MLS Colorado Rapids

Rapids game notes

Published on April 7, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


Rapids vs. Crew

Colorado holds a 13-5-5 all-time record against the fellow MLS charter team. In Denver the Rapids are 7-3-1 against the Crew and in Columbus the record is 6-2-4 in Colorado's favor. The Crew are yet to win a game at INVESCO Field, as their last victory in Colorado came in 1999 at the old Mile High Stadium. Since the turn of the century, the Rapids are 3-3-0 against the Crew in Denver.

Rapids Debuts

Chris Wingert, Clint Mathis, Cornell Glen and Nicolas Hernandez all made their Rapids debuts in the April 2 game against the Houston Dynamo.

Noel Among League Leaders

Fabrice Noel played just 74 minutes against the Houston Dynamo, but his attacking prowess certainly caught that team's attention. The young Haitian was fouled seven times, which ties him with Kansas City's Eddie Johnson for the league lead in fouls suffered. However, Johnson played 90 minutes, so Noel is tops in fouls suffered per minute, averaging just under 10.

Noel's Saga

Local ABC affiliate KMGH-Channel 7 will feature Rapids player Fabrice Noel's story this Sunday, April 7, 2006 at 10:20 p.m. in their Sunday Sports Extra show. Sports anchorman Lionel Bienvenu will go in depth into the unique situations surrounding this talented young forward, whose saga to reunite with his family continues. Noel joined the Rapids in 2005 and has become a fan favorite since his arrival in the team. The second year MLS player is expected to make the jump into the starting lineup this year.

Karanka, A Basque with Real Madrid Pedigree:

The Colorado Rapids announced on Sunday, April 2 the signing of Spanish defender Aitor Karanka to a multi-year deal. The central defender, who began his professional career in 1992, spent a total of seven seasons with Athletic Bilbao before being sold to Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid in 1997. During his five year stint with Madrid, Karanka played in all European competitions, winning 3 European Champions League Trophies (1997-1998, 1999-2000 and 2001-2002), 1 Intercontinental Cup (1998), 1 League Cup (2000-2001) and 2 Spanish Super Cups (1997-1998, 2000-2001).

High School Soccer at INVESCO

The Colorado Rapids will host the Colorado Rapids Prep Pro Classic game at INVESCO Field on Saturday, April 8th at 3:00 pm (MT) prior to the team's Home Opener. The Cherry Creek Bruins are going to face off against the Mullen Mustangs in a high school girls match. Both schools are former state champions and the Mullen vs. Cherry Creek match-up is called by some the best high school rivalry in the state.

More Cannon

The Colorado Rapids signed goalkeeper Joe Cannon to a multi-year contract on Wednesday, April 5th. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not announced. In the 2005 MLS playoffs, Cannon turned in arguably his best performance when he made 12 saves in the 120-minute marathon second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Cannon turned away a flurry of FC Dallas shots in the final minutes of overtime but his biggest save came on Roberto Mina's penalty kick, which allowed Jean Philippe Peguero to clinch the playoff series.

Retirement Block:

Leo Cullen, who made a return to Major League Soccer with the Rapids in 2005 after a one year break in which he went back to school to finish his economics degree, announced his retirement from professional soccer on Wednesday, March 29. The 1998 MLS number one draft pick will still be involved with the sport of soccer in his new role as Assistant Coach for the women's team at the University of Maryland.

Quick Strikes

Rapids players seem to have an uncanny knack for scoring in one of there first two games with the team. There have been four players who have scored in their first game with the club and 10 players to record a goal in their second game. Chris Henderson scored a goal in the first game of his second stint with Colorado. Which man, new to the team, will join this list this year? First Game Scorers: Marcelo Balboa, John Spencer, Zizi Roberts and Jeff Cunningham. Second Game Scorers: Shaun Bartlett, Wolde Harris, Peter Vermes, Marquis White, Waldir, Darren Sawatzky, Junior Agogo, Chris Carrieri, Mark Chung and Jean-Philippe Peguero.

Foss Waived

The Colorado Rapids waived goalkeeper Byron Foss on Wednesday, March 29. Foss, who was acquired by the Rapids on March 18, 2003, played a total of six games with the team, posting a 3-1-2 record with two shutouts. All of his 481 minutes of action came during the 2005 season

For the Trophy Case

The Colorado Rapids received a vast amount of commemorative plaques and banners from the different teams they played against and the different towns and cities they visited during their stay in the Basque Country. All of the commemorative silverware will be on display for fans to admire at the trophy case that is planned for the new stadium, alongside all the other commemorative memorabilia accumulated by the club over the last 11 seasons.

National Team Call Up

Colorado Rapids captain Pablo Mastroeni, who played 74 minutes with the United States National Team in their match against Germany on Wednesday, March 22 in the city of Dortmund, Germany has been called up by manager Bruce Arena for their match against Jamaica on April 11th The match against Jamaica that will be played in Cary, N.C. is the final game prior to Arena naming the final 23-man roster that will represent the United States in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

One-On-One: Altitude and the Rapids

Colorado Rapids Head Coach Fernando Clavijo and Captain Pablo Mastroeni will appear on Altitude's show "One on One". The show, which is hosted by Mike Haynes, is designed to show the real person behind the public figure and allow fans to get to know their stars in a more personal way. The shows will begin to air on Altitude starting April 4th for Fernando Clavijo and May 5th for Pablo Mastroeni.

Scouting the Mexicana Tournament

The Colorado Rapids will be scouting the first Torneo Mexicana de Aviación tournament, a youth soccer tournament (Under-19) that will be played from May to June in 15 cities across the United States, including Denver, CO. This scouting opportunity, which became a reality through the efforts of the Mexico-based sports promotion company Prosports, will allow the Rapids coaching staff to scout all the games played in the Denver market, continuing the club's efforts to identify local youth talent. In the past years, the Rapids have successfully identified various local players that have either been signed or invited back to train with the team. Some of the most recognized names on that list are: former Rapids defender Nat Borchers (Pueblo), former Rapids midfielder Josh Elbaum (Denver) and current Rapids players Steven Keel (Littleton), Colin Clark (Ft. Collins) and Daniel Wasson (Co. Springs). For more information on the tournament, fans can visit www.torneomexicana.com.

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Major League Soccer Stories from April 7, 2006


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