Friday, July 31, 2009

Next Gallery of Honor Induction - Aug. 30


The Colorado Rapids have revealed that they will mark the newest addition into the club's Gallery of Honor during halftime of Colorado's match vs. Houston on Sunday, August 30, 2009.

Rapids former team captain John Spencer will be the next Rapids Alumni Player to be inducted into the club's hall of fame permanently inside Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

He will join Rapids legends Marcelo Balboa, Paul Bravo and Chris Henderson in the Gallery of Honor to have his name forever immortalized on the North wall of the stadium.

Spencer, who holds several all-time scoring records for the club, played with Colorado from 2001-2004, and is still remembered to this day by fans for his goal scoring prowess, fierce competitiveness and fiery enthusiasm on the pitch.

The Rapids will also be hosting an event at the stadium that same day with several other Rapids Alumni players in attendance, who will be there to witness the induction and be available for fans to meet.

Look for full details soon on ColoradoRapids.com.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009

All-Star Game Viewing Party Recap

For those that made it to fado Irish Pub last night enjoyed an exciting game and a great atmosphere. Fans were treated to an appearance by Head Coach Gary Smith and Assistant Coach Steve Guppy, as well as fun giveaways for the kids including two Kosuke Kimura autographed mini-soccer balls!

Fado is the perfect place to enojy great food, (fish and chips are excellent!)and Glen the fado General Manager, provides his guests with a great atmosphere for any sporting event, especially soccer matches!!

As for the All-Star game, it was an exciting match which ended 1-1 and had to be resolved on penalties. Everton secured the victory when Freddie Ljungberg missed his penalty allowing Everton to hold on for a 4-3 victory on penalties.

Colorado fans (and the coaches) were excited to see Conor Casey confidently finish his penalty in the lower right corner, past a sprawling Tim Howard. Conor was arguably the best player on the pitch for the match, helping spring Brad Davis for the MLS All-Stars only goal. Conor nearly had the game winner only to have his effort rattle off the legs of the defender on the goal line.

Fans, the next opportunity to watch the Rapids at home is this Saturday against the defending MLS Champs, the Columbus Crew. The next away game viewing party is Sunday, August 23rd at SoBo 151 when your Rapids take on the Chicago Fire at 4pm MST. For more information, please watch this spot, or log on to coloradorapids.com.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Conor Casey to Debut One-of-a-Kind Boot at MLS All-Star Game Tonight

At the 14th Annual MLS All-Star Game tonight, three adidas athletes will showcase their artistic integrity.

Colorado Rapids’ Conor Casey, Houston Dynamo’s Stuart Holden and Seattle Sounders’ Fredy Montero will each set foot on the Rio Tinto Stadium pitch for the 2009 MLS All-Star Game in one-of-a-kind boots that they personally designed through miadidas.com.

Each player brought a unique approach to the design process to create boots that reflect their personality, color preferences and style both on and off the field. Holden will wear one-of-a-kind mi adiPure2 boots, Montero will lace up in a bold mi F50i and Casey will showcase his version of mi Predator PowerSwerve.

All three silhouettes are exclusive to adidas Soccer and are designed to meet the needs of various playing styles and player preferences.

View each player’s boot directly on mi adidas.com:

"mi Predator Power Swerve" Conor Casey (Click here)

"mi adiPure 2" Stuart Holden (Click here)

"mi F50i" Fredy Montero (Click here)
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Rapids Reserves Draw 2-2 with Real Colorado

Byron Cephers’ goal in the 90th minute gave the Real Colorado Foxes a 2-2 tie with the Rapids Reserves Wednesday morning at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The home side posted an earlier lead when guest player Brian Ackley scored in the 6th minute on a 20-yard strike.

The Foxes' Kris Banghart even score in the 17th minute when his free kick blast found the upper left corner of the target past a diving Chris Sharpe.

Newly signed midfielder Jamie Smith returned the favor in the 61st minute off his own free kick that found Ty Harden, who deflected the ball into the back of the net putting the Rapids up 2-1.

The Rapids Reserves looked to have the game in-hand and take their third straight win over Real this season before Cephers’ late game heroics.

Colorado return to the training pitch tomorrow for two more days of preparation before hosting the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew this Saturday at 7:30 pm at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Colorado Rapids Starting Line-up: Chris Sharpe, Kosuke Kimura, Ty Harden, Rob Valentino, Richie Kotschau, Jamie Smith, Greg Dalby, Brian Ackley, Colin Clark, Ross Schunk, Facundo Diz
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Head Coach Gary Smith Comments on Roster Moves

The Colorado Rapids announced two roster moves today, as the club signed Scottish midfielder Jamie Smith and waived midfielder Terry Cooke.

Head Coach Gary Smith took time to share his views with The Rapids Undercurrent on today's transactions.

"I think it is always a difficult time when senior players move on and times change. I think we are looking towards the future with Jamie Smith, but that does not take anything away from what Terry has achieved with the club, how professional he has been and what a fan favorite he has been for a period of time."

"I do hope as we move on and that as success comes to the club that our fans can embrace the players that are going to be a part of their future helping them become as successful as we plan for them to be."

"Jamie Smith has been brought in predominantly as a wide player. He is versatile enough to play on both flanks as well as an attacking midfielder player."

"Jamie is a direct and quick player, who is hard working and energetic with a very descent amount of quality. What I do hope is we can fulfill a very similar role on the right hand side that we have on the left. I am sure it will take him a little time to adjust to the altitude and to the league and we are working extremely hard to make sure that happens as quickly as possible."
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Saturday, July 25, 2009

Rapids U-14 Academy Team at US Club National Cup

Sunday:

The U-14 Rapid's faced Lake Grove United (New York) this morning and earned a hard fought point with a 2-2 draw. Geno Bigelow and Michael Gottlinger were the Rapid's goal scorers that gave them a 2-1 lead in the last few minutes of play. But after a costly mistake in the back, Lake Grove United were able to find an equalizer and keep the Rapids from taking the outright lead in the tournament. Both teams are now atop the standings with 4 points each.

The Rapids will play their final group stage match against the ASC Knights (Virginia) tomorrow at 10:45 am (ET). A win would secure them a spot in the championship game.

Saturday:

The Rapid's U-14 Academy team, coached by David Proctor, is off to a great start in the US Club Soccer National Cup in Virginia Beach, VA. Fresh off their Regional Championship, the team kept their momentum going with a 1-0 victory this morning against a very talented First Coast KYX (Florida) team. The teams were very evenly matched as both sides had quality chances throughout the game. Delfino Balderas was the games only goal scorer and Brad Holub was able to keep First Coast out of the net to record a shut out.

The team will take on Lake Grove United (New York) Sunday morning at 10:45 am (ET). Lake Grove also won 1-0 today which makes Sunday's match crucial for both teams if they have hopes of being national champions.
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Friday, July 24, 2009

Get to Know Rapids' New #10: Q & A with Facundo Diz

ColoradoRapids.com recently sat down with the Rapids newest roster addition Argentine striker Facundo Diz for an exclusive interview.

ColoradoRapids.com: Had you ever been to the U.S. before?

Facundo Diz: “No, this is my first time in the United States.”

CRC: How much did you know about MLS before coming to the United States?

FD: “I knew a lot about it. In Argentina they show the summaries and highlights of the leagues on ESPN. They highlight the Argentine players that are in the league, so I was exposed to MLS by way of TV and they also write about it in the newspapers.”

CRC: What was your impression of MLS before coming here?

FD: “I had a very good impression. It’s a good league and very competitive. There are a lot of good players and different types of players in the league. The league is really growing a lot and now there are many foreign players now playing in the league.”

CRC: After watching MLS games in person, how do you feel professional soccer in the U.S. differs from Argentina?

FD: “The game is very different. MLS is faster in pace than in Argentina, where it is much slower. Each league is different in its own way, but MLS is faster. The level of play is similar, but the style of play is what is the most different.”

CRC: What excites you most about playing in the U.S.?

FD: “I really like the organization of it all. I think it [MLS] will really grow and become one of the top leagues in the world. There are a lot of good players in the league and the stadiums are really new and almost all teams have stadiums. All of these things have motivated me to make the decision to come play in the U.S.”

CRC: What has been your favorite memory of your career so far?

FD: “When I was with Tigre, going from the second division to the first division, we managed to finish second in the first division. It was really great. Also, the last six months have been great for me because I have scored a lot of goals with Platense to help keep them from dropping down to the second division. I scored nine goals in 15 games and the team did not go down a division.”

CRC: What are some things you like to do when you’re away from the field?

FD: “I like to travel and take trips with my family. I also like to play basketball. Although mostly I like to be calm and be with my family. That is the most important thing to me, family.”

CRC: Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do they play soccer?

FD: “I have two older brothers and one younger sister. My older brothers both used to play, but they don’t play any longer. My sister competes in the javelin. She was a champion in the province where we’re from. Also, my father competed in the Paralympics in the Pentathlon and has won 11 Gold Medals. He has competed across the world including Japan, Israel, and England.”

CRC: Is it correct that you are only three classes away from obtaining your law degree?

FD: “Yes. I have only three classes left. It is hard to study right now because of my schedule, but I plan to finish very soon. I will definitely finish it as it will only take me six months once I start again. I don’t have a particular focus with in law yet, but I will choose a specialization of law and continue. I think it is great to have the knowledge and I can use it as a tool in the future.”

CRC: What plans do you have after your playing career is finished?

FD: “I would like to still be in soccer and stay involved. But, if it doesn’t happen then I will also have my studies in law as a back up. The future is far away and I don’t want to think about it too much.”

CRC: How do you like Denver so far?

FD: “I like Denver a lot. It is beautiful here. I don’t go out much because I have been training a lot so I have not seen everything and I am afraid to go out by myself because I don’t want to get lost.”

CRC: Is there anything else Rapids fans should know about you?

FD: “I’m going to give all of my effort and play as hard as I can to help out the team, make the team better and go to that next level.”
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Kosuke Takes Time to Give Back

One of the untold storylines from this past weekend of soccer in Washington D.C. was two of Japan’s finest soccer players shared the same pitch and later took the time off the field to give back to those who came and cheered them on.

Following the game, Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura joined Washington Freedom midfielder Homare Sawa in the Champions Club at RFK Stadium for an exclusive meet-and-greet with the Embassy of Japan.

Kimura is the first and only Japanese player in MLS, while Sawa is a two-time Asian Football Confederation Player of the Year (2004, 2008), has over 140 caps with the Japanese WNT and is considered by many to be Japan’s best female player.

Prior to the Rapids taking on D.C. United, Sawa led the Freedom to a 1-0 victory over St. Louis Athletica with her 74th minute goal.

Kosuke and Homare signed autographs and took pictures with members of the Embassy and other fans in attendance…and even joined a few of them for dinner afterwards.
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Special Guests Brethren Fast Postgame on Sat.


The Rapids have put together a special 2-part live concert performance lined up on Saturday as part of the club's postgame entertainment as a means to both:

1) provide some great free extra entertainment for fans already coming to the game
and
2) give fans a great reason to not fight traffic leaving the complex on Saturday after the event

Thousands of citizens from around Commerce City are expected to descend upon Quebec and the streets surrounding the stadium for Saturday's fireworks show......why not stick around in the stadium after the game, let the roads around the stadium clear out, and at the same time get some more bang for your buck with this free concert??

Scheduled to perform live in concert on a specially-constructed stage on the north end of the field are one of Colorado's favorite local hometown bands, "Brethren Fast".

They will perform both after the game to take us into the fireworks show, as well as perform the second half of their concert after the fireworks.

Why fight traffic? Let the Rapids and Brethren Fast entertain you after the fireworks after the game on Saturday!

Who are Brethren Fast? In their own words:

"Take the legendary, influential styles of Johnny Cash, Elvis, George Clinton & P-Funk, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, & Junior Brown...throw in some gear jammin', tire burnin', bootie shakin', wheelie poppin' fun & you know what you've got? The electrified 'hillbilly funk' of Brethren Fast!

"Over the years, each of the Messina brothers have developed their own styles by playing in different bands. About five years ago those styles hit a common chord when the 'brothers fast' decided to join forces. Combining Don's old school rockabilly influenced guitar licks with Mik's 70's funkified bass grooves wasn't easy at first; but with the addition of our rockin' skin man Nate, thousands of hours of playing, and hundreds of shows under their belts - the band has fused together to create their own unique style of music . . . Electrified Hillbilly Funk!"

Visit Brethren Fast online by clicking here.

Kick back on the field or in the Cantina and groove to Brethren Fast in this special 2-part concert on Saturday!
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Baudet to Make Rapids Debut Tonight


Rapids Head Coach Gary Smith has confirmed that Rapids fans will get their first chance to see the club's newly-signed French defender Julien Baudet in action tonight vs. Club America at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Baudet, who was signed by the Rapids on June 30, is now free to start playing for Colorado due to the opening of the international transfer window, which happens today.

Look for Baudet, who has been eagerly awaiting the first chance to see his first game action for Colorado, to appear for the Rapids at left center back tonight.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Rapids to Wear Third Kits Tomorrow Night


The Colorado Rapids will sport their third kits during tomorrow night's huge international showdown vs. legendary Mexican side CF America.

This will be the third straight time in international competition that Colorado have worn the white, burgundy and red alternate kit.

The last two times the Rapids third kit was seen in action were in Colorado's battles against Mexico's Tigres (a 1-0 victory in PK's on July 9 of 2008) and vs. this year's All-Star opponent, Everton FC (a 2-1 loss on Aug. 3, 2008).

Kickoff tomorrow night is 7:30pm at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, with stadium gates opening at 6:30pm.
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Saturday, July 11, 2009

Cummings Sends Message to Rapids Fans


Rapids striker Omar Cummings took the time to send this email message update from the Jamaican National Team camp at the Gold Cup, after watching the Rapids win vs. FC Dallas tonight.

Omar and the rest of Jamaica are waiting to find out whether they are going to advance to the Gold Cup quarterfinals; Jamaica need to await other results to find out if they advance.

Cummings scored the gamewinner Friday to put Jamaica in position to possibly advance pending other results.

"First off, I most want to say it was really good to have both the Rapids and the Jamaica national team on winning ways again!

"It was great getting the win for Jamaica last night against El Salvador, and to see that the Rapids won tonight also was is making my weekend even better. The icing on the cake would be for Jamaica to qualify for the next round.......let's hope and pray that will happen tomorrow.

Blessings and love to the Rapids' fans,"

-Omar
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Cummings Leads Jamaica to Win Over El Salvador


Rapids striker Omar Cummings had the gamewinner in Jamaica's 1-0 victory over El Salvador in the Gold Cup yesterday.

Cummings scored with a flick of his right foot in the 70th minute to lead Jamaica to victory over El Salvador to keep alive their hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The result left Jamaica third in their group with three points ahead of El Salvador, who were eliminated. Jamaica will now have to wait for the results of the other two groups Saturday and Sunday to see if they advance.

It was a much-needed win for Jamaica, who had lost their first 2 matches of the tournament.

"For us to come here and not score goals is a tragedy with the talent that Jamaica has and the pace that we're playing," Cummings said.

"We were creating so many chances. The tournament was just one of those off tournamnets. The goals weren't going in and we were playing OK. Hopefully we can play another game and get more goals."

Read the full match recap by clicking here.
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Friday, July 10, 2009

World Cup of Wines Recap


Last night under a brilliant purple sky on the pitch at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, fans, clients and friends of the Rapids mingled with the players and coaches of the Rapids at the 2nd Annual World Cup of Wine & Beer.

The annual event, a fundraiser for the Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation, was a big success!

More than 200 patrons walked down onto the patio on the north end of the field level, picked up their beer and wine glass, and went tent to tent sampling over 53 different wines, 8 beers, 7 spirits and even cigars, presented by Stanley Papas Cigars.

Aside from sampling the various wines and spirits, patrons visited the silent auction table, enjoyed the live stylings of local band Dotsero, took a tour of the Rapids locker room, posed for pictures on the pitch with the players, and purchased mystery corks that offered prizes from 100 businesses around the Denver metro area.

Thanks to the support of attendees, the Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation raised over $15,000. Money raised through the Rapids Foundation benefits underserved children by providing assistance through educational, nutritional and recreational programs.

The Rapids Foundation would like to thank all the fans in attendance, as well as Southern Wine & Spirits, who provided the wine, Heineken USA, who generously provided the beer, Dotsero, Jazz@Jacks, and KKHI 101.9.

The Rapids Foundation is already looking forward to the 3rd Annual Colorado Rapids World Cup of Wine & Beer in July of 2010!
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Zidane at DSG Park - Video Highlights


Earlier this week we let you know about Zinedine Zidane's suprise visit to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to drop in on the events at the 2009 adidas ESP invitation-only tournament.

Now adidas has released an edited video of highlights from his whirlwind visit to the home of the Rapids. Check it out.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Rapids Reserves Slip by Real Colorado 1-0

Ross Schunk’s goal in the 2nd minute was all the home side needed as the Rapids' reserve squad earned a 1-0 victory over the Real Colorado Foxes Wednesday afternoon at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

The mix of Rapids regulars and guest players fought through the intense heat of the day battling a determined Real Colorado club that had been handed a 5-1 loss in this match-up just a month prior.

Preston Burpo, Rob Valentino, Greg Dalby and Ross Schunk were joined by new center back Julien Baudet, who played his first 90 minutes of match action in a Rapids kit.

Guest players included Greg Packer, Richie Kotschau, Eric Denton, Clayton Zelin and Brad Stisser, along with some Real Colorado fill-ins throughout the match.

The Foxes' best opportunity of the afternoon came in the 61st minute when Byron Cephers ran onto a ball played behind the Rapids backline, creating a one-on-one with Burpo, but it was not meant to be, as his shot sailed wide left.

The Rapids return to the training pitch tomorrow for two more days of preparation before hosting FC Dallas this Saturday at 7:30 pm.
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Zinedine Zidane Surprise Visitor at DSG Park


One of the true living legends of the game was a special guest visitor to Dick's Sporting Goods Park yesterday afternoon.

Former France National Team midfielder Zinedine Zidane was a surprise special guest at the adidas ESP invitation-only camp, currently underway at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. adidas ESP brings together the top 100 young soccer players in the country each year to DSG Park for instruction, games and events.

After conducting a private clinic with participants from the tournament on the Rapids' official training pitch, Zidane moved into the stadium, where he filmed an interview with ESPN on the DSG Park concourse with the stadium scoreboard looming behind him.

Rapids defender Julien Baudet, who is fluent in both English and French, was on hand to help out as a translator and spent several minutes with Zidane conversing privately in their native tongue following the ESPN interview.

Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush presented Zidane with a commemorative Rapids jersey emblazoned with his name in a great photo opportunity that will be sure to launch several signing rumours.

Following that, just when it looked like Zizou was done at the Park, the adidas ESP All-Star game began on the stadium pitch. The top 36 of the 100 youth players who were selected to participate in the ESP all-star game took to the field only to find out to their astonishment that they had a special guest player join them as Zidane laced up his boots, came down the DSG Park center staircase and joined the teams on the field, playing one half each for both the East and West teams.

As you can imagine, the forward players on both teams benefitted from Zidane's pinpoint no-look passes and through balls that drew gasps from the crowd.

In attendance in the stands were youth soccer players and their families that are part of the Rapids adidas Alliance (the Colorado Storm, Pride and Boulder County Force youth soccer clubs), who all received exclusive invitations to attend this private event, and got to watch the game inside the stadium and meet Zidane as well in a private autograph session.

In the end it was a whirlwind tour of the Rapids' facilities for Zizou, and in his wake he left hundreds of incredulous youth players and their families, both from the ESP tournament and the Rapids adidas Alliance, all of whom will surely be telling the story of how they got to meet, play against, and take photos with one of the truly greatest ever players in the game.
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Saturday, July 4, 2009

2009 SUM U17 Cup Update

DAY ONE

Welcome to the 2009 SUM U17 Cup! This blog will keep you informed with results from all of the SUM Cup matches being held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park throughout the coming days. Check back throughout the week for live updates.

We kicked off this morning at 9:30 AM with two close matches. Here are the results from this morning’s matches:

DC United 1-0 Colorado Rapids: The hosts were unfortunate to fall behind early when defender Matt Taphorn lost his footing while in possession, which led to a breakaway goal for DC United striker Julian Griggs in the 4th minute. However, Rapids goalkeeper Chris Couperus was not tested again. The match was very competitive with both teams trading stretches of possession. The Rapids created several dangerous chances throughout the game, but couldn't find the equalizer.

FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy: Ruben Luna gave FC Dallas the lead in the 18th minute, but Galaxy keeper Vince Paldino equalized in the 28th. Paldino was fed by one of his defenders and blasted the ball over Dallas' out of position keeper to find the net. However, Luna wasn't finished. Luna scored his second of the game in the 52nd minute, which proved to be the game-winner.



The next set of games has come to a close. Our first day at the SUM U17 Cup is complete. Here are the results from the later games:

Toronto FC 2-3 Real Salt Lake: Toronto started the game strong notching the first two goals. Keith Makubuya (11th minute) and Eric Ngo (26th minute) were the goal scorers as Toronto looked to be on their way to victory. But the defending champs had other ideas. Real Salt Lake came firing back and scored three unanswered goals to prevail. Donny Toia scored in the 30th minute, Jared Hanze tallied in the 52nd, and James Rogers netted the game winner in the 62nd.

Houston Dynamo 2-0 Kansas City Wizards: Fernando Pina of Houston played brilliantly in net en route to recording an important shutout. Abe Matamoros scored for Houston in the 32nd minute and gave them a lead that they took into stoppage time. In stoppage time, Kansas City pulled their keeper up in to attacking zone for dangerous free kick. Brian Celis of Houston gained possession and ran downfield to score on an empty net and give the Dynamo a 2-0 win.

Columbus Crew 5-1 Chicago Fire: Columbus came out a bit sluggish and allowed Chicago to net their only goal in the 9th minute. Patrick Mullins connected on a header and gave the Fire a lead that would not be able to keep. Columbus then proceeded to score 4 goals in 11 minutes to break the game open. Sage Gardner, (43rd) Kyle Culbertson, (46th on penalty kick) Chris Davis, (50th) and Tyler Ranalli (54th) all tallied. Logan Gumbert then blasted home a header off of a Columbus corner kick in the 67th minute to finalize the scoring.

Overall, a great first day at the SUM U17 Cup. We saw a lot of great competition and look forward to seeing more tomorrow. Games begin at 6:45 PM. See you then!

DAY TWO

Day two of the 2009 SUM U17 Cup was simply thrilling. Two games decided on penalty kicks, two others by only a goal, and two players with hat tricks. Here are the details from today’s action.

Toronto FC 3-2 Columbus Crew: After scoring five goals yesterday, Columbus picked up right where they left off. It took just nine minutes for the Crew’s Chris Davis to open the scoring and give the Crew a 1-0 lead, but Toronto fired back with three straight goals. In the 13th minute, Toronto’s Matias Naalband equalized, while Jon-Michael Vieria (40th) and Eric Ngo (44th) combined to give Toronto a 3-1 lead. The Crew found the net just once more in the 80th minute when Tyler Ranalli scored, but it wouldn’t prove to be enough for the Columbus.

Houston 1-1 Real Salt Lake (Houston advances on penalties 6-5): Real Salt Lake looked to be poised to defend their title as SUM Cup champions when their own Jared Hanze scored his second goal in as many days in the 10th minute. However, Houston wasn’t fazed. In the 20th minute, Houston’s Abe Matamoros, who also scored his second goal of the tournament, tied the game at one apiece. That was all the scoring until we reached penalty kicks. Both teams made their first five attempts, but after a crucial Salt Lake miss on their sixth, Martin Fiemawhle stepped up with a chance to win, and sent the Dynamo home with a victory.

DC United 1-1 LA Galaxy (LA advances on penalties 4-2): The Galaxy wasted little time before they jumped up to a 1-0 lead. In the 5th minute Riley Wolfe connected, much to the dismay of the DC United players. DC regained their composure and went ahead to tie the match in the 32nd minute when Marcus Salandy-Defur found the net. This score held until the end of regulation and sent us to penalties. After DC’s second miss, Christian Alvarado kept the Galaxy perfect, and sent DC home with a loss.

FC Dallas 6-2 Kansas City Wizards: FC Dallas scored the first six goals of the match against a clearly overmatched Kansas City squad. Ruben Luna, the tournament’s leading goal scorer with five tallies, scored three times, (13th, 23rd, and 44th minute) while teammate Darin Kruzich also scored multiple times in the 11th and 48th minute. Marco Carrizales also scored once for Dallas in the 66th. Even after finding themselves down 6-0, Kansas City didn’t quit. Chris Brown and Lucas Throckmorton scored in the 70th and 73rd minute and showed that Kansas City has the potential to be a very dangerous team. But after a Paul Oliver red card in the 79th minute, the Wizards lost their momentum and settled for a 6-2 loss.

Colorado Rapids 3-4 Chicago Fire: In a back in forth game that came down to the last couple of possessions, the Fire, led by Patrick Mullins’ hat trick, earned a much needed three points. Chicago’s Matt Lalonde opened the scoring in the 20th minute to give the Fire a 1-0 lead; but Colorado would strike back. Rapid’s striker Curtis Stecyk ripped a shot into the back of the net in the 35th minute to tie the match just before the half. A high scoring half began when Mullins tallied his first goal in the 53rd minute and gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. But yet again, the Rapids had an answer. In the 64th minute, after a full field sprint, Luke Chapman was rewarded with his first goal of the tournament and all the sudden the game was tied again. Mullins would go on to score two more goals in a three minute period (67th and 70th minute) to deliver what he thought would be a sure Fire victory. But the Rapids showed great resilience once again. Tesho Akindele scored in the 75th minute and gave the Rapids a chance. As the final whistle drew near, the Rapids, similarly to yesterday, created a couple great scoring chances, but were unable to connect.

As teams start to gain knowledge of their positioning in the tables, they will take Monday off to prepare for an all important Tuesday. Tuesday will be the last day of competition before the final games are announced. The teams will be fighting for their tournament lives and we expect to see some great games. Here are the up to date standings. See you Tuesday!

After Sunday's Games

FC DALLAS6583202
HOUSTON DYNAMO5231316
REAL SALT LAKE4143303
DC UNITED4121404
COLUMBUS CREW3374000
TORONTO FC3055404
CHICAGO FIRE3-358000
LA GALAXY2-123505
COLORADO RAPIDS0-235000
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS0-628215

DAY THREE

The final day of the group stages of the SUM U17 Cup is complete. As everyone scrambled for position, we saw some great games. Here are the results:

Houston Dynamo 1-2 Columbus Crew: Chris Davis of Columbus scored in the 14th minute to give the Crew an early lead. The Crew struck again in the 50th when Zachary Leedom tallied his first goal of the tournament. With time winding down and the Dynamo desperate for a goal, Bryan Celis delivered. Celis hit a rocket off the post and in to put them within one with three minutes to play. But the Crew held strong in the back and walked away the victors.

LA Galaxy 5-4 Chicago Fire: In an old fashioned shootout the Galaxy held on to win the highest scoring game of the tournament. Christian Alvarado scored his first of two goals in only the 2nd minute. Chicago’s Jason Brindle equalized just 8 minutes later in the 10th. Alvarado then scored his second in the 12th minute, as we were well on our way to a high scoring affair. Cristhian Hernandez scored twice for LA (22nd and 41st), and Nathaniel Schnitman also found the net for the Galaxy (32nd). In addition to Brindle’s early goal, Chicago was supported with goals from William Butler in the 24th and Patrick Mullins in the 27th and 55th. Mullins’ second goal was the last of the scoring, as the teams settled down and the Galaxy was able to hold on for the win.

Real Salt Lake 1-1 FC Dallas (Real Salt Lake advances on penalties 5-3): Karson Payton gave Salt Lake a huge 1-0 advantage in the 30th minute. FC Dallas’ Ruben Luna, the tournament’s leading goal scorer, and Real Salt Lake’s Jared Hanze were both shown red cards in the 34th minute for an altercation, and both will miss their team’s final match tomorrow. After the ejections, Jonathan Top was able to tie things up for FC Dallas in the 47th minute. No one else could find the net for the duration of the game, and Salt Lake prevailed in penalties.

Kansas City Wizards 0-1 DC United: In a very physical match, the lone goal came from Luiz Cartagena on a breakaway down the right side of the pitch in the 50th minute. Kansas City had a couple of great chances down the stretch but couldn’t deliver when they needed it most. DC earned their second shutout and a much needed three points.

Colorado Rapids 2-1 Toronto FC: In the main stadium at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the Rapids had a tough test facing Toronto FC. Toronto had played the better soccer up until this match, but no one told the Rapids that. In the 42nd minute, Eduardo Fuentes of the Rapids found the back of the net off of a great feed from Rapid’s keeper Chris Couperus. Toronto was able to equalize in the 58th, but Luke Chapman of the Rapids scored in the 70th minute and gave the hosts a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Once the final games are announced, they will be posted. Games begin at 9:00 AM Wednesday morning with the championship at 11:00 AM.


DAY FOUR

 

The SUM U17 Cup has come to an end and DC United are champions once again. Here are the details from today’s final round.

 

Kansas City Wizards 5-1 Colorado Rapids: The first half of this game was played very evenly. Both sides had stretches where they looked like the better team. In the last minute of the first half, the Wizards broke through as an unmarked Derek Schrick headed a free kick passed Rapid’s keeper Matt Kagie. After the half, Kansas City picked up right where they left off. In the 43rd minute William Witherspoon scored, followed by a Jordan Zarse goal in the 50th. Rapids forward Luke Chapman scored his third goal of the tournament in the 63rd to bring the deficit back down to two. But the Wizards were too much for Colorado on this day. Goals by Michael Oakley in the 66th and Lucas Throckmorton in the 76th sealed the deal and gave the Wizards their first win of the tournament.

 

Toronto FC 1-2 Chicago Fire: After a disappointing loss last night, Toronto looked to be out for redemption in the early going. Oscar Cordon scored in jus the 3rd minute and gave Toronto an early 1-0 lead. Just after the half Chicago was able to tie things up, which made for a very exciting finish. With the game still tied in stoppage time, Chicago found a game winning goal in the final moments from Peter Beasley.

 

Houston Dynamo 2-1 LA Galaxy: Houston scored the first two goals of the match and never looked back. In the 30th minute, Jade George found the net, and just after halftime in the 41st, Irvinn Ramirez made his mark on the score sheet. But LA wasn’t going to give up. Jesus Rochin was able to score and bring the game back to a one goal deficit. LA was unable to find the equalizer and the Dynamo held on for victory.

 

Real Salt Lake 1-0 Columbus Crew: The third place game was very intriguing to cover. Last years champions, Real Salt Lake, took on the surprise team of the tournament, the Columbus Crew. At the first half whistle we had seen a very even match, neither team scoring a goal, but that didn’t last too long in the second half. Donny Toia scored the games only goal in the 48th minute as Real Salt Lake took home third place.

 

DC United 1-1 FC Dallas (DC wins on penalties 6-5): DC took place in yet another memorable final. In the three year history of the SUM U17 Cup, DC United has appeared in all three finals. They won the event two years ago but lost last season in penalty kicks. This season they were able to win on penalties. DC United led for the majority of the game after Luiz Cartagena scored in the 15th minute. That lead held right up until the final moments of regulation. In the 78th minute, Jonathan Top equalized and sent the game into two 10 minute overtime periods. After a scoreless overtime, penalties were necessary to decide a champion. In the seventh round, a costly miss by FC Dallas opened the door for a DC championship. Joel Condor sent the final kick into the back of the net and DC we’re crowned champions.  

 

Overall this was an incredible weekend. We saw fantastic play from all teams and can’t wait to resume the event next summer. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. Thanks for checking in!



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Friday, July 3, 2009

SUM U-17 Cup: The Festivites Begin!


The teams have begun to arrive at Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the 2009 SUM U-17 Cup. Competition will begin tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM.

The teams participating in this year's competition include:

Chicago Fire
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
DC United
FC Dallas
Houston Dynamo
Kansas City Wizards
LA Galaxy
Toronto FC
Real Salt Lake

Each team will be putting together a 20-man roster. Only 10 players per roster can be born in 1992; the other 10 must be born in 1993 or later.

Here is the format for this exciting event:

Competition

In the first round of competition, each team will play three matches. Teams will be awarded 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for loss. The standings will then be used to determine the finals' matchups.

If two teams finish level on points, the tiebreakers are as follows:

1. Goal Differential
2. Most goals scored
3. Least goals allowed
4. Fewest Yellow/Red card points (3 points for Red Card, 1 point for Yellow Card )
5. Coin toss (two teams) or drawing (more than two teams)

Match Format

Each match will consist of two 40 minute halves, separated by a 10 minute halftime. In the case of a tie at the end of regulation in the final round, two 10 minute overtime periods will be played. If teams are still tied after the extra time, the match will be decided by penalty kicks in the traditional best-of-five format. Each team is allowed 7 substitutions and must start every player in at least 1 game. Each player must also participate in at least two games.

-Two yellow cards in consecutive games will result in a one game suspension
-One red card will result in a minimum of a one game suspension

This is a great opportunity for Colorado soccer fans to see the best youth players the United States has to offer! Stay tuned for updates on all of the games as the weekend progresses.

We hope to see you out and supporting the SUM u-17 Cup this weekend!
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Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Fuse is Lit..................


As 4th of July grows nearer and nearer, operations staff at Dick's Sporting Goods Park are nearing fever-pitch activity to finalize all details for the biggest Independence Day event in the state this Saturday!

We took a quick jaunt down to check progress on the fireworks setup in the Commerce City Open Space just north of the stadium (otherwise known as ground zero) to see how everything is going in preparation for Saturday's fireworks show; the explosives crew has been on site for the last few days in the sweltering heat preparing the massive crates of explosives for syncrhonized detonation at 9:30pm this Saturday.

The crew is working diligently around the clock to ensure the biggest and best fireworks show in the Denver area will be a complete success. They are hard at work priming primers, cutting wires and getting everything set up for the big show on Saturday.

Just across the parking lot, the Rapids players and coaching staff were working just as intensely on the training pitch to prepare for the big match versus Chicago.

Check out this exclusive behind-the-scenes photo from the middle of several hundred thousand pounds of high-test explosives poised for launch on Saturday! Those yellow ones half-embedded in the ground are 10-inch shells, not legal to be used downtown because of the city's noise restrictions, but more than appropriate for the show out here in the expanse of Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
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Casey Added as Provisional Call-Up to U.S. Roster for Gold Cup

On Tuesday, CONCACAF announced a provision that allows any team participating in the FIFA Confederations Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the same year to expand its Gold Cup roster from 23 to 30 players. The provision was provided due to the extreme circumstances that teams face when playing in back-to-back tournaments.

As a result of this provision, U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has added seven players to the U.S. roster for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. All seven players were members of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup squad in South Africa last month.

Forwards Jozy Altidore and Conor Casey, midfielders Ricardo Clark, Benny Feilhaber and Sacha Kljestan, defender Jonathan Bornstein and goalkeeper Brad Guzan will be eligible for selection during the tournament; however, the U.S. will not have all seven players present for each Gold Cup match.

The exact schedule for these players will be announced as it becomes available. Only 18 players will be eligible to dress for any given game.

Casey joins teammate Colin Clark, who was a member of the original 23-man U.S. Gold Cup roster.
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