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Weekly Update: Rapids Own 14th Overall Selection in MLS SuperDraft

January 9, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS) Colorado Rapids

COLORADO RAPIDS HAVE 14th PICK IN THURSDAY'S MLS SUPERDRAFT: Rapids Technical Director Paul Bravo and Head Coach Oscar Pareja will travel to Kansas City for the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, which takes place this Thursday, January 12 at 10:00 a.m. MT live on ESPN2. Colorado's first round pick is the 14th overall selection, while the team is without a second round pick, which was dealt in the trade to acquire Quincy Amarikwa from San Jose in 2010. For more information on the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, click here.

RAPIDS HEAD COACH OSCAR PAREJA STARTS FIRST WEEK ON THE JOB: Colorado Rapids Head Coach Oscar Pareja has already begun his preparations for the 2012 season, and will add another player to the squad this week. Pareja, an experienced coach and former standout MLS player who joined the Rapids last Thursday, has the 14th pick in the MLS SuperDraft this Thursday, and already added defender Hunter Freeman on Friday. He will also be assembling his coaching staff before preseason opens later this month. For more information on the latest Rapids news, or to view Pareja's introductory press conference, please visit www.ColoradoRapids.com.

DEFENDER HUNTER FREEMAN RETURNS TO COLORADO: After signing with the Rapids last week, defender Hunter Freeman will be returning to the city where he started his professional career. Originally the Rapids' first round pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, Freeman played two seasons with the Rapids, followed by time with the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, IK Start of Norway, and the Houston Dynamo. Now he returns to Denver, with his wife and newborn daughter Brynley, having been selected by the Rapids in the Re-Entry Draft in December. The other player selected by the Rapids in the Re-Entry Draft, Baggio Husidic, opted not to sign a contract with MLS, though Colorado retains his rights in the league. For more information on Hunter Freeman or the rest of the Rapids' roster, visit www.ColoradoRapids.com.

RAPIDS 2012 SEASON STARTS ON MARCH 10: The Colorado Rapids will kick of the 2012 MLS regular season on Saturday, March 10 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park when the team hosts the Columbus Crew. The full schedule was released last week, highlighted by three battles against Rocky Mountain Cup rival Real Salt Lake, with visits to Utah on April 7 and July 21 before hosting RSL on August 4. The schedule also includes a pair of home matches against 2011 MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy on April 21 and Sept. 30. Full 2012 season ticket packages are now on sale, with season ticket holders also having an opportunity for a special advance sale of single game tickets, starting at $22. For more information on season tickets and advance ticket sales, call (303) 825-GOAL or visit www.ColoradoRapids.com. To view the entire 2012 regular season schedule, click here.

LARENTOWICZ IN ARIZONA FOR U.S. NATIONAL TEAM CAMP: Colorado Rapids midfielder Jeff Larentowicz is currently training with the United States National Team in Phoenix, Ariz., as part of Jurgen Klinsmann's roster for a pair of friendlies. The team will move to the U.S. Soccer's National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., to continue training from Jan. 13-20, and then return to Arizona for their match against Venezuela on Jan. 21 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Four days later they face Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City. Larentowicz has two caps with the National Team, with his most recent appearance in the USA's 1-0 loss to Belgium in Brussels on Sept. 2. For more information on the U.S. National Team, visit www.USsoccer.com.

COLORADO RAPIDS TO PARTICIPATE IN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS INVITATIONAL IN FEBRUARY: The Colorado Rapids will participate in the first annual Hawaiian Islands Invitational (HII), a four-team international tournament, on February 23-25, 2012 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The Rapids were selected to participate along with Yokohama FC of Japan, Incheon United FC of Korea and Australian side Melbourne Heart FC. The invitational will be the first major competition for Colorado in the 2012 season and matches will be carried on ESPN3.com and a number of ESPN International networks. More information on the tournament can be found at www.hawaiianislandsinvitational.com.

RAPIDS MIDFIELDER JOSEPH NANE ACQUIRES GREEN CARD: Colorado Rapids midfielder Joseph Nane acquired his Green Card during the offseason and therefore will no longer occupy and International slot on the Rapids roster. Nane was born and raised in Yaounde, Cameroon before moving to the United States in 2006 to play soccer at Old Dominion University. The Rapids now have four International players (Danny Earls, Caleb Folan, Josh Janniere, and Jamie Smith) and two available International slots.

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Major League Soccer Stories from January 9, 2012


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