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MLS Colorado Rapids

Weekly Update: Rapids Kick off 2012 Season this Saturday

March 5, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Colorado Rapids News Release


RAPIDS KICK OFF 2012 SEASON THIS SATURDAY AT DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK: The Colorado Rapids will begin the 2012 MLS season this Saturday, March 10 at 4:00 p.m. MT at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, hosting the Columbus Crew. Saturday's matchup features two teams that have met in the playoffs the last two years, and will be the debut for Rapids Head Coach Oscar Pareja. The Rapids are returning their core again in 2012, including captain Pablo Mastroeni, U.S. National Team midfielder Jeff Larentowicz, and forward Omar Cummings, and have added new talent in the form of midfielders Jaime Castrill�n and MartÃ-n Rivero. For more information on the Rapids, or to purchase tickets to any match, call 303-825-GOAL or visit www.ColoradoRapids.com .

RAPIDS WEEK 2012 CONTINUES TONIGHT AT THE NUGGETS GAME: The Colorado Rapids are in the middle of "Rapids Week 2012," the annual series of events leading up to First Kick, and celebrating the club's 17th season in MLS. Tonight, many Rapids players will be heading to the Pepsi Center for the Nuggets game, where they will be featured on the court at halftime, and will also provide giveaways for lucky fans at the game.

Other "Rapids Week 2012" events include:

- Kickoff Luncheon at Marriott City Center; information below (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.)

- HealthONE visit to Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children (Thursday afternoon)

- Pub Crawl in LoDo, sponsored by Heineken (Friday, 6:00-9:00 p.m.)

For the full schedule of events during Rapids Week 2012, click here .

RAPIDS HOST 2012 KICKOFF LUNCHEON THIS WEDNESDAY: The Colorado Rapids will host their annual Kickoff Luncheon this Wednesday, March 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Denver Marriott City Center. The event offers fans the opportunity to meet the team and hear from club executives and Head Coach Oscar Pareja, with all proceeds going to Kroenke Sports Charities. Interested fans can purchase a table for $1,000 (nine guests and one Rapids player or coach) or an individual ticket for $100. For more information or to purchase a table or ticket, visit www.ColoradoRapids.com or call 303-727-3517.

COLORADO RAPIDS ACADEMY AND REAL COLORADO TO PLAY EXHIBITION MATCH ON SATURDAY: The Colorado Rapids and Real Colorado Development Academy Programs will play an exhibition match on Saturday, March 10 following the Colorado Rapids' home opener against Columbus Crew at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The game will kick off approximately 30 minutes after the final whistle and is open to anyone who has a ticket to Saturday's Rapids match. To purchase tickets, please call 303-825-GOAL or visit www.ColoradoRapids.com .

OMAR CUMMINGS NOTCHES TWO ASSISTS IN 3-2 JAMAICA WIN: Rapids forward Omar Cummings notched a pair of assists with the Jamaican National Team in its friendly against New Zealand in Auckland last Wednesday. Earning his 28th career cap with the Reggae Boyz, Cummings started and contributed two assists in the 3-2 win. Cummings returned to the Rapids on Friday and continued the trend by serving the final pass for both Tony Cascio and Jaime Castrill�n's first goals in a 4-0 victory over Colorado School of Mines, the Rapids' last preseason match before First Kick.

RAPIDS CLOSE OUT PRESEASON SCHEDULE WITH 5-2-1 RECORD: The Colorado Rapids closed out the 2012 preseason on Saturday, cruising to a 4-0 victory over the Colorado School of Mines. A pair of newcomers scored the goals, with rookie Tony Cascio scoring twice and Colombian midfielder Jaime Castrill�n adding two more. Against collegiate and professional competition, the Rapids closed preseason with a 5-2-1 record (W-L-T), and the full results are below:

COLORADO RAPIDS - PRESEASON MATCHES 2012

DAY DATE OPPONENT (LOCATION) RESULT (SCORERS)/TIME*

Sun Feb 5 Ventura County Fusion (Oxnard, CA) 0-0 T

Tue Feb 7 Chivas USA (Carson, CA) 1-0 W (Amarikwa)

Fri Feb 10 San Jose Earthquakes (San Luis Obispo, CA) 2-1 L (Castrill�n)

Sat Feb 11 San Jose (35-min game, San Luis Obispo, CA) 1-0 W (Cascio)

Sat Feb 11 Cal Poly (35-min game, San Luis Obispo, CA) 1-0 W (Akpan)

Tue Feb 21 Hawaii Pacific U (60-min game, Honolulu, HI) 2-1 W (Akpan, Palguta)

Thu Feb 23 Yokohama FC (Honolulu, HI) 2-1 L (Moor)

Sat Feb 25 Melbourne Heart (Honolulu, HI) 1-0 W (Cascio)

Sat Mar 3 Colorado School of Mines (DSGP) 4-0 W (Cascio 2, Castrill�n 2)

SAT MAR 10 COLUMBUS CREW (OPENING DAY) 4:00 p.m. MT

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