MLS Colorado Rapids

Rapids weekly notes

Published on March 20, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


TALKING FUTBOL

The Colorado Rapids coaching staff was invited by the Athletic Bilbao youth development department to make a presentation explaining the structure of both professional and amateur soccer in the United States. Head Coach Fernando Clavijo, along with Assistant Coaches John Murphy and Steve Trittschuh, spoke in front of a panel of more then 25 Spanish coaches, who listened to the explanation and asked questions in a session that extended well over two hours. The amazement of the Basque coaches was evident as they discovered how the structure of soccer in the U.S. is so different than in Spain or the rest of the world. Some of the topics that created conversation were the single-entity structure of MLS, the youth development gap between professionals and private clubs, and the opportunities that the Rapids Academy will create for the professional development of players.

ANOTHER SCRIMMAGE FOR THE RAPIDS

The Colorado Rapids defeated Spanish fourth-division Zondica Club 1-0 on Thursday afternoon in a scrimmage played in Zondica, a small town 2 kilometers from the Athletic Bilbao training facility. The game-winning goal was scored by Luchi Gonzalez in the 37th minute, when he was left alone in a one-on-one situation against the goalkeeper. Gonzalez pushed the ball to one side of the goalie, while he avoided the foul by going around the other side. He then pushed the ball into the open net to give the American side the win. The Rapids utilized most of their young players in this match; the lineup was: Coundoul, Freeman, Keel, Woytech, Harvey (Crawford 45'), Gargan, Noel (Gotsmanov 45'), Wasson, Clark (King 45'), Gonzalez (Hernandez 45'), Peterson (Glen 45')

A VISIT TO SAN SEBASTIAN

The Rapids were treated to a special outing on Saturday night, when the club organized a visit to the city of San Sebastian, which included tickets to the Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad match. The sold-out crowd at Anoeta Stadium began celebrating the occasion hours before the match even started in the small and crowded streets of the costal city. San Sebastian was at one point the vacation grounds of European royalty and it's still a popular tourist hub in Basque country. The game finished 2-0 in favor of Barcelona, with goals from Heinrich Larsson and Samuel Eto'o.

MASTROENI TO THE NATS

Rapids team captain Pablo Mastroeni joined the United States National Team on Sunday, March 19 in preparation for their game against Germany, which will be played this Wednesday in the city of Dortmund. The match will be televised live on ESPN2 at 12:25pm MT. Mastroeni will fly back directly from this match to Denver and will miss the final two friendly matches for Colorado in Spain.

RAPIDS KICKOFF LUNCHEON APRIL 4

The Colorado Rapids Community Care Foundation has announced the date for the charity's 7th Annual Kickoff Luncheon, which will take place from noon-1:30pm at the Ridgeline Restaurant in the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, April 4. Proceeds from the event benefit the Rapids Foundation, which supports underserved youth by providing assistance for educational and recreational programs and field-building initiatives in our local Colorado community. The Kickoff Luncheon gives fans and clients their first chance to meet the new Colorado Rapids players on the roster (organizations that buy a table get to have a Rapids player sit with them throughout the event!) and hear from Head Coach Fernando Clavijo himself as he shares the team's goals for the season. For details and to reserve a spot, fans can visit ColoradoRapids.com

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Major League Soccer Stories from March 20, 2006


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