http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2012/01/castrillon-arrives-colorado-continue-negotiations Castrillon flew in last night with his representative. No contract has been finalized but they'll be meeting with the Rapids this weekend to try to work something out.
I like him but hope he doesn't cost "DP" money. Would much rather have a 20-21 YO (Or younger) if we are going to spend that money.
I hope they pull this off. They are going to wish they hadn't thrown it on their website if he doesn't end up on the team. They better make it work because we need some depth in midfield desperately.
I think he would be worth it. On top of that if he isnt a DP he will be close to the amount of salary that a DP takes up most likely. Colorado doesnt have any slots being used atm & if someone like Chara has that big of an impact in MLS, certainly Castrillon will have quite a big one.
Assuming Castrillon signs with the Rapids and earns a starting spot in the central midfield ..... what happens to Pablo ?
Wish their was some contract news. Do to history of FO failures, this silence after saying he is in Denver makes me VERY Nervous.
They can't really announce much legally until the guy's signature is on the paper - that's always been the case. Tim Hinchey via twitter though seems to be able to give some updates - and that's new. In the past we wouldn't have even known until he was signed unless the rumor got out.
the only real reason i have confidence it will happen is that they put it on their own official webpage. they must be hella close to dangle red meat over the ravenous fans. not that that hasnt blown up in their faces more times than i care to remeber. also thats risky i think. it gives an, i assume, technically unsigned player the upper hand in any final negotiations. they will stink of shit if it falls through now.
think will get him. his like the type of player fierrea was for dallas. i see a big formation change for us coming with pablo ginja n him at center forward omar pushed out right.
Given the fact that JL is one of our best players and it would make (IMO) no sense to bench him, I think this means that we could be looking at a 4-3-3 (4-5-1 defensively) with two defensive mids and Castrillon at the top of the triangle.
The line up that was (barely) visible in one of the photos on the Rapids web site yesterday looked like a 3-5-2. That would put JL and Pablo on the field at the same time. Doesn't mean they'll actually trot that out this year, but interesting none-the-less.
I like it in theory and think we could possibly pull it off. My biggest concern would be with the speed of our midfield, especially on the wings. They would really need to track back and cover a lot of ground to support a 3 man back line.
I really like playing a 3 - 5 - 2 with youth teams. I really think it would almost require 3 DP defenders to work in MLS. Maybe if the two wide midfielders made it look a lot like a 5 - 3 - 2 when emphasizing defense (against a 'better' opponent, with a lead to defend, on the road late in the match to 'hold' a draw). It also could have potential morphing into a 4 - 4 - 2 with the wide defender on the side of the attacking possession dropping back (if not stranded forward on a counter) but a straight up 3 - 5 - 2 ... love it with youth, not going to be defensive enough against the professionals' level of attack. I just hope our new coach is soccer savvy enough to make the formation fit the personnel rather than the reverse of that. Everything I've read says he is.
A 3-5-2 solves the issue of what to do with JL and Pablo, but it seems to me that it creates other problems in the back and on the outside mid positions. Going into the season, it seems to me, that we have a starting back line if healthy of Kimura, Wynne, Moor and Wallace. If the team goes to a 3-5-2 I can only see it as Wynne - Marshall - Moor. My concern with that is that I don't think it makes too much sense relying on Marshall as a starter. He'd be vulnerable. On top of that who would be the wide players? Smith, website is giving rosy reports for him, can't cover the whole left side. Mullan might be able to cover the whole right, but I suspect that he'd only be good for 60 minutes at most. Anyhow, I kind of feel like solving the issue of Larentowicz/Pablo and getting an attacking midfielder creates a lot of problems.
Well today's article suggests a 4-3-3 or 4-2-1-3. When everyone is healthy that would be our typical back 4, Pablo, JL, and Castrillon in the center, and Casey, Cummings, and either Smith or Mullan. Given that we're unlikely to have either Casey or Smith to start the season I'm thinking: Mullan/Cascio(?) - Folan - Cummings Castrillon JL - Pablo Moor - Marshall - Wynne - Kimura Pickens This assumes Koz is healthy of course. I put Cascio in because he seems like he was picked with the 4-3-3 in mind. He may not be starting the opening game, but he seems to fit in perfectly to that left mid/attacker spot in this formation.
I'm going to guess since it was the first talk with the players - it was perhaps more theoretical then practical. This is what preseason is all about right?
Jason - given that Pareja seems to be in favor of a dribble/possess/attack style of play, any chance we'd see Kandji up top with Cummings instead of Folan? Given that Mac is well over a year removed from his ACL he's likely quite fit again and he is much more a dribble-in-traffic type than Folan
Folan might be more of that kind of player too. When he wasn't letting the ball just roll by him, he did seem like he wanted to show off some fancy footwork. It should be a pretty good battle between them I would think. Of course he needs to get here first. I'm really hoping both have a big rebound year this year. Of course all of these good sentiments about Folan will be gone the first time I see him let a pass go rolling by him (do you think he says "olé" each time that happens? cause I started to ) and then look incredulously at the man who passed it or the first time he is waiting at the back post to hit a ball with a volley as the center back is clearing it out of the middle with his head. Ok, so apparently he still frustrates me, but MAYBE this year will be be different. Please, PLEASE, be different.
Personally I think you need to have somebody who can hold up the ball even of that's not your primary strategy, especially with the physical center backs you find in MLS. Folan seems more likely to do that than Kandji. But that's just my opinion.
He's frustrating, yes, but I can't forget that one time...Facing the goal, he took the ball on the right side of the box. Slid smoothly to his left and curled the ball around the outstretched goalie with his left foot and nestled it in the back of the net. It was a thing of beauty!
I agree that Kandji isn't replacing Folan, but I can easily see Kandji starting as the left striker instead of Cascio/Mullan.
