MLS Season Will Start as Scheduled
March 20, 2003 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release
Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber today issued the following statement regarding the League's current operational stance relating to world events: "Based on the information we know today, through consultation with the appropriate local and federal authorities, the 2003 MLS season will begin as scheduled on April 5, despite the threat of war with Iraq. Currently, four MLS teams are in Central and South America, and will maintain their travel itineraries.
"If the situation should change drastically, we will act accordingly to ensure the safety of our players, staff, fans, and their families. We are confident in the security procedures established at our teams and venues, which were intensified late in the 2001 season."
The Rapids' first game of the 2003 season will take place as planned on Saturday, April 12 at 7pm vs. the San Jose Earthquakes at INVESCO Field at Mile High.
View the whole article online at: http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/mls0319statement.html
RAPIDS DROP CLOSE MATCH TO CHIVAS IN MEXICO
The Colorado Rapids dropped today a 2-1 decision against Mexican first division club Chivas in a two 30-minute halves closed door match at the team's facilities. The result sets the Rapids' 2003 preseason record to an impressive 7-1-2 with two games remaining in the Mexico leg.
Tim Hankinson's side opened the scoring in the first minutes of the game when 2003 draftee Alex Blake found the back of the Chivas net. Midfielder Chris Henderson dribbled the ball past three Mexican players before sending an outswinging cross into the heart of the area were he found Blake who headed the ball past Mexican National Team goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez.
Read the rest of the story and game report later today online at www.coloradorapids.com
QUOTES FROM THE CHIVAS GAME (Exclusive to RapidFire!)
Quotes After the Rapids' 2-1 loss against Chivas in Guadalajara, Mexico
Colorado Rapids Head Coach Tim Hankinson: "Overall I'm pleased with the performance of our team. It was a good game for us. We need to learn how to handle the momentum changes against every opponent, recognize that when the other team is down by one goal they are going to take more risks, and we need to be able to take advantage of these circumstances."
Chivas Head Coach Eduardo de la Torre: "The Rapids have a very athletic and fast team that is very organized on the back. They defend well and are extremely dangerous in the counter-attacks."
RAPIDS ANNOUNCE AUTOGRAPH SESSION WITH DONOVAN, MASTROENI
The Colorado Rapids announced today that they will be hosting a special private autograph session with US National Team Superstars Landon Donovan and Pablo Mastroeni. This special event will be held immediately following the Rapids Home Opener vs. the San Jose Earthquakes on Sat. April 12 at INVESCO Field at Mile High.
There are limited spots available for this special one-of-a-kind autograph session. Fans can sign up for this offer by being one of the first 250 buyers of the Rapids Two-Pack Deal, which includes tickets to both the Sat. April 12 and Sat. May 17 games. For more information and to reserve your spots for the Donovan/Mastroeni autograph session, call the Rapids at (303) 299-1599. Hurry, spots will go very quickly!
RAPIDS WEEK FOCUS: "BEAT THE TEAM DAY" AT DAVE & BUSTER'S
The Colorado Rapids have announced a week-long series of events leading up to the Rapids Home Opener on April 12! From April 5-April 11, the Rapids will be hosting different events all over town in celebration of the start of the 2003 MLS season! Today's Focus: "Beat the Team Day" at Dave & Buster's: Do you have the guts to take on the Rapids players one-on-one? The general public is invited to compete with the team in numerous video games and other games at Dave & Buster's in Westminster from 5-7pm on Monday, April 7! Come out and test your skills against the Rapids and see who has the best hand-eye coordination! Call (303) 299-1599 for more info!
RAPIDS WEEK 2003
View the schedule of events below. RapidFire will also be spotlighting each of the below events in more detail in upcoming emails! -Sat. April 5-Sun. April 6: Dusk Til Dawn Soccer Tournament at stadium -Sun. April 6: Eighth Annual "Meet the Rapids Day" at stadium -Mon. April 7: "Beat The Team Day" hosted by Dave + Buster's -Tues. April 8: Rapids Media Luncheon hosted by Dave + Buster's -Tues. April 8: Rapids Soccer Clinic presented by Dave + Buster's -Wed. April 9: Rapids Downtown Pep Rally at Denver Pavilions -Thurs. April 10: Rapids Player Visit to Children's Hospital -Thurs. April 10: Rapids Pub Crawl presented by Budweiser -Fri. April 11: Rapids Friday Afternoon Club at Caldonia's -Sat. April 12: Rapids Home Opener vs. San Jose Earthquakes at INVESCO Field, 7pm
RAPIDS ANNOUNCE EXHIBITION MATCH IN BATON ROUGE
The Colorado Rapids announced today an exhibition match against the Chicago Fire that will take place on Saturday, April 5 at the LSU Soccer Complex on the campus of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 5:00pm MT. This game will be the final tune-up for Tim Hankinson's team before their 2003 season opener, set for Saturday, April 12 at 7:00 PM at INVESCO Field at Mile High against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Tickets for the exhibition contest in "Cajun Country" will be $15 for adults and $10 for children ages 8-17 if bought in advance. Group, family and team package discounts are also available for the contest. For more information on the match and tickets, please contact Kevin Mooney either by email at: Kmmooney1@cs.com or by phone (337-289-6500).
RAPIDS DEFEAT CLUB ORO OF MEXICAN 2ND DIVISION
A hat trick from 2003 Draftee Alex Blake set the tone in the 3-0 victory over club Oro on Wednesday, March 20 during the Rapids' Mexico preseason tour. Tim Hankinson utilized his reserves for this match, giving the regular starters some time off to rest prior to their match against Mexican first division club Chivas de Guadalajara, taking place later today.
The Rapids first team are currently showcasing a 7-1-1 record in the 2003 preseason, while the reserve team posted their first victory against Oro for a 1-0-0 record.
Major League Soccer Stories from March 20, 2003
- MLS Season Will Start as Scheduled - Colorado Rapids
- Galin Ivanov Undergoes Successful Surgery - D.C. United
- Fire Falls to San Jose 1-0; Chicago Takes on Colorado in Baton Rouge in Final Pre-Season Tune-Up - Chicago Fire FC
- McBride Returning Early to Columbus - Columbus Crew SC
- Tryouts for D.C. United's U-16 Boys Team Postponed - D.C. United
- D.C. United and Radio America Create Spanish-Language Radio Network - D.C. United
- Crew, Huntington Bank Add Huntington Club to Crew Stadium Amenities - Columbus Crew SC
- LaSalle Bank Extends Fire Partnership; Becomes First Partner to Commit for First Two Seasons at New - Chicago Fire FC
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