I figured with the opening of camp we can track all the news here. With preseason opening today I've got the first version of my annual preseason camp tracker. Interesting note, the Rapids roster no longer lists Boateng or Shinyashiki as internationals which would get us down to our limit of 7. http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2019/01/welcome-to-preseason-2019.html
This is one area where the Rapids have excelled recently. I wonder if Gashi will be a forward or will be in the midfield for Hudson this season? Same with Nicholson - although I think he will mostly be in the midfield. He's got pace which can be useful in tracking back to defend. It seems likely that one of the trio of Shinyashiki, Hundley and Jackson will end p in Colorado Springs.
I don't know of any mechanism that allows you to swap a student visa (Shinyashiki) for green card that quick, think interns missed on that one.
I'm thinking that too, unless the league had already started the green card process for him and they expect it to be complete by the start of the season. Boateng I can see getting his green card by now, he's been here the second longest of our internationals behind Gashi.
Looks like I got confused, Boateng got his green card last year (he missed the second leg of the CCL because he couldn't travel to Canada) so that's not a new change. And we only have 6 international slots, not 7. I keep thinking we traded for another one for this year but we haven't yet. So we're one over plus Shinyashiki would be two over.
Howard will be retiring at the end of the season: https://www.coloradorapids.com/post...rd-announces-retirement-following-2019-season
Damn! I saw an email from the Rapids titled "#ThankYouTim" in my in-box and immediately got excited. I knew what it was. Retirement!!! Then I opened the email.....retirement following the 2019 season. Sigh................. man I'd love to get that salary off the books and further invest in the squad.
It will be interesting to see who (if anyone) will be our jersey sponsor next year and how much money it will bring in for that reinvestment.
While I no longer work for the current sponsor, I heard two rumors going in opposite directions last summer. One, they were renegotiating with said sponsor. One, no new deal / extension. So who knows. I got the impression most believed the former rather than the latter.
Acosta will be starting camp with the boys after all. He was released along with 4 others as Berhalter trimmed the roster for the Panama & Costa Rica marches down to 23. A little surprised Acosta was released but I’m not complaining. The more reps with the news players, the better. An important preseason is looming so better that he’s in camp.
Another schedule change. The Wed. July 17th home game against Minnesota will now be Sat. June 8th https://www.coloradorapids.com/post...ds-announce-schedule-change-trio-2019-matches
Not really any news in this article, but I find it interesting that Pádraig didn't comment one way or another on signing a third DP in the summer. Seems in the past he has straight up denied that he was in the market for a DP. 1087862807784292353 is not a valid tweet id
Boy is this an important question. Seems like the jersey sponsorship is going to be key in getting the money to pay a DP or two. It's hard to imagine the Rapids results on the pitch and attendance over the previous two seasons is going to attract a lot of money. Hope I'm wrong.
I bet this changes with Tim retiring. Guessing MLS may take one of our later games and get it some publicity. "Come see Tim Howard play his final game."
Doubtful, they probably knew it was his last season when they made the schedule. Even if they do though it doesn’t solve @COMtnGuy's concern. The next jersey sponsor is likely looking at a reduced number of nationally televised games unless we sign a 'name' that the general public wants to see or we're a really good team.
At least the writer included this paragraph. It should be noted that the Rapids could’ve made the types of moves they made this offseason last winter, too. History has shown that signing players from within the league is usually a safer bet than acquiring players from abroad, particularly when those international signings are relatively expensive and haven’t played much in the few seasons prior to coming to MLS. That knowledge isn’t groundbreaking, and Colorado could've done it last winter.
I agree with the writer for as far as he goes. I think its safe to say that generally though good teams find successful international signings along with their domestic ones. (Though the most successful two seasons in Rapids history we essentially signed no internationals the prior offseason, 2010 and 2016).
I think the horse goes first, meaning they will need to bring in a name or two DP contract players in order to get a big sponsorship deal.
Though the money from a sponsor may be the horse needed to pull in the desired DP(s)' buggy? (sorry, couldn't resist)
Kellyn Acosta was released from@the #USMNT roster last night. I’ve also heard a significant bid for him from an English was also recently rejected— Brian Sciaretta (@BrianSciaretta) January 23, 2019