MLS Colorado Rapids

Rapids weekly update

Published on April 4, 2006 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


KARANKA, A Basque with Experience at Real Madrid:

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 Club Bilbao before being sold to Spain's 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).

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 naming the final 23-man roster that will represent the United States in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Rapids Debut:

Four Rapids players made their club debut in last weekend's match against the Houston Dynamo. Argentine forward Nicolas Hernandez, who started for Colorado was substituted in the 77th minute by Trinidad and Tobago forward Cornell Glen. Midfielder Clint Mathis and defender Chris Wingert also made their official MLS Debut with the Rapids Uniform.

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.

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 4, 2006


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