, one always wants to stay in shape, so I’ve been training on my own. I’m sure it will take me some time, but we’ll do it as fast as possible to be ready.

Thoughts on the altitude, if it affected you when you played here; and on the stadium...

Lopez: “No, not really. I think we lost one game, and tied one, one that we were winning. It’s a very nice stadium, very nice playing surface, it’s a nice atmosphere and so I hope to experience it like a local now.

What do you know about the team...

Lopez: “Some things change. The players don’t have the same seasons; they don’t often repeat the same seasons. I expect to find myself with a very good team; I know they have very good individuals, players; and so I hope that things go well for us.”

VIDEO: Gary Smith Previews the Home Opener

2010-04-02T17:41:00.001-06:00

After Thursday's practice, we caught up with Rapids head coach Gary Smith to get his thoughts on the home opener and on facing the Chicago Fire. Click here to watch or play the video below.

PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of Team Photo Day

2010-04-02T12:56:00.001-06:00

The team took their annual team photo today on the stadium field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. After the photo, the team went through their last workout - on the stadium field - before tomorrow's home opener vs. Chicago.

After the photo, Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush brought the entire team together - that is, the office staff and the players and coaching staff - for a quick chat, recognizing the hard work of the group as a whole.

We're all excited to have started 2010 with a win last week, and are all looking forward to a great start at home on Saturday. We hope to see many of you there.

Promoting the Home Opener

2010-04-02T09:07:00.006-06:00

Friday was Team Photo Day at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, followed by the team's first day training on the stadium field. It was also the final opportunity for media interviews before tomorrow's home opener.

With that, we wanted to take a minute to recognize the local media coverage, since it's been a positive week of attention. Now, we're not saying we're 'there' with regards to media coverage. However, we want to recognize the coverage and give Rapids fans that may have missed some of it, a little recap.

The Denver Post not only provided their readers a full page preview on the Rapids ahead of the season opener last week, today they have another large feature on newly acquired Marvell Wynne.
All of the local TV stations have been at practice this week and many of them last week; and many local radio DJs and other TV personalities have also touted the team's home opener on air.
Props to defender Drew Moor for being a studio guest on 9News at 6 am this morning -the day before the home opener - to promote the Rapids game tomorrow. As we watched him answer - in our League's 15th year - questions about the popularity of the sport, we wondered how many professional athletes in any sport would be as willing to help promote the team and sport as athletes like Drew and his colleagues are.
Coach Gary Smith was then a guest on ESPN Radio 1600, where he, too, was once again asked about the sports popularity. He also handled it like a pro and turned the interview into a discussion the media would have with any other head coach.
Earlier this week, in an effort to get other media engaged, the club put together Easter Baskets with Rapids goodies and personally dropped them off to many radio and TV talent in the area. Everyone likes goodies, and the media are no different. In turn, we got extra plugs about the home opener during morning rush, lunchtime, and drivetime radio as well as morning, afternoon, and evening news.
Among the radio drops were: KBCO 97.3, KTCL 93.3, KPPT - The Party 95.7, ALICE 105.9, KS 107.5, KOSI, KKFN 104.3, ESPN Radio 1600, and KOA 850.
Last but not least, let's not forget internet, with stories MLSsoccer.com on searching for a forward, on Lopez, on Kosuke, and Pablo; or FCDenver.org's practice updates and story on LaBauex; or Soccer365.com's feature on Omar and Casey.
Finally, it always helps media when they know that people are seeing / reading their content. If you appreciate the coverage of the local media (even though we'd all like more), shoot them an email and let them know.

April 1 - Photos from Practice

2010-04-01T18:28:00.015-06:00

Enjoy some photos from Thursday's practice.

Above, Gary Smith brings the group in for a quick chat between drills. Marvell went back to Toronto following the season opener to gather his belongings. He arrived in Denver on Wednesday and today took part in his first training session with the team.

Kosuke and Drew work on one-on-ones drills... The training field is in great shape....

Can you tell who took this freekick that hit the left wall 'guy' square in the head? Colin takes on Danny in one-on-one drills...

At some point, we're going to test these two to find out who is faster: Omar or Marvell.

Omar, Mehdi, Drew...

Following practice, the guys had a lot of things to sign...the club uses these autographed pieces for various charity donations throughout the season.
The field crew painting the final lines on the stadium field.

Rapids to Face Kansas City in Open Cup Qualifier

2010-04-01T15:16:00.002-06:00

While we prepare for our home opener on Saturday, details for the another match on the schedule have been confirmed.

The Rapids will play the Kansas City Wizards in a play-in match for qualification for America’s oldest sporting tournament - the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup - on Tuesday, April 13 at 8:30 p.m. MT at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The game comes three days after the two teams meet in Kansas City in an MLS regular season contest. Click here for more on the game.

Update on the New Site...

2010-03-30T14:41:00.002-06:00

Rapids Fans –

We want to give you an update on the progress of the team’s new website. Yes, for those that haven’t heard, we will be launching a new ColoradoRapids.com shortly. We’ll be joining the League network of sites, which we’re very much looking forward to.

Last Thursday, Major League Soccer launched the new League site, MLSsoccer.com (formerly MLSnet.com). As some fans that visited the website in the first few days may have experienced, the debut of the new site was not without glitches and elements that needed ironing out.

The next day, three other MLS teams launched their new sites. The Rapids were also in the queue to launch last Friday, however during our testing and reviews of the new site, we decided to wait until a few more of the bugs were cleaned up before giving the go ahead to launch.

MLSsoccer.com issued a statement on Monday evening explaining the reasons behind some of the major problems the sites were experiencing, and reiterating their commitment to delivering fans a great web experience. We fully believe this, because we know how hard the crew at MLS headquarters have been working on this project.

We’re confident that in short time, possibly as soon as Wednesday, we’ll be able to launch the new ColoradoRapids.com. It’s a major task that has been taken on, and we’re confident that in the not too distant future, all the pieces will come together.

We appreciate your support and understanding.

Sincerely,

The Rapids Front Office

Bulldog Supporters Bus Info

2010-03-30T10:07:00.003-06:00

Great showing by Rapids fans at The British Bulldog for the Rapids first viewing party last Friday (photo)! We also heard there were great turnouts at the viewing parties at Conor O'Niell's and Katie Mullens Pubs.

If any fan wants to join like-minded Rapids fans for the home opener, the British Bulldog is organizing a bus / ticket offer:

This Saturday, April 3rd, the Bulldog Supporters Group will be hosting a tailgate and bus trip to kick off the 2010 Rapids campaign. Cost for the bus and a ticket to the match is only $26. So come and join us in supporting the Rapids as they take on the Chicago Fire at Dick's Sporting goods Park! The bus will depart the Bulldog at 11:15am, for a 2pm kickoff. The Bulldog Supporters Group will be serving chili (veggie & meat) and keg beer before the match. You must RSVP via email asap if you would like a spot on the bus and a ticket to the match. Please send email to britishbulldogfc@gmail.com.

Jabulani Hunt Update

2010-03-29T12:24:00.014-06:00

The Rapids adidas Jabulani soccer ball scavenger hunt is underway. We hid a bunch of these soccer balls throughout the Denver area. Anyone that finds one can keep it. But, we've also placed labels in each ball with instructions on how to claim additional prizes.

The balls were hidden on Saturday morning and we started hearning from fans that found some by Saturday evening. A few more were claimed on Sunday. And today, Monday, quite a few more have been found and claimed.

Among those claimed were the Jabulani's that were hidden at: Dick's Sporting Goods in Southglenn; on the statue at Civic Park (see photo above); at the Westminster Rec Center; in a wagon at the Denver Zoo (Below); at the Westminster Sports Center; at the Jeffco Athletic Fields; at Long Lake Ranch Park; the British Bulldog; and at the Cherry Cricket.

We realize some people may have found some of these Jabulani's and not followed through with the instruction to claim additional prizes. So, we checked the hiding spots this morning and saw that many were still in their original places. We'll be going around over the next couple days to check the remaining locations so we can either give more clues or let you know if they've all been found.

Notes from Opening Night...

2010-03-27T01:23:00.002-06:00

Some notes following the 1-0 win over Chivas USA on Friday night to kickoff the 2010 season.

* It was the Rapids first-ever road victory to start a season in 15-year franchise history.

* Colorado has won 3 of their last 4 against Chivas at the Home Depot Center.

* Captain Pablo Mastroeni added to his franchise most 8 season opener appearances, 7 starts.

* MID Colin Clark made his first start since tearing his left ACL in August last season.

* MID Jeff Larentowicz, DEF Marvell Wynne and DEF Danny Earls made their first appearances (and starts) for Colorado. Wynne in line-up after being acquired by the Rapids just over 24 hours earlier.

* MID Wells Thompson made his first appearance for the Rapids as a second half sub coming in the 67th minute.

* Tonight's game was Danny Earls first career MLS appearance.

* Marvell Wynne started at center back for the first time in his professional career.

* 2010 second round SuperDraft pick MID Ross LaBauex made his first MLS appearance coming in for Colin Clark in the 78th minute.

* In FWD Omar Cummings last five games against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center, he has 3 goals and 1 assist.

* The Rapids had four changes to their starting 11 tonight compared to the season opener against Chivas USA last season (three along the backline).

* This was the Rapids first road win since 3-2 win over New York on May 30, 2009.

* Colorado has won 3 of their last 4 season openers after going 0-9-2.

Coach Smith on the Opening Night Victory

2010-03-27T00:43:00.002-06:00

Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith talks about the Rapids opening night win at Chivas USA and about newly acquired defender Marvell Wynne's first match with the club. Watch the videos below.

Omar Cummings Scores in 1-0 Win

2010-03-27T00:40:00.001-06:00

The Rapids defeated Chivas USA 1-0 on Friday to earn their first-ever season opening victory on the road. Watch the video below to hear Omar's initial thoughts on the game.

Marvell Joins Rapids in LA

2010-03-26T12:08:00.004-06:00

Thursday was a busy day for the Rapids and newly acquired Marvell Wynne, who comes to the Rapids in a trade with Toronto in exchange for Nick LaBrocca. The team finalized the trade hours before leaving for Los Angeles, and then Wynne started his trek from Toronto to California shortly after. After a long day, he met his new team at the hotel on Thursday night in LA. Go to our Youtube page or watch below for a short interview with Wynne...

Rapids Kickoff Tonight at Chivas USA

2010-03-26T11:21:00.002-06:00

The guys have put in a lot of hard this preseason, and tonight they finally get to go out and play for something that counts. While the League started Season 15 last night with Seattle defeating the expansion Philadelphia Union 2-0, the Rapids kickoff tonight vs. Chivas USA in California (8:30 pm MT).

The game will be broadcast live and in HD in the region on KWGN-Channel 2. If you're not in the area, or don't get Channel 2, you can watch the game on MLSsoccer.com's MatchLive, or on the DirectKick Package on DirectTV, Dish Network, or check you cable company.

Some Notes:

Marc Stout will be the play-by-play voice and Brian Crookham the color commentator on tonight's broadcast.
The Official Viewing Party for tonight's game in Denver is The British Bulldog on Stout St. In Boulder, the Official Viewing Party is at Connor O’Niells on 13th Street.
Click here for the Denver Post's story on the season opener, with comments from coach Smith and Conor Casey. The Post also brings readers up to speed on yesterday's trade, WC break, and TV partnership. And, they give fans a snapshot on each player.
There have been a bunch of previews and predictions posted through the soccer blogosphere. For a quick glimpse on each MLS team, check out the Associated Press preview.
We're working closely with many people in New York to launch our new coloradorapids.com. Fans can go to the new MLSsoccer.com to get an idea of what's to come.
In the meantime, you can read the game notes for tonight's game here.

Roster Compliant...

2010-03-24T18:10:00.005-06:00

The League earlier in the week mandated that all teams be roster compliant by 5 pm on Wednesday. This came on the heels of the newly announced CBA between the League and Players Union, which called for some changes to the roster specifics.

We'll try to condense what classifies as a compliant roster, with at least the most popular or common classifications...

* Teams can have no more than 24 eligible players on their rosters. Twenty players are classified as Senior Roster players, and four are classified as 'Supplemental' roster players (these players were formerly known as Developmental). Supplemental players must be under age 25, and their salaries don't count towards a team's salary budget (announced by MLS as $2.55 million for 2010).

* Eligible players must be signed to contracts and have all necessary paperwork completed and received by MLS, such as: loan agreements; International Transfer Certificate; appropriate work visa; or legal paperwork that permits them to work in the U.S. - such as permanent residence or refugee status.

* Teams may have a certain number of International players among the 24. These are non U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card). All International player slots are tradable, therefore a team may have more than or less than the eight International players slots that were originally assigned prior to 2009. The Rapids have nine slots available.

Here's the Rapids official compliant roster as of today's deadline:

Goalkeeper: Matt Pickens, Steward Ceus^, Ian Joyce
Defenders: Danny Earls*, Julien Baudet*, Michael Holody^, Kosuke Kimura, Drew Moor, Oscar Murillo*, Scott Palguta, Rob Valentino^.
Midfielders: Mehdi Ballouchy*, Colin Clark, Jeff Larentowicz, Ross LaBauex, Nick LaBrocca, Pablo Mastroeni, Ciaran O'Brien^, Jamie Smith*, Wells Thompson.
Forwards: Andre Akpan, Conor Casey, Omar Cummings*, Ross Schunk

^ Supplemental (4)
* International (6 of 9 available)

Mastroeni and Larentowicz on the CBA

2010-03-23T17:34:00.003-06:00

MLS today unveiled some of the details of the new five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement between the League and the MLS Players Union that was agree to last weekend. After Tuesday morning's practice, we caught up with Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz to hear their thoughts on the process and reaction to the final agreement.

Undercurrent: Talk about the decision for you and the other MLS players to go to Washington D.C. last weekend to meet with MLS; what you think of the new CBA that was agreed to by the League and MLS Players Union…

Pablo Mastroeni:

"I think we were running up against the clock and we needed to get a deal done. I think both sides wanted to avoid a strike at all consequences, and in order to really hash that out we needed to have a group of people making decisions on the spot, and not having to get on conference calls and having people wait by their phones.

So, it was important that our reps got out there and more importantly that we found middle ground where both camps came away happy with the result and the progress that we’re making. And more importantly, both sides came away understanding that it’s going to take both of us to grow the league, and that one can’t do it without the other."

Undercurrent: On the influence of veteran players like yourself being part of the meetings…

Pablo:

"Having been the league for a while, you realize no change can happen overnight. I think the improvements that we’ve made in the league since I first started in 98 have been small, but none the less have progressed in the right direction.

This CBA, obviously, we were miles apart at one point, but we realized that too much change to any ecosystem would disturb it. All the while we want to make progress in the right direction so that in five years we can then look at how far we’ve come and then make the appropriate changes to further grow the league."

Undercurrent: Jeff, you were part of the CBA negotiations as a member of the NE Revolution, and continued that role after joining the Rapids. What were the differences in the discussion a few months ago, compared to this past weekend when the agreement was reached.

Jeff Larentowicz:

"I think that what it came down to was that both sides wanted to play this season, and they realized that if there was a work stoppage that it would take some time to heal what was done.

But I think in the last couple of negations, that like any collective bargaining, both sides had to find a common ground. I think that although the players union were for the longest time were pretty solid on their stance of what they wanted, I think that the League finally realized that it was probably time to make some changes and they did."

Undercurrent: What was the gap that was bridged from months ago?

Jeff:

"Sometimes it takes, in collective bargaining, to get close to or even reach the threshold where you’re standing on the edge of the cliff. As you walk forward you know that it’s approaching and it’s easier to say we can handle it later. There wasn’t as much of a strict deadline staring us in the face a few months ago.

When things were extended in February, it was easy to say, “Oh, we’ll do it later,” or “we’ll push it on a little bit more.” I think it was also a case of the folks at the league testing our resolve and testing how unified the players were. And once they realize that in the end, it was time for them to move."

Undercurrent: On the importance of MLS veterans participating in the negotiation...

Jeff:

"I think the changes that have come have allowed the league to reward players who have been in the league for a while and have shown some commitment to the league. The problem with the league was retaining high profile and talented players; players that would leave for more money and more rights elsewhere. At this point, what the league has done is found a way, slowly and incrementally, to reward those players who have been around for a while, and I think that that’s good."

Undercurrent: Did you see any difference from the players point of view from New England to Colorado?

Jeff:

"No. I think there was very little difference from team to team, and I think that was part of the reason that the league felt that they needed to change. It was not an instance where three or four teams got together and thought that things needed to change; it was across the board that there were 15 teams and now 16 teams new that they needed to stand together to really affect change in the process."

One Week Away...

2010-03-19T14:31:00.008-06:00

The Rapids will kick off their 15th season a week from today when they travel to California to face Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center (March 26, 8:30 pm MT). Here are some notes to take you into the final off-season weekend.

With the inclement weather this morning, the guys were given the day off. They'll return for a couple of closed sessions this weekend on the fields here at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Pablo Mastroeni and Jeff Larentowicz are excused as they represent the players in the on-going meetings with Major League Soccer.
We're in the process of finalizing a loan deal for goalkeeper Steward Ceus to join the Charlotte Eagles of the United Soccer League’s Second Division for the 2010 season. Fans may recall that the 6'6" keeper was loaned to Charlotte last summer. He started 10 games for the Eagles from June to August, posting four shutouts. The current deal is structured so that we can recall him at any time.
Midfielder Greg Dalby has been waived.
If you want to get a taste of what the 2010 MLS season will bring, be sure to tune in to Fox Soccer Channel's MLS Preview show tonight at 6 pm MT. We haven't looked up the replay schedule, but it may be shown at other times in case you miss it tonight.
And, if you want to read ESPN.com's 2010 preview on the Rapids, click here.
We'll have more details on the launch of our new website next week. In the meantime...
Midfielder Jamie Smith will be a regular 'blogger' for the website of Sport TV in his native Scotland. He wrote his first entry earlier this week: How Did I End Up Playing in America.
Also this week, FC Denver spoke to defender Drew Moor.
Our Premier League partners, Arsenal FC, drew Barcelona for the Quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. Click here for more on the draw.
Rapids Season Ticket holders should be receiving their 2010 season ticket next week. Full Season Ticket Holder will also receive instructions on how to claim their exclusive gift, the burgundy and white Rapids adidas scarf that Omar Cummings is showing off in the photo above.

Have a good weekend.

Winter Storm Warning Cancels Charity Shield Match

2010-03-18T11:27:00.005-06:00

The National Weather Service in Denver this morning issued a Winter Storm Warning from midnight Thursday to midnight Friday, calling for heavy snow (6-12 inches) and potential wind gusts up to 30 miles per hour for our area.

With this in mind, the Rapids and Seattle have cancelled the preseason Charity Shield match originally scheduled for Friday, March 19 here at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Coloradoans are likely not too surprised that it's been 60 degrees and sunny the past couple of days - including right now at 11:30 am MT on Thursday as the team is wrapping up training on the fields at the complex...

Rapids Defeat Air Force 6-0 in Scrimmage

2010-03-17T16:11:00.004-06:00

After a scoreless first half, the Rapids scored six unanswered goals in a 6-0 win over the Air Force Academy in a scrimmage played on the Rapids Training Field at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Pat Noonan led the scoring with a hat-trick, with Rob Valentino, Oscar Murillo, and trialist Andy Lorei adding one a piece. Click here for a game recap and lineup.

Back to Work..

2010-03-16T16:53:00.011-06:00

After spending last week in cold and windy London, the team was welcomed back to training at Dick's Sporting Goods Park this morning with sunny skies and 55 degree weather. It was also the first time this spring that the team was able to practice on natural grass at home.

Prior to this week, the fields at Dick's Sporting Good Park were still frozen, thus too hard to train on early in the spring. Therefore, the team had taken to the turf fields for their home preseason workouts - until today.

With the backdrop of the snow-capped Rocky Mountain in clear view, the team went through a two-hour session out on Field 17. They'll be back on Wednesday for a morning workout, and then a scrimmage against the Air Force Academy later in the afternoon.

We caught up with head coach Gary Smith today to get his thoughts on the trip to England, the players coming back from injury, and the status of the roster:

Undercurrent: Tell us about the England trip; did you get what you wanted out of the trip, and how do you see the team on its return to Colorado?

Gary Smith: “We had a very bright morning today; I thought the guys looked very sharp. I think they’re really pleased to be back home, first and foremost, but on the back of an enjoyable and competitive trip as well.

There’s no doubt about it, the two games we played were physically demanding. The guys that are probably pushing at this moment in time towards the starting eleven got probably more minutes than most. But I certainly want to keep my mind open to the fact that we’ve got good players, good depth in the squad, and everybody should be given that opportunity.

We work towards Friday’s game on the back of that good week; with, I would hope, the fellows in really good spirits, and certainly fired up and enthused after being around such a good environment at Arsenal.”

Undercurrent: When the team left for England, you said you hoped to see some of the guys that had previously been injured in action. How do you evaluate their progress after last week?

“For sure, Pablo is at the top of that list of those injuries that have made the best progress. He played two periods - two 45 minutes. Physically he looks in great shape; I think he’ll just be working towards match sharpness now.

Colin Clark and Jeff Larentowicz slot in behind Pablo with 20 and 25 minutes of football in each game, and I think the pair of them are looking and feeling much better about themselves. With a good week under their belt this week – we have a lesser college game tomorrow – and then obviously a more competitive outing against Seattle on Friday, those two guys will play a good part in each game. And on the back of that, I would hope that they’re in contention for the following week and start of the season at Chivas.

Scott Palguta’s been out for a good period of time, and I think he’ll be certainly someway behind those three guys in competing for a place. And then, just extremely hopeful that some of the other bodies – Jamie Smith, who missed out against San Jose, trained again today – they’ve just got little niggles that I think is just going to keep them out of short periods.

The main group’s looking much more settled and I think working towards what will look a much more familiar lineup towards our first away game.”

Undercurrent: On the recent trialists and competition for spots – is that something you’ll continue looking at?

“I think we’re all pretty comfortable with the way the group’s coming together and settling in. For sure, always, every coach is looking to improve. And, the opportunity to bring in stronger depth, more competition, is just a process of time.

The fact that we have a settled 24 at the moment doesn’t necessarily mean that that will be the same 24 that starts the season. Sadly, that is the nature of the business we’re in. So if the opportunity to bring in better players is there, and that is always the key, than I’d like to be able to explore that. So don’t rule out the possibility of one or two additions before the season actually commences.

Images: Rapids' Float at St. Patrick's Day Parade

2010-03-16T10:52:00.008-06:00

A big thanks to the Rapids supporters that took part in the Rapids float at last Saturday's Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade. Enjoy some photos and short video below.

Message for Season Ticket Holders

2010-03-15T13:21:00.002-06:00

Hey Season Ticket Holders, here’s an important message regarding your season tickets:

If you signed up to receive your season tickets as paper tickets, they will be mailed to you the week of March 22nd. We are sending them via UPS, so please make sure we have an updated mailing address for you on file (no PO Boxes, please). If you need to update your address with us, you can do so by logging into Manage My Account or by emailing us at customerservice@dsgpark.com.

If you signed up for Flash Seats as your method of ticket delivery, they will arrive in your Flash Seat account that same week of March 22nd. You will receive an email notification once they arrive! Click here to learn more about Flash Seats.

We look forward to seeing you at our games this season.

Arsenal TV: Conor Casey's goal vs. Arsenal

2010-03-12T17:31:00.003-07:00

Arsenal TV has provided us video highlights of the Rapids win over the Arsenal reserves from earlier this week, including Conor Casey's goal and post-game comments from Colorado head coach Gary Smith and Arsenal reserves manager Neil Banfield. Fan can see the clip below or visit the team's Youtube page by clicking here.

Rapids Drop Preseason Match to San Jose

2010-03-12T10:59:00.003-07:00

The Rapids today dropped a preseason match by a score of 2-0 to fellow MLS side San Jose in a game played at Spurs Lodge in Chigwell, London, home training ground of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. San Jose received goals from Ryan Johnson and Quincy Amarikwa in the first and final ten minutes of the match, respectively, to earn the win.

The matchup was a contest between two MLS teams that are partners with London-based Premier League sides, the Rapids with Arsenal FC and San Jose with Tottenham. Colorado trained all week at Arsenal’s training center in Colney, and on Tuesday defeated the Arsenal reserves 1-0. Likewise, San Jose has spent the last week training in Chigwell, and also defeated their partner-club’s development side 1-0 on Wednesday.

Go to ColoradoRapids.com for a full recap.

Scoring:
SJ- Johnson (Alvarez) 10
SJ- Amarikwa 83

Colorado Rapids - Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura (Rob Valentino 67), Drew Moor (Oscar Murillo 67), Julien Baudet (Mike Holody 67), Jure Travner, Danny Earls (Colin Clark 67), Nick LaBrocca (Jeff Larentowicz 67), Pablo Mastroeni (Pat Noonan 46), Wells Thompson (Andy Lorei 67), Conor Casey (Andre Akpan 67), Omar Cummings (Ciaran O’Brien 80).

San Jose Earthquakes - Joe Cannon, Chris Leitch, Ike Opara (Bobby Burling 65), Jason Hernandez, Ramiro Corrales (Steve Beitashour 70), Joey Gjertsen (Justin Morrow 70), Brad Ring (Eduardo 70), Javier Robles (Simon Elliott 57), Bobby Convey (Antonio Ribeiro 75), Ryan Johnson (Quincy Amarikwa 75), Arturo Alvarez (Cornell Glen 65).

Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade - Join Us!

2010-03-11T10:53:00.015-07:00

UPDATE (3 pm MT): Thanks to those that emailed with interest to jump of the Rapids float for the Parade. We are full, but look forward to seeing many of you in the crowd.

==================

Rapids fans,

The Rapids will be the only sports team in town entering a float in this Saturday's Denver St. Patrick's Day Parade, and we have limited space for any volunteer that wants to participate.

According to the organizers, the Denver St. Patrick’s Day Parade bears the reputation as the largest parade west of the Mississippi River and one of the largest in the United States. Over 230 individual units mass together in a parade of 10,000 plus participants. Winding through the streets of Lower Downtown Denver on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, over 200,000 spectators enjoy a three hour plus parade.

The Rapids’ float will be a mini-representation of the new Rapids Supporters Terrace, giving spectators a sample of the new Terrace at Dick's Sporting Goods Park this season.

Requirements:

1) Must wear a Rapids burgundy home jersey.
2) Fans 21 and over are preferred.
3) Must be willing to chant, sing, throw Rapids prizes to the crowd, and have fun!

Interested? Send an email to RapidsFanMail@dsgpark.com with the word "Float" in the subject line by 4 pm Friday. Give us your name, age and why you think you'd make a good float participant. Only a limited number of spots are available. We’ll reply with the meeting time and location.

Thanks. And even if you are not on the float, look for us on the route this Saturday, March 13th!

-Rapids Front Office

Moor's Musing: Jokes in London

2010-03-10T19:17:00.007-07:00

March 10
8:21 PM
London, England

Hey Everybody...

I was sitting in my hotel room chair this afternoon looking at my computer, when my roommate, Wells Thompson, suddenly yelled from the bathroom, "Gosh Dangit!! It happened again!"

I nearly jumped out of my chair when I saw him quickly come out from around the corner. I asked him what happened with a little bit of panic in my voice. Wells, very cool and collected, looked at me and said, "I got better looking...."

Well, ya'll might not think that's very funny, but when your body is in that transition phase into a time zone 7 hours ahead from what you're used to, many STUPID things can be funny. Like earlier today, Matt Pickens laughed at a Mike Holody TERRIBLE joke for 10 straight minutes, that I don't think even made sense...but that's what happens when your body is in the twilight zone.

Needless to say, the time adjustment has been tougher than most of us probably expected. Of course, we played the morning after we got here, which didn't make it any easier. However, there was a two hour time span yesterday when EVERYBODY was well awake as we were treated to one of the greatest experiences that the world's game has to offer. Our brother club Arsenal absolutely demolished Porto in the Champions League 5-0!

The Emirates Stadium's atmosphere was unbelievable, and the Gunner's were as good as it gets. I thought it was great because sometimes those big European matches can be very defensive and can lack action at times...This match was nothing like that. Not to mention, I missed the first three minutes of the match because my eyes were focused on the Porto supporter's section mixing it up big time with the Arsenal security teams. Last night was such a great experience.

We've also been treated to one of the best soccer training facilities that I have ever seen. Arsenal's training "centre" (think they spelled it wrong) is too cool. And the food there is pretty fantastic too.

Our game yesterday morning against the Arsenal reserves was a nice 1-0 victory on a Conor Casey goal. With tired legs, I felt it was a pretty good performance where we were very organized defensively, and created some good scoring chances in attack.

A couple training sessions tomorrow and a match against San Jose Friday should wrap things up nicely here in London - before we head back to Denver, where I know everyone here is ready to make that final preseason push before we start the regular season.

Hopefully our bodies will have adjusted before we end up heading back and have to get used to Denver time again...And even more importantly, hopefully my teammates will come up with better jokes...(Any suggested joke is welcomed....)

Later Ya'll,

Drew M.
#3

Rapids Boxing in England

2010-03-10T18:29:00.004-07:00

The team has had a busy couple of days in England since arriving on Monday. On Tuesday, following the preseason win over the Arsenal reserves, the group attended the Champions League game between Arsenal and Porto, which our Premiership friends won 5-0 to advance to the tournament's Quarterfinals.

Today, the Rapids went boxing.

Some fans may recall a video we posted on our Facebook page a few weeks ago showing how the team uses boxing as part of their conditioning training. For Wednesday's training session, the players visited Monster Gym in Cheshunt and had the chance to actually get in the ring.

Fans can see Steward Ceus and Drew Moor lacing up the gloves in the video below, or visit our Youtube Page to watch this and other team videos. You can also see more photos of the team's trip to England on our Facebook page.

Rapids Team Notes: March 10, 2010

2010-03-09T17:45:00.011-07:00

As the team continues preseason training in England, let's bring you up to date on some recent team notes:

* The Rapids have signed 24-year old goalkeeper Ian Joyce. The Seton Hall University product has played his entire professional career in England since joining Grays Athletic FC in 2007, then moving to Watford and most recently with Southend United.
* The team has officially released forward Facundo Diz.
* While trialist Andy Lorei traveled with the team to England, on Wednesday morning the Rapids were joined by another trialist: Jure Travner, a defender currently with Watford FC.
* Scott Palguta has Achilles tendonitis and is rehabbing at Dick’s Sportings Good Park.
* Ross Schunk had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee. Schunk suffered the injury in the Rapids’ preseason game against Real Salt Lake on Feb. 26 in Arizona.
* 2010 third-round MLS SuperDraft pick defender Chad Borak and Colombian midfield trialist Rolan De La Cruz have not been extended contracts and are no longer with the team.
* Rapids 2010 second round MLS SuperDraft picks Andre Akpan and Ross LaBauex, who were signed prior to the MLS SuperDraft, will use jersey numbers #24 and #16, respectively. (Though we're told those numbers could change if other numbers become available).
* Rob Valentino is switching his jersey number from #35 to #7.
* The Rapids have welcomed back John Ireland as the club's new Fitness Coach. Ireland returns for a sixth season with the Rapids, having served in a similar capacity with the club during the 2000-2004 seasons. Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, his background includes working with English Premier League side Derby County Football Club, the LA Galaxy, and the Colorado Mammoth, where he was a staff member during their 2006 National Lacrosse League World Championship.

The Rapids defeat Arsenal Reserves in Preseason Match

2010-03-09T10:43:00.003-07:00

The Rapids defeated Arsenal FC’s reserves 1-0 this morning to earn their first preseason win of the spring. The game, played in cold and windy conditions at Arsenal's training ground, kicked off at 4:30am MT. Conor Casey tapped in a cross from Omar Cummings in the 52nd minute for game-winner. The match was the first of the year for Casey, Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark, and the newly-acquired Jeff Larentowicz and Danny Earls. Check back later for video highlights. Click here for the recap and lineups.

Arsenal TV: The Rapids' Arrival and Workout in London

2010-03-09T10:34:00.005-07:00

Our friends at Arsenal TV are covering the Rapids stay in England with great behind the scenes videos so that fans can follow the team from afar. In the first installment of the week, Arsenal TV documents the Rapids' arrival in London and workout at the Arsenal FC training grounds on Monday.

If things go as intended, we'll be looking to add videos daily. Given the time difference from Denver to England, and Arsenal's Champions League game tonight, we're hopeful that tomorrow we can present images from today's preseason win over Arsenal's reserves.

The Rapids arrive in London; visit Arsenal training ground

2010-03-08T12:26:00.007-07:00

We’re here…

Greeting from merry old England. The Rapids arrived in London this morning for the second-leg of their preseason preparations outside of Colorado amidst a long travel day.

The team’s day began on Sunday at 11 am Mountain Time when the squad boarded a bus at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park headed to Denver International Airport for their 2 pm flight. Following a minor delay leaving the Mile High City, we landed in Chicago for what was to be a 45 minute layover. Luckily for us, our connecting flight was only a few terminals down at O’Hare Airport, though our hold-up in Denver resulted in a very quick plane switch before we were up in the air once again.

We touched down in at London-Heathrow and made our way through customs around 9:30 am local time. After 10 hours of flight time, you could see the same hazy look on everyone’s face, as they tried to re-establish their bearings and at the same time were happy to stretch their legs and be off a plane.

We were welcomed at the airport by members of Arsenal TV, who will be documenting much of our week here in London for an exclusive special.

From bus ride, to domestic flight, to international flight, and back to a bus, we next made the 30+ minute trek to the Arsenal Training Centre. Once there, the team gathered for a light jog and stretch. While the brisk workout helped wake up their sleepy bodies, the biggest ‘good morning you’re in London’ came from the freezing temperature and bone chilling wind cutting through the grounds.

As the Rapids got their first workout in of the week, the group of Arsenal U16 and U18 players practiced on an adjacent pitch and the Arsenal first team had a brief walk through session on their training field ahead of their Champions League match tomorrow against Porto (which we will be attending!).

After lunch at the grounds (or breakfast depending on your internal clock), the team finally arrived at the Village Hotel.
The group’s schedule for the rest of the day only includes a team dinner. The hotel sits in a small business park not far from the Training Centre. One thing that always stands out about hotels in England is that the double beds in each room are about five inches apart from each other.

Make sure to continue checking back all this week on all the Rapids’ digital platforms for the latest London updates, including tomorrow’s match against the Arsenal Reserves.

The Rapids Depart for England

2010-03-07T14:03:00.004-07:00

Rapids players, coaching staff, and team personnel met at Dick's Sporting Goods Park this morning, finished packing their bags, loaded the bus, and left for the airport. For the third time in the last four years, the Rapids’ preseason plans include a trip over 4,600 miles away to London, England.

The team is on their way for a week of training at the grounds of partner club and perennial English Premier League contender Arsenal Football Club. The Rapids’ England trip will run from March 7-14 and will include matches against the Arsenal Reserves on Tuesday and fellow Major League Soccer side the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday.

Stay tuned for updates, photos, videos, and more while the guys are overseas.

Conor Casey Signs Long-term Contract

2010-03-04T15:50:00.006-07:00

The Rapids announced today that forward Conor Casey has signed a new three-year contract, keeping the Denver-raised MLS All-Star and U.S. National team forward in Colorado amid re-newed interest from international clubs.

Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush made the announcement at a press conference held on the soccer practice field at Casey’s alma mater, Denver South High School. Among those present were Conor's parents, his former coach at South HS, and the current boys and girls soccer teams.

As a senior at South HS, Conor was named Colorado Player of the Year, first-team Colorado All-State, and All-American. He went on to star at the University of Portland for two years before beginning his professional career in Germany.

Since joining the Rapids in 2007, Casey has scored 29 goals in 60 games, which places him fourth in team history (Paul Bravo is first with 39 goals). In 2009, Conor set a new Rapids single-season scoring record with 16 goals. He was named to the mid-season MLS All-Star team and the MLS Best XI squad at year's end.

He also scored two goals for the U.S. Men's National in the World Cup qualifying 3-2 over Honduras last October, which clinched the U.S. a berth into the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Colin Clark back on the field...

2010-03-04T13:09:00.010-07:00

The guys took to an offsite swimming / fitness session on Wednesday, but were back here at Dick's Sportings Good Park this morning, where they held an 11 v 11 practice session. The key note coming from today's training was the return of midfielder Colin Clark, who participated in his full training session with the team since tearing his left ACL last August, an injury which caused him to miss the rest of the 09 season.

The guys will have a two sessions on Friday and one on Saturday before leaving for London on Sunday to continue preseason training.

Rapids Midfielder Jamie Smith Talks 2010

2010-03-02T14:11:00.008-07:00

Soccer365.com has posted a good interview with Rapids second year player Jamie Smith.

The Scottish midfielder was just hitting his stride last season when he was sidelined with injury; in the article he talks about his rehab as well as looks ahead to what hopefully promises to be a much better year for the Rapids' #20.

Some of Smith's excerpted quotes:

“You come into a new club and you want to impress, you want to make your mark. To get injured it’s really frustrating because I had certain complications with the injury.

“Last season, I got a good relationship with all the guys and obviously that’s real important. Because I was injured I got more time to get the time to know the guys much more in the locker room, going out for food, or whatever. There’s no one in the team I’ve got a problem with at all. They’re a nice bunch of lads. That’s part of training here, the last 3-4 weeks every day, getting to know what players' strengths and weaknesses are, different qualities are.

“When I went back home for the offseason, my athletic trainer had written up a field program for me---very detailed. It was just stick to that as much as possible, and it was more just trying to strengthen the muscles round about my knee so I was ready to go from the first day.”

Read the entire article here.

Rapids Supporters' 2010 Kickoff Party on the Terrace - March 19

2010-03-01T11:02:00.007-07:00

Rapids Supporters groups Class VI and the Centennial Firm have announced that they will be hosting their annual season kickoff bash at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Friday, March 19, prior to the Rapids' Charity Shield match vs. Seattle.

The Rapids Supporters' kickoff party will be free and open for all to attend (to all fans holding a game ticket for that night's match) and will be the first-ever opportunity for fans to experience the brand new Rapids Supporters Terrace, which will be christened that night as the supporters test out their lungs and legs on the terracing platforms for the first time as a trial run for Opening Day.

All existing and interested Rapids supporters are invited to attend, and encouraged to bring friends, co-workers, teammates and others....this isn't just a party for parting sake; it's also a recruiting event to try and bring more members into the Rapids Supporters Clubs' ranks!

Excerpted details from the Rapids Supporters' e-vite below:

"Come join Rapids Supporters Association groups Class VI and Centennial Firm as they kick off the 2010 season with a bang at their annual preseason bash and recruiting event!

Be the first to experience MLS's newest and most exciting feature as the Colorado Rapids, Class VI, and C-Firm use the Supporters preseason party to unveil the exclusive new Supporters Terrace!

The party will begin at 4PM, before gates open for the "Charity Shield" match on Friday, March 19th against the Seattle Sounders. Come join the supporters and fans on the Supporters Terrace for some great pre-match events such as:

- Free food and drinks!
- Some incredible door prizes!
- A silent auction featuring some amazing items such as team-signed equipment, player-used gear, and some amazing Rapids experiences!
- Some great camaraderie with hundreds of passionate Rapids fans!
- And who knows, perhaps some recognizable Rapids faces will make an appearance!

Match tickets start at only $10 and all proceeds go to UNICEF's efforts to provide
relief to Haiti.

Already a supporter? Curious about the supporters groups? Just a fan looking for a fun evening? No problem!

Grab your friends and family and come down to the party. Buy a team-signed jersey in the auction. Enjoy some free dinner before the match and come see what fun it is to be seated or standing with the Rapids' best fans as we look to pack the Terrace and section 108 and cheer on the Rapids all the way to MLS Cup 2010!"

For more information on Class VI and Centennial Firm, as well as further details on the Season Kickoff Party, click here.

Preseason Match Recap: Rapids Battle RSL to 0-0 Draw

2010-02-26T18:54:00.014-07:00

Rapids Match Report (Phoenix, AZ) - The Colorado Rapids wrapped up a week-long stint at the Casa Grande Performance Institute by earning a 0-0 draw with Rocky Mountain Cup rivals Real Salt Lake this afternoon.

Colorado conclude their trip with a 0-1-2 record against the 2008 and 2009 MLS Cup champions and the 2009 MLS Cup finalists.

(Check out exclusive video from Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith commenting on today’s match and the team’s Arizona trip on the Rapids' Facebook page by clicking here).

The Rapids can head back to Colorado tomorrow with their heads held high after playing their most complete match of the week. Players had obiviously been influenced by Gary Smith and his staff's instruction throughout the week, as the team’s shape and link play were far improved today, and the squad's overall energy was the better of the two sides on the pitch vs. RSL.

Colorado dominated much of the first half play on RSL's side of the field. The Rapids' most opportunistic scoring chance of the first 45 minutes came in the 28th minute when Mehdi Ballouchy’s shot from the top of the box rebounded off the crossbar.

The Rapids started the second half with trialist Rolan De La Cruz in the central midfield. The 6’4” Colombian joined the club on Wednesday night and only had two training sessions before being thrown into the fire of today’s quickly-paced match.

Neither side were too creative in their offensive play in the second stanza, as the 0-0 score held firm.

The Rapids return to Colorado tomorrow for one week of two-a-day sessions before heading back out on the road again for a weeklong preseason trip to London, England to train at the headquarters of Rapids partner club Arsenal FC.

Colorado Rapids vs. Real Salt Lake
Preseason match

Scoring Summary:
None

Rapids 1st Half Lineup: Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Julien Baudet, Mike Holody, Drew Moor, Wells Thompson, Mehdi Ballouchy, Ross LaBauex, Jamie Smith, Omar Cummings, Devon Hodges

Rapids 2nd Half Lineup: Matt Pickens, Rob Valentino Drew Moor, Greg Dalby, Mike Holody, Andy Lorei, Nick LaBrocca, Rolan De La Cruz, Ross LaBauex, Omar Cummings, Andre Akpan

Rapids Give Soccer Fans in Boulder Another Reason to Party

2010-02-26T15:48:00.011-07:00

Soccer fans in Boulder, rejoice.

The Colorado Rapids today announced that the club has added Conor O'Neill's Traditional Irish Pub, located on 13th Street in Boulder, as the newest Rapids Official Pub Partner.

Already recognized as Boulder's most soccer-friendly watering house, with the partnership, Conor O'Neill's adds to their legendary status by partnering up with the Rapids, and in the process become the only Rapids Partner Bar located in Boulder.

As part of the partnership, Conor O'Neill's will televise all Rapids road games and offer drink specials during the match viewing parties.

Join the Rapids at Conor O'Neill's for a special kickoff event highlighting the partnership on Sunday, March 14 in conjunction with their legendary Boulder St. Patrick’s Day Parade!

FC Denver Holding Tryouts Sunday

2010-02-26T10:20:00.007-07:00

Looking to join an adult soccer team this Spring? Local adult soccer club FC Denver announced that they are holding tryouts this Sunday!

From their e-newsletter:

"FC Denver tryouts are scheduled for Sunday from 10am - 1pm at Hampden Heights Park. There are no cost for tryouts. Just bring your gear, any club questions you have, and be ready to show your skills. We'll start at 10am sharp, so be sure to be there and be ready.

We will have a chat as a group and a group warmup before splitting into groups (a group for those playing and trying out for Masters, a group for returning Premier players and a few chosen United players, and a group for all other returning and new players).

We will run 45 minutes sessions and take breaks in-between. Expect to be at fields until approximately 12:30pm.

Premier & United roster spots will mostly be made on Sunday after tryouts, while Masters and our players making our practice squad will take additional time to deceide. Guys trying out for Premier and United should expect to be receiving an email on Sunday evening with information about our upcoming rosters."

For more information, visit FC Denver's website.

Moor's Musings: Hello From Phoenix!

2010-02-25T20:25:00.012-07:00

What’s up everybody,

I'm glad to join Scott Palguta as a Rapids player blog contributor!

I am currently writing from that actual place that people refer to as “in the middle of nowhere.” Not that it’s a bad place by any means; I just don’t think Casa Grande is the place most people would expect when they think about soccer preseason.

Here, just as reference, check out where we are (and be sure to zoom out a bit…). Click here for the Google map of Casa Grande.

OK, so now that you have an idea of where we are, then you know that we are eating, sleeping, drinking, breathing, walking, and talking soccer 24/7. Which, really, at this point, is what we’re supposed to be doing, right?

So far through preseason, including this trip, the training has been quite demanding and a lot of focus has been put on the crucial small details of the game. Defensive positioning, midfield to forward link play, communication from the back, fitness, and so on.

I am very confident that the time we have been spending on the pitch (twice a day 4 or 5 times a week) has been very constructive, and perhaps as focused as I’ve been a part of in my 6 pro years.

The weather here at Casa Grande has been nothing to argue about either, with 70 degree sunny days and 40 degree chilly nights; it’s the kind of weather I want to spend “in the middle of nowhere” in.

Our two matches so far vs. Columbus and LA were very competitive and although the results weren’t what we were looking for, there was still plenty of good to take from both. Preseason is the time to look at different combinations, try different formations, get injured players healthy, and have a look at our young kids.

Speaking of the young kids, we have a solid group of rookies. All of them are very capable of playing good soccer, have great attitudes, and most importantly to me, we have one from Texas.

And, speaking of injured players, I believe just about everyone has been able to get involved in a couple of competitive drills (minus one or two guys), which is a good sign.

I know this post was no Scott Palguta, but I hope everyone enjoyed the map, and the quick update, and that the horse that’s about to deliver this telegram across the desert is able to get this to ya’ll soon….

Until next time!

-Drew Moor
Defender #3

Preseason Match Recap: Rapids Fall to Galaxy 0-2 in Phoenix

2010-02-24T16:37:00.013-07:00

Rapids Match Recap (Phoenix, AZ)- Playing their second match in as many days, the Colorado Rapids dropped a 0-2 decision to the LA Galaxy at the Casa Grande Performance Institute this afternoon.

(Check out video from the match and reactions from rookie Ross LaBauex on the Rapids' Facebook page by clicking here).

Los Angeles’ Mike Magee tallied a brace in the first half, registering goals in the 7th and 34th minutes.

Magee’s first score came from a rocket of a shot from the left side, while his second goal of the day was assisted by a Tristan Bowan touch pass inside the six-yard box, giving Magee an open net look.

The Rapids' best scoring opportunity of the first half followed a minute later when Drew Moor towered above the pack to head a Jamie Smith corner kick off the crossbar.

The Galaxy took their two goal advantage into the halftime break, as the Arizona sun beat down for the first time in three days.

Los Angeles looked like the more tactical team today, controlling much of the flow throughout the second half and keeping Colorado’s offensive threats to a minimum.

Rapids rookies Andre Akpan and Ross LaBauex gave the Rapids a sense of hope in the 88th minute when LaBauex’s through pass sliced the Galaxy defense at the top of the box, putting Apkan in position for a shot. Akpan’s shot was headed for the lower left corner before Galaxy ‘keeper Josh Saunders came up with a fingertip save.

In other notes, Colorado goalkeeper Steward Ceus also recorded his second straight second half shutout today, as the Rapids' netminders split halves again this game.

The Rapids will have one training session Thursday afternoon and one Friday morning ahead of their third and final preseason game in Arizona when they face rivals Real Salt Lake at 4:00 p.m. MT....make sure to check back here for updates from the rest of the week and Friday's match!

Colorado Rapids vs. Columbus Crew
Preseason match

Scoring Summary:
LA- Magee (unassisted) 7'
LA- Magee (Bowan) 34'

Rapids 1st Half Lineup: Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura, Julien Baudet, Mike Holody, Drew Moor, Pat Noonan, Nick LaBrocca, Medhi Ballouchy, Jamie Smith, Omar Cummings, Devon Hodges

Rapids 2nd Half Lineup: Steward Ceus, Kosuke Kimura, Greg Dalby, Mike Holody, Rob Valentino, Wells Thompson, Medhi Ballouchy, Ross LaBauex, Andy Lorei, Ross Schunk, Andre Akpan

FC Denver Announce Partnership With British Bulldog

2010-02-24T14:21:00.010-07:00

FC Denver announced today an exclusive partnership with Rapids partner bar The British Bulldog.

FC Denver are one of the largest and most respected adult soccer clubs in the state with 85 members that participate on teams ranging from skilled to highly advanced. They field competitive-level Men's, Women's, and Coed teams while building a strong community of diverse, fun, and thoughtful members.

Excerpted from the FC Denver news story, posted on their official blog, The Green Army:

Our partnership ranges from the big (upcoming tournaments, events, player referral, jersey recognition) to the more minute (discounts on food purchases, video watching availability, etc) and is geared towards the growth of both organizations and, possibly more importantly, promoting the love of the game in Denver and beyond. Our organizations share a uncannily similar desires to share our passion of the game with the broader community.

By combining efforts in several like-minded areas, we can have a broader and more wide-ranging influence. One area that FC Denver is excited to put its support behind is the new Rapids Supporters group that the British Bulldog has organized called the “Bulldog Supporters Group” or “Bobbies” for short.

FC Denver will be joining and chanting alongside the Bulldog Supporters group in the new Supporters Terrace Section of Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Be sure to check back on the blog in the coming days for more information about getting involved with the Bulldog Supporters Group.

Our first official club event @ the Bulldog will be our FC Denver Spring 2010 Preseason Club party next Thursday evening March 4th from 6:30 - 9pm. We will also be organizing once or twice a week get-togethers at the Bulldog after games/practices so everyone can get to know Jon Forget (Bulldog GM), his friendly crew of employees, and all the great beers and food they have to offer."

FC Denver place special emphasis on giving back to the larger community through community service and fundraising events. They are equally passionate about the joy of playing soccer and the value of bringing people together for friendships, networking, and bettering our community. For more details, visit their official website.

Match Recap: Rapids Draw Columbus 1-1 in First Preseason Match

2010-02-23T17:45:00.017-07:00

Rapids Match Recap (Phoenix, AZ) - Omar Cummings’ penalty kick goal in the 19th minute pulled the Colorado Rapids even with the Columbus Crew today as the Rapids earned a 1-1 draw in their first preseason match of 2010.

(Check out video from the match and reactions from Head Coach Gary Smith on the Rapids' Facebook page by clicking here).

The contest’s scoring all came in the first half, as Columbus jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the 4th minute of play.

The Crew's Steven Lenhart received a well-timed through pass that split the Rapids defense, leading to a 1-v-1 with Matt Pickens. Lenhart was able to seize the opportunity, giving the Crew the early advantage.

The Rapids controlled much of the offensive play after giving up the early goal and were able to respond with their first goal of the new season not long thereafter.

Fighting through a hard tackle and winning the ball, Colorado's Wells Thompson found himself surrounded with open space headed to goal. Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer was called for a penalty after he fouled Thompson with a mis-timed slide tackle attempt.

Omar Cummings stepped up to the spot and knocked it calmly home in the 19th minute for the tying score.

No real attempts threatened for the remainder of the first half, and the score was 1-1 at halftime.

The second half saw both teams play a back and forth affair. The pace and flow at times looked like an early preseason game, but both sides could leave the afternoon tilt with a positive feeling of where they are in the early stages of preseason.

Colorado made six substitutions to start the second half, giving the technical staff a good look at some of the club's new young talent as well as trialists in camp (see the Rapids' lineups at the bottom of this story).

Meanwhile, Columbus subbed in a slew of veterans around the 60th minute as Schelotto, Hejduk, Padula and O’Rourke all entered the game.

Colorado were able to hold the score at 1-1 in the second half behind some key saves by Steward Ceus in the 66th and 70th minutes, but scoring chances were limited on either side over the match’s final minutes.

The Rapids have a short turnaround before their next match, as they face off against the LA Galaxy here at the Casa Grande Performance Institute tomorrow afternoon; check back here for updates from tomorrow's match!

Colorado Rapids vs. Columbus Crew
Preseason match

Scoring Summary:
CLB- Lenhart (unassisted) 4
COL- Cummings (penalty kick) 19

Rapids 1st Half Lineup: Matt Pickens, Rob Valentino, Julien Baudet, Oscar Murrilo, Drew Moor, Wells Thompson, Ross LaBauex, Nick LaBrocca, Jamie Smith, Omar Cummings, Devon Hodges

Rapids 2nd Half Lineup: Steward Ceus, Kosuke Kimura, Rob Valentino, Oscar Murillo, Mike Holody, Wells Thompson, Greg Dalby, Ross LaBauex, Andy Lorei, Ross Schunk, Andre Akpan

The Green Army's Rapids Training Report

2010-02-19T08:55:00.005-07:00

The Green Army, the official blog site of FC Denver, posted a good insightful report from yesterday's Rapids training session titled "Shining Through".

Included in the post are training observations, reports on some of the new faces in camp, reports on individual players' performances, and a quick interview with new Rapids Colombian player Oscar Murillo.

Check it out here.

Conor Casey at USMNT Camp

2010-02-17T15:07:00.005-07:00

World Football Daily conducted some on-the-ground interviews with US National Team players out at the US camp at The Home Depot Center.

Included in the video was Rapids striker Conor Casey. Check out the video below; Casey's interview starts at the 1:00 mark.

Palguta's Posts: "I'm Really, Really, Really Ridiculously Good-Looking."

2010-02-15T18:44:00.014-07:00

It’s surprising how comfortable and at home I feel playing on national television or in front of a crowd of 30,000 people; no nerves, no jitters, no problems. Yet if you take that little round ball away from me and throw me back in front of the camera....I’m lost.

This is what I experienced last week while taking some time to do a Rapids photo shoot at Dick's Sporting Goods Park for Mile High Sports Magazine. Ok, maybe I’m embellishing a little bit, but it’s still a somewhat awkward experience, at least initially.

The shoot consisted of two parts: a series of outdoor action shots and some indoor fashion shots. We started down on the turf fields where our photographer spent some time looking for the perfect action shot (the easy part). I performed some juggling tricks, side volleys, and even a few overhead kicks until the photographer was satisfied (or maybe he just gave up—we’ll see). About twenty minutes and a few turf burns later, we headed back to the locker room, where I got cleaned up and dressed for the fashion portion of the shoot.

Fortunately, the room was full of complete strangers, which made me extra comfortable.

After a few introductions to these strangers, I was put back in front of the camera, but only after the guys from American Crew styled my 'do, and dressed me in trendy street clothes (courtesy of Metroboom), and asked to perform some relatively unnatural poses. At one point, I was asked to hold my phone and act as if I was texting or reading an email. However, I quickly discovered that actually using my phone was a lot easier than pretending. So, I texted my girlfriend back and forth for a few minutes, and before I knew it, we were done! So it wasn’t so bad after all!

The Rapids also posted a video showing the behind the scenes from the fashion shoot on the club's Facebook page; watch it here.

But in all seriousness, the shoot was a lot of fun and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be even a small part of next month’s issue. I also look forward to seeing the rest of the boys in subsequent issues—it makes for great locker room banter.

Oh, and to the best of my knowledge, that’s 2 defenders, 1 midfielder, and 0 forwards that have been featured thus far in this monthly Rapids feature in the magazine. Go figure!

I’ll be back next week with an update from our preseason training trip to sunny Phoenix, AZ…..

--Scott

Rapids Players & Their Valentine's Day Mishaps

2010-02-15T09:35:00.006-07:00

Hi Rapids fans!

As part of my job as Rapids Inside the Game hostess, I had the chance to interview some Rapids players to find out some of their most memorable Valentine's Day experiences!

In my quest to dig up some of the good stories, I asked several of the Rapids players the following question: Can you describe in a couple of sentences which Valentine's Day experience sticks out most in your memory (for either good or bad)?

Rapids defender Mike Holody: "I think the last good Valentine's Day I can remember was when I was in the 5th grade, because it was the last time we exchanged cards and candy with everyone in our class. I mean, Valentine's Day cards with NFL players on them? Amazing."

Rapids goalkeeper Chris Sharpe: "I think the best Valentine's Day that I had was when I used to get cards and candy from a secret admirer!! That just doesn’t seem to happen anymore!"

Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura: "It's been a while, but I made a reservation one Valentine’s Day at a really nice restaurant. However, my date was an hour late so the restaurant cancelled our reservation! We couldn't get into another good restaurant at that point so we ended up eating fast food that year!"

Rapids defender Scott Palguta: "Regrettably, I never had a true Valentine until this year (although my wallet will argue it’s not all that 'regrettable'). But unfortunately, Murphy’s Law was in full effect this weekend. My girlfriend came down with food poisoning Friday night, so we were forced to cancel our dinner reservations. Then I couldn’t even cheer her up with the flowers I had ordered, because UPS never showed up with the delivery. Needless to say, I’m DONE with a certain 1-800 flower company. We’ll have to have a do-over next weekend."

Rapids forward Ross Schunk: "Few people know this, but Valentine's Day, February 14th, is the great state of Oregon's birthday. On Feb 14, 1859 my home state joined the United States. So growing up, even if I didn't have a Valentine, I still got the chance to celebrate on Valentine's Day every year."

As for me personally, my funniest Valentine’s Day story came from when I was a freshman in high school. I was trying out for my high school soccer team and my friend Hannah and I were going to go on a group date that night. I was a goalkeeper, so when the varsity coach came around to look at us I tried really hard to show off so I went out of the box to get the ball and a girl kneed me in the head. I went into the training room and I had a softball size goose egg on my head! So NO date for me that year!

Thanks, and I hope all Rapids fans had a Happy Valentine's Day!

-Lindsay Carroll
Rapids Inside the Game hostess

Weekend Soccer Games

2010-02-11T13:50:00.003-07:00

Hey Rapids fans! Looking for something to do on your Valentine’s Weekend? Grab your date, or even just a few friends and head to one of the Colorado Rapids Official Bar Partners. While you’re there grab some food and a few drinks, sit back and watch one of the many soccer games on TV. Here is a list of the games happening this weekend.

Friday Feburary 12, 2010

AC Milan v Udinese (Live on Fox Soccer @ 12:30 PM MT)

Saturday February 13, 2010

FA Cup: Chelsea v Cardiff City (Live on Setanta @ 4:55 am)
FA Cup - Southampton v Portsmouth (Live on Fox Soccer @ 5:30 AM MT)
FA Cup: Reading v West Brom (Live on Setanta @ 7:55 am)
FA Cup – Derby County v Birmingham City (Live on Fox Soccer @ 8 AM MT)
Roma vs. Palermo (Live on ESPN360 and Fox Soccer @ 9:55 am MT)
FA Cup: Manchester City v Stoke City (Live on Setanta @ 10:00 AM MT)
Sampdoria v Fiorentina (Live on Fox Soccer @ 12:30 pm MT)

Sunday February 14, 2010

Juventus vs. Genoa (Live on ESPN360 @ 6:45 AM MT)
FA Cup: Fulham v Notts County (Live on Setanta @ 7:55 AM MT)
FA Cup - Bolton v Tottenham (Live on Fox Soccer @ 8:30 AM MT)
FA Cup – Crystal Palace v Aston Villa (Live on Fox Soccer @ 8:30 AM MT)
Braga vs. Maritimo (Live on ESPN360 @ 11:00 AM MT)
Napoli v Inter Milan (Live on Fox Soccer @ 12:30 PM MT

Roster Comings and Goings…

2010-02-11T12:02:00.010-07:00

Amidst the third week of preseason training, the Rapids have made several player transactions as the team’s roster gets closer to taking its final shape.

In addition to yesterday’s announcement of the signings of defender/midfielder Danny Earls and defender Oscar Murillo and Wednesday’s news that the club traded defender Ty Harden to Toronto FC, the Rapids released forward Chris Cutshaw. Cutshaw was Colorado’s fourth round selection in January’s MLS SuperDraft from Bradley University.

Next week, the Rapids will welcome Jamaican international Devon Hodges for a trial period. The 25-year old forward has appeared in both of Jamaica’s recent friendlies, alongside the Rapids’ own Omar Cummings, playing the full 90 minutes against Canada on January 31 and 12 minutes on Wednesday in the Reggae Boyz’ friendly against Argentina.

Hodges is one of a handful of trialists that will join the team throughout the early weeks of training, as the team has seen former Denver University midfielders Collin Audley and Leon Abravanel among the team’s sessions already this year.

This is always a busy period for the Rapids technical staff, so be sure to check back to ColoradoRapids.com and the Rapids Undercurrent for all the latest official news and updates!

Rapids Academy Setting the Standard

2010-02-10T09:15:00.006-07:00

Goal.com has a good article posted on their site about how the Rapids Academy and other MLS clubs' youth systems are setting the standard in America for youth soccer development.

Some excerpted quotes from Brian Crookham, Director of the Rapids Academy:

“We are different [from other traditional youth soccer programs in the US] in that player development is paramount and winning will be a by-product of development, not the opposite.

"The bottom line is that the daily environment must be better if we want to produce better players, and I think there has been some movement in that direction.

“We had [local Colorado youth soccer] clubs that jumped up at the beginning wanting to be partners, and we had clubs that circled the wagons and protected what they feel are their territories.

“Oversight that is good for a traditional youth club doesn't fit with our goals or philosophies.”

Read this entire story online here.

Rapids Youth Teams Weekly Schedule

2010-02-09T08:37:00.004-07:00

This week's Rapids youth teams schedule, courtesy of the Rapids Academy:

February 8 – February 15, 2010

Monday: Teams off

Tuesday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym*
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym*

Wednesday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10

Thursday: Training, U16 and 18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10

Friday: U15 and U17 Teams – Travel to Las Vegas, NV

Saturday: Training, U16 and U18 Teams, 1:00pm, Field 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 10:00am, Adams City High School Gym*
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 11:00am, Adams City High School Gym*
U15 and U17 Teams – Mayor’s Cup International Showcase

Sunday: Training, U16 and U18 DA Teams, 1:00pm, Field 8
U15 and U17 Teams – Mayor’s Cup International Showcase

Monday: U15 and U17 Teams – Mayor’s Cup International Showcase
U15 and U17 Teams – Travel to Denver, CO

*Indoor Training Sessions
Please note that there will be no indoor training on Thursday, February 11th or Thursday, February 18th. Also, for both sessions this week (Tuesday and Saturday), part of the group will train outside. Players should bring cleats and warm clothing in addition to their indoor shoes. Also note that the original schedule included slight time changes, however by moving outside, there will now be no change from the normal schedule.

Rapids Season Tickets – Academy Supporters
Your Colorado Rapids Opening Day is April 3rd vs. Chicago Fire! Be there with the rest of your team to celebrate the new Rapids Academy Section in 134. If you haven’t already purchased your specially priced Academy Season tickets for 2010, please contact our Academy Season Ticket Rep, Ossie Hamrick, at 303.727.3538.

Rapids Academy's 16-Year Old James Rogers Trains With the Big Boys

2010-02-08T13:01:00.008-07:00

**UPDATE**
The Rapids held their first 11-v-11 scrimmage in training on Sat, Feb. 13 and James had an excellent showing in just his second session working with the First Team, scoring the match's most exciting goal of the morning.
************************************
The present met what may be the future on Saturday as 16-year old Rapids Academy member James Rogers took the field with the Rapids' first team.

Rogers earned the opportunity to train with the pros after showing well over the last couple of months, including an eye-opening performance at the Development Academy Showcase in Phoenix last December. Although eligible for the Rapids U16 team, he is training and playing full time with the Rapids U18s.

Rogers was born in Sierra Leone and moved to Colorado last year after living in Utah for several years, where he last played full-time for Sparta Premier. He also played for the Ogden Outlaws last summer and participated with RSL’s SUM Cup team.

Rogers was recognized at the national level when he was named to the US U15 National Team Pool.

On Saturday, James took part in the Rapids' first team warm-ups on the fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and then was treated to a core fitness session that centered around boxing. Then the fun began.

A forward, Rogers got his first touch early in the 8v8 games and drove straight to goal, sailing a shot high over the bar. He created several more opportunities in the session and proved he can be an asset in possession and defending as well. His performance on the day earned praise from the Rapids' first team coaches and players alike.

Click here to watch a video interview with James taken immediately after the session!

Check back here to The Rapids Undercurrent, as the Rapids Academy will keep you updated on the progress of this talented Rapids Youth Team member!

Rapids Academy Player Vitals:
James Rogers
Rapids Academy U18 team (age-eligible for U16 team)
Born 6/27/1993
Poudre High School - Junior

Valentino on Trial with Lov-Ham

2010-02-02T11:20:00.007-07:00

The Rapids announced today that defender Rob Valentino has gone on trial for a possible loan with Lov-Ham Fotball.

Lov-Ham plays in the Adeccoligaen, Norway’s second highest division.

Valentino, acquired by Colorado in a trade from New England on May 6, 2009 in exchange for Nico Colaluca, has yet to appear in an MLS game in his two seasons since coming out of the University of San Francisco as a Generation adidas signee.

According to Lov-Ham coach Arne Sandsto, Valentino will play in a friendly this Wednesday against Brann.

Palguta's Blog: Recapping First Week of Preseason Camp

2010-02-01T22:58:00.010-07:00

Well, February is upon us and we’re already into our second week of preseason training!

Taking a look back at the first week of camp, it started as we all gathered at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park last Tuesday for entrance physicals and a brief team meeting. It was great to have all the guys back in the same locker room together.

We were also able to welcome the four new players the club recently picked up in the 2010 SuperDraft. I’m personally thrilled with the selection of Andre Akpan, because along with the recent acquisition of Jeff Larentowicz, our roster now features three Ivy-Leaguers! That’s right, smart kids can excel at sports, too.

I’m excited to finally play alongside Jeff, since I routinely lost to him and his Brown Bears throughout my collegiate career. I’m not making any excuses for Cornell, but I suppose it’s easier to concentrate on soccer when you have the option to take all of your courses pass/fail.

Now, I have no argument for Harvard; they’re just better.....unless, of course, you want to discuss grade inflation. But this is a soccer blog, so I won’t get into that.

Wednesday was our first official day of training. Most of the session was spent trying to get the rust off, as it was clear that the majority of us spent the last month or so away from the training pitch.

Our training session was followed by an incredible “welcome back” team meal at the Denver ChopHouse. While the meal itself was outstanding, the most memorable moment of the evening was assistant coach Brett Jacobs' toast, which included a proficient and inspiring recitation of “The Man In The Glass.”

With full stomachs, we reported to Impact Sports Performance in Broomfield early Thursday morning for fitness testing.

Impact Sports is a strength and conditioning facility owned by our strength coach, Jamie Heiner. Over the course of a couple hours, Jamie put us through a series of tests which included: vertical jump, 20-yard dash, agility shuttle, body fat testing, and finally, the dreaded Yo-Yo endurance test.

The purpose of the fitness testing is to simply see what we’ve been doing during the off-season. It also gives the coaching staff a feel for our collective fitness level. Based on the results, the coaches can put together the proper training sessions for the coming weeks.

In the end, the staff was thrilled with the results, as nearly everyone surpassed expectations.It’s clear that we have a dedicated group that really wants to build on last year’s progress.

Perhaps our impressive test results will lead to more time with the ball at our feet and less time in our running shoes during the days ahead...

Thanks and until next time!

-Scott

Rapids defender Scott Palguta blogs exclusively for The Rapids Undercurrent. Post questions or feedback for future columns below!

Rapids Youth Teams Weekly Schedule

2010-02-01T15:41:00.005-07:00

This week's Rapids Youth Teams training and match schedule, courtesy of the Rapids Academy:

February 1 – February 7, 2010

Monday: Teams off

Tuesday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym

Wednesday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10

Thursday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)

Friday: Teams off

Saturday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 1:00pm, Field 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 10:00am, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 11:00am, Adams City High School Gym

Sunday: Training, U16 and U18 DA Teams, 1:00pm, Field 8

*Facebook
Both the Colorado Rapids and the Rapids Academy are now on facebook with exclusive content, including video from this weekend’s marketing photo shoot. Become a fan of both pages by clicking on the links below:

Rapids Facebook Page
Rapids Academy Facebook Page

**Rapids Season Tickets – Academy Supporters
Your Colorado Rapids Opening Day is April 3rd vs. Chicago Fire! Be there with the rest of your team to celebrate the new Rapids Academy Section in 134. If you haven’t already purchased your specially priced Academy Season tickets for 2010, please contact our Academy Season Ticket Rep, Ossie Hamrick, at 303.727.3538.

-All training and match times listed are at Dick's Sporting Goods Park unless otherwise indicated.

Omar Cummings Assists in Jamaican Win

2010-02-01T10:59:00.005-07:00

Rapids striker Omar Cummings provided the game-winning assist in Jamaica's 1-0 win over Canada in the friendly played between the two nations yesterday in Kingston.

Cummings served up his assist to Luton Shelton, who scored in the 68th minute at National Stadium after the Reggae Boyz dominated the first half.

For more info soon (the game story hasn't been posted yet), visit the Jamaican National Team's official website here.

Catching Up With Former Rapids Coach Tim Hankinson

2010-01-30T11:44:00.012-07:00

YanksAbroad.com has a very good article catching up with former Colorado Rapids Head Coach Tim Hankinson, who is currently coaching in India.

Hankinson, who coached at Ft. Lewis College in Durango, CO after leaving the helm of the Rapids, left the Centennial State to become the first American coach ever to take the reins of a club in Asia.

Hankinson's describing of the off-the-field challenges he faces on a daily basis as the head man at Salgaoacar SC in Vasco Da Gama in Goa, India are almost unbelievable.

Some of his excerpted quotes:

"The challenges outside the field like nutrition, malaria, monsoon season, etc...make the year a challenge beyond the game itself. The infrastructure must get better for soccer to get better. Fields for practice are poor and game fields and stadiums need improvement.

"Monsoon season in June/July/August makes training impossible. There are only two field turf fields in all of India.

Recalling a recent match: "The stadium had more than 500 crowd control police with shields, bats and rifles and we tied the game in the 90th minute. On the bus ride out of the stadium, the fans of East Bengal were lined on every side pounding the bus with rocks and bricks.

"[One the] size of a softball came through the window and everyone [got] on the floor of the bus. Later we heard fans were warming their arms up on us getting ready to show displeasure towards their own team. Two players went to the hospital.

"Basically, if I ever again hear an American coach complain of field conditions, hotels, meals, etc...I will come over there and kick their [butts]!"

Check out YanksAbroad for this good read on Hankinson's pioneering efforts; the entire article is here.

Rapids Alum Bartlett Making Waves in South Africa

2010-01-29T10:22:00.008-07:00

Good article today by MLS on Rapids Alumni Player Shaun Bartlett.

Bartlett, the South African native who starred up front for Colorado in the club's first 2 seasons of 1996 and 1997, finds himself 15 years later heavily involved with the sport in his home country, as they sit on the verge of hosting the world's largest event this summer.

Excerpted quote from the article:

"My humble appeal to all South Africans is that we must come together to support the national team and stop giving out a negative attitude towards Bafana," Bartlett recently told Kickoff.com.

"It is vital we start at the bottom and lay a solid foundation. Our goal is to produce players who will represent Bafana at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil."

Bartlett recorded 9 goals and 9 assists in 36 games played for the Rapids in '96 and '97.

Read the whole article here.

Rapids' Season Opener at Chivas Changes Dates

2010-01-27T17:16:00.003-07:00

The Colorado Rapids announced today that the club’s 2010 season opener against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center has changed dates.

The game, which was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 28, will now be played on Friday, March 26 at 8:30 p.m. MT.

The following weekend, the Rapids return to the friendly confines of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for their home opener, hosting the Chicago Fire on Saturday, April 3 at 2 p.m. MT.

Rapids Season Tickets are available by calling the Rapids at (303) 825-GOAL or online at www.ColoradoRapids.com.

ESPN Unveils 2010 World Cup Broadcast Schedule for US Viewers

2010-01-27T15:39:00.004-07:00

ESPN has unveiled their broadcast times for the 2010 World Cup for viewers here in the USA.

For the most important question soccer fans are asking in Colorado, broadcast times for kickoff of the matches here in the Mountain Time Zone will be 5:00am, 7:30am and Noon MST for the group stages, 7:30am and Noon for the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals and Noon MST for the Semi's and 11:30am for the Final.

For the complete ESPN broadcast announcement, click here (note times listed on the broadcasts are EST).

From their website:

ESPN will present comprehensive coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup June 11, through July 11, from 10 stadiums in nine cities across South Africa. All 64 matches will be aired live and in high definition on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC, and extensive coverage on ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV. In addition, 2010 FIFA World Cup studio programs, including prematch, halftime and postmatch segments, will be presented in high definition.

ESPN will air 44 FIFA World Cup matches from South Africa – the most ever for the network in one tournament. ESPN2 will feature 10 matches. ABC will broadcast 10, beginning with the U.S. Men’s National Team’s tournament opener vs. England on Saturday, June 12, at 2 p.m. ET in Rustenburg. The tournament will conclude on ABC with the title match Sunday, July 11, at 1:30 p.m. ET from the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

DSG Park Hosting Referees' Mentoring Program This Weekend

2010-01-27T14:42:00.009-07:00

Calling all referrees: there's a unique mentoring opportunity taking place this weekend at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

From our friends at Play The Whistle:

"Whether you are new to the referee community or a veteran referee, everyone is welcome and encouraged to join Play The Whistle for free continuing education. Spectators, coaches, and soccer enthusiasts who want to understand more about the job of the referees are also invited.

The mentor program is in place to provide support and continuing education to promote referees, increase referee retention and enhance the level of officiating at all levels.

This is a great opportunity to better understand the laws of the game, hear from presenters about topics other that the typical laws of the game, and learn tips and pointers that have made other referees successful."

Details for this weekend's event:

January 28 – 31, 2010
North – South Showcase/Friendlies Hosted by Westminster AFC
Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Turf Fields 8 & 10
2010 is the 4th Annual North South Showcase for U16 – 18 boys and girls teams. Mentor program throughout the weekend of games. Games will be played Thursday evening 1/28 at 6:30 & 8 PM, Friday evening 1/29 5, 6:30 & 8 PM. Saturday 1/30 8 AM – 12:30 PM & 5 PM – 8 PM. Sunday 1/31 8 AM – 12:30 PM. Referees officiating the games will be provided feedback and advice during half time intervals and after games. Saturday at 11 AM & 5 PM PTW will offer a group observation and discussion about the games. Referees, parents of referees, spectators who are interested are welcome to join us for the education discussion. See you at the fields!

For more information on Play The Whistle and their referees mentoring program and other resources, visit their website.

Rapids Youth Teams Weekly Schedule

2010-01-25T16:29:00.003-07:00

This week's training schedule for the Rapids Youth Teams, courtesy of the Rapids Academy:

January 25 – January 31, 2010

Monday: Rapids Youth Teams off

Tuesday: Training, Rapids U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym

Wednesday: Training, Rapids U15-U18 Teams, 6:00pm, Fields 8 and 10

*Thursday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 5:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 6:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 7:00pm, Adams City High School Gym (Optional)

Friday: Rapids Youth Teams off

**Saturday: Training, U15-U18 Teams, 3:00pm, Fields 8 and 10
Indoor Training, U11-U12 Teams, 10:00am, Adams City High School Gym
Indoor Training, U13-U14 Teams, 11:00am, Adams City High School Gym

Sunday: Training, Rapids U16 and U18 DA Teams, 1:00pm, Field 8

NOTES:
*Thursday, January 28
Note that training on Thursday has been moved to 5:00pm for the U15-U18 teams.

**Saturday, January 30
Note that training will begin at 3:00pm for the U15-U18 teams on Saturday. Also, there will be a special photo shoot at the Pepsi Center for the Rapids U16 and U18 Development Academy teams beginning at 5:00pm, followed by free admission into the Colorado Mammoth game at 7:00pm. More information regarding this event will be sent out later this week.

Rapids Season Tickets – Academy Supporters
Your Colorado Rapids Opening Day is April 3rd vs. Chicago Fire! Be there with the rest of your team to celebrate the new Rapids Academy Section in 134. If you haven’t already purchased your specially priced Academy Season tickets for 2010, please contact our Academy Season Ticket Rep, Ossie Hamrick, at 303.727.3538.

-All training and match times listed are at Dick's Sporting Goods Park unless otherwise indicated.

Introducing the Bulldog Rapids Supporters Club

2010-01-25T12:15:00.025-07:00

Want to find out about the newest Colorado Rapids Supporters Club?

Check out the Bulldog Supporters Group, who are launching their new club with a kickoff event this Saturday night!

Who are the Bulldog Supporters Club (or "The Bobbies", as they'll be known)? In their own words:

"We are an independent supporters group of the Colorado Rapids, with the goal of adding to the atmosphere at Dick’s Sporting goods Park, being a positive force for the Rapids and their fans, acting as ambassadors for the game and the team, fostering camaraderie among ourselves and all Rapids fans, and most of all vocally supporting our hometown club with the belief that we are capable of winning championships.

"We are welcoming new members that are interested in standing, chanting & singing, drinking pints before during and after the match, and having a good time with other like-minded football fanatics. We will bring a party-like atmosphere to the ground win or lose."

Membership in the club includes the best possible price for Rapids season tickets, a club shirt, scarf, invites to special events, discounted bus rides to and from the stadium, and "copious amounts of rip roaring good times"!

The club is having a special kickoff event at the British Bulldog (the club's home base) this Saturday night.

Dinner and drinks will be provided at the Bulldog, and Rapids coaches and players will be in attendance to address the group, answer questions and chat with supporters.

Quick stats about this Saturday's Bulldog Supporters kickoff party:

-Time is 6:00-8:30pm at The British Bulldog this Sat. Jan. 30
-VIP guests will include Rapids coaches Gary Smith and Steve Guppy and Rapids players Kosuke Kimura and Colin Clark
-Presentation by Gary Smith and Q&A with Gary and Steve
-Introduce/launch new Bulldog Supporters Group with details for 2010
-Enjoy happy hour specials
-Fans can sign up for the Bulldog Supporters Club on the spot!

Saturday's event is free to attend, so if you're interested (or just want to meet the Rapids coaches and players), come find out what it's all about at the introductory meeting.

If you are passionate about the Rapids or the global game, and want to stand and vocally support the Rapids in an over-21 environment this season with other like-minded fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, while also getting to attend great pre- and post-game events at the Bulldog, this just might be the club for you.

For further information about Saturday's event, or to find out more about joining The Bobbies or the club's board of directors (they are still looking for some volunteer posts such as Treasurer, VP, Communications Director, etc.), contact Jon Forget at BritishBulldogFC@gmail.com.

Scott Palguta, New Undercurrent Blogger

2010-01-25T12:06:00.008-07:00

The Rapids Undercurrent welcomes our newest celebrity blogger, Rapids defender Scott Palguta to the Undercurrent contributing staff! Here's Scott's first entry, look for continuing entries from him here on out!

Greetings Rapids fans!

I thought I would briefly stop by ahead of this week’s start to the 2010 preseason to give you all an update.

I know it’s been a long off-season, so just in case I’ve escaped anyone’s memory, I’m Scott Palguta. That’s right, Palguta (#29, center back). NOT Ty Harden (#5, center back). While Ty and I are both defenders with All-American boy looks, we are, in fact, two entirely different people. You’d be surprised how often people mistake the two of us.

Anyways, I’ll be checking in regularly throughout the season to offer you a behind-the-scenes look at the club from a player’s perspective that’s (hopefully) informative and at least mildly entertaining.

Look for topics ranging from game recaps to road trips to.........some utterly useless facts. For instance: Do you ever wonder how many push-ups Matt Pickens can do in a minute? Are you eager to know if Nick LaBrocca cuts his hair more than once a year? Want to know what Omar reallllly thinks about Kosuke’s pet rabbit?

Visit us here at The Rapids Undercurrent periodically (and by periodically, I mean every single day; put a link on your desktop, add this site to your “favorites”, put it in your bookmark bar, whatever) to find answers to these and more intriguing questions.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back later this week to let you know who puked during the beep test. Just kidding....maybe...

-Scott

Rapids defender Scott Palguta blogs exclusively for The Rapids Undercurrent. Post questions or feedback for future columns below!

Rapids U14 Coach David Proctor Named CYS Boys Competitve Coach of the Year

2010-01-25T09:44:00.010-07:00

Rapids Academy coach David Proctor was named Competitive Boys coach of the year Saturday evening at the annual Colorado Youth Soccer Awards Banquet.

Proctor (in the center in the back row of the attached photo, posed with his Rapids U14 team in 2009) earned the honor primarily for his work with the Rapids U14 team, which he coached during the 2008-09 season. One of the inaugural Academy teams, the Rapids U14s earned many team and individual honors under Proctor’s guidance.

As a team, they excelled in the Clyde Best international tournament last February against teams such as French club FC Sochaux and the Bermuda national teams. They also reached the State Cup semifinals before being eliminated on penalty kicks.

More importantly, two of the Rapids' youth team players players, Ricardo Perez and Geno Bigelow, earned their first call-ups to their respective US National Team player pools during the year under Proctor's guidance.

Proctor also coached the Rapids U17 team and played an important part in the Rapids' effots to help implement recreational leagues in both the Stapleton and Commerce City neighborhoods.

Although Proctor caught the headlines on the night, the Rapids Recreational Coaches of the year, Ben Valore-Caplan and Kathleen Cleveland, were also recognized by CYS.

The Rapids' first team were also well-represented at the event, with the club's Managing Director Jeff Plush, Technical Director Paul Bravo, Head Coach Gary Smith, Assistant Coach Steve Guppy and Academy Director Brian Crookham all in attendance.

For more information on the Colorado Rapids Soccer Academy, please call 303-727-3575 or send an email to RapidsAcademy@dsgpark.com.

Kosuke Kimura's Faves & Photos

2010-01-22T12:29:00.007-07:00

Every month in 2010 fans can find a 2-page full color spread in Mile High Sports Magazine featuring a different Rapids player showcasing his unique fashion style, both on and off the field, as well as listings of his picks for Denver hotspots, workout rituals, and more.

This month it's Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura, talking about his training philosophy (check him out running the snowy steps at Dick's Sporting Goods Park!), as well as his favorites when it comes to personal attire and Denver's nightlife.

The Colorado Rapids have partnered with American Crew, Metroboom and Mile High Sports Magazine to highlight 12 different Rapids players in a new monthly photo spread titled "From Pitch to Play" in 2010.

Pick up the Kosuke Kimura issue in next month's February Mile High Sports Magazine, on newsstands next week.

USA v. Honduras Match Preview

2010-01-22T09:42:00.007-07:00

US Soccer has revealed their match preview for tomorrow night's World Cup warm-up between the Yanks and Honduras.

Rapids striker Conor Casey, who led the USA to qualification for the 2010 World Cup in the last meeting between these nations with 2 goals on the night, is one of only three players in the US squad who saw the field in that match.

The last time the USA met Honduras was that memorable night in San Pedro Sula that sealed the USA’s place in the World Cup. Casey and Jonathan Bornstein were in the starting lineup for the famous 3-2 win on Oct. 10, 2009, while Benny Feilhaber came on as a second half sub replacing two-goal hero Casey.

The game will be live from the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA at 7:00pm MT on Fox Soccer Channel, and Colorado's dedicated soccer fans will be gathering at The British Bulldog tomorrow night to watch the match live.