Oh goody. Now instead of Rusnak tearing us apart during the RMC, we can now face him along side the rest of the already talent loaded Seattle Sounders team (whom we play twice this coming year). https://www.espn.com/soccer/seattle...p-deal-after-free-agent-leaves-real-salt-lake However, that said, it looks like the RMC may be just a little bit easier this season with Rusnak's departure.
Reports are coming out that Bassett is going to Feyenoord on a 1.5 year loan with an option to buy. This strikes me as potentially great for Cole but not so good for the Rapids, since there's no guarantee the Rapids get any money at all. Definitely the kind of club I hoped Cole would go to, though.
Link to an article regarding this as well: 🚨 #Rapids96 & #USMNT midfielder Cole Bassett is nearing a move to Feyenoord, sources have confirmed to @90min_FootballLikely to be completed next week, initial loan with purchase option 🇺🇸🇳🇱Report 👇https://t.co/gJC4lNk1iG— Chris Smith (@Chris_SXI) January 14, 2022
Though for it to be a 1.5 year loan Bassett would have to sign a new contract, since he's out of contract at the end of 2022. So this sounds like a sign-and-loan which would likely mean more than a one year extension for Cole, so that the Rapids could protect their investment in the case he doesn't get bought by Feyenoord.
Since the Bassett--Benfica link came up last year, I remember thinking that Cole probably declined due to concerns with playing time and greater interest in the Belgian Jupiler or Dutch Eredivisie (where other club interests lie)... which could've also been related to familiarity with his buddy Vines going to Jupiler. Remember, these guys are young. Now it all makes more sense now. Or maybe it's all just a random coincidence. Whatever the case, if Cole goes to Feyenoord, he'll be a 30 minute train ride from Sammy Vines in Antwerp and he'll be living down the block from his newer bud, Younes Namli... also in Rotterdam. Go figure.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/sour...-up-to-1-5-million-gam-for-usmnt-midfielder-k In Tom Bogert article about the Acosta trade he also confirms or at least reports the same thing that Bassett is more than likely headed to Feyenoord on loan.
https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/1812...ddenvelder-cole-bassett-op-weg-naar-feyenoord Dutch article not only confirming the loan for Bassett but also some quotes from their manager. Thanks to a Dutch poster who regularly posts in the Yanks Abroad boards.... this can be loosely translated to: "It's a boy who came into the picture from our scouting. Cole is a young player, who fits in with the policy that we have deployed at Feyenoord: in which we want to bind talented boys to us, who we can further develop. He recently became an American international and has a number of physical characteristics that we think suit us."
A source indicates to me that the Rapids are planning to make more moves.The obvious position of need is striker. Given the money Colorado has acquired the past few days, there could be a splash.— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) January 14, 2022 Stockpiling TAM/GAM (I always get them confused) indicates to me that there is one more big move coming from the Rapids. Shocked to see K Acosta go to a West Coast rival, so Pádraig must having something big in the works.
I assume that if Bassett goes on loan to Feynord he will be off the books for the Rapids in terms of his salary? Thus they will have a bit more money to use for the salary of a new signing(s)?
Both of these moves seem very on par for not only where this club is, but who it strives to be. I have always thought the best analog/best case scenario for the Rapids is the MLS version of the Tampa Bay Rays or Oakland A’s in the MLB. “Small market/small budget” team who routinely outperforms their payroll. And honestly, I believe the shoe fits….but it is definitely a tight line to walk. Very difficult model to replicate and succeed with. Requires a very clever front office and head coach. Routinely identify/acquire/develop under-valued/over-looked talent for cents on the dollar. Put said team of outcasts, “also ran’s” and over achieving youngsters in a good position to succeed on the pitch. Sell at 3x - 5x what you paid. Rinse. Repeat. Let’s face it, this team will never be awash in Kroenke’s cash. Hell, it’s probably not even on his radar. So Padraig and team will always have to generate buying opportunities from within, which both of these moves do. I believe this is the most viable method for the Rapids to remain sustainably competitive, if executed successfully (BIG “IF”). These type of teams routinely punch above their weight, are usually very good, but very rarely great. All things considered, I’ll take that.
Well, Bassett has officially departed the USMNT camp, so I guess we can say it’s essentially a sure deal for his transfer: Confirming that Bassett is no longer with the @usmnt in camp. #USMNT https://t.co/50cWdgrVGW— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) January 14, 2022
A (rather long) write-up of today's news: http://view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com/2022/01/three-core-rapids-head-for-new-homes.html
Just reading the Bassett/Acosta news. Crap.... Acosta was more of a NATs player than a Rapids player last season, much to my annoyance, but still, was counting on him for this season. The Bassett thing is a loss for us, but good luck to him at Feyenord. Seems like a great club. Can't blame him (or Acosta), but still... bummer for us. Hopefully we do something useful with the $1.1M. By the way, Jason Ma's blog explains has a good summary. Including the Forde one too. View From The Couch: Three Core Rapids Head For New Homes (view-from-the-couch.blogspot.com)
Thanks to Jason for his explanation. This is the clearest explanation of the various "kinds" of money and how they can be allocated that I have read. I can't guarantee that I will be able to keep it straight for very long, but it sure does help to make sense of things.
I did discover a wrinkle I had forgotten about after I wrote that, but it doesn't change my final conclusion. If we had sold him for more than $1M, we could have turned the first $1M into GAM. The rest would be cash we couldn't use for salaries EXCEPT we could use it to acquire/pay a DP. That said, we still would have needed an offer above LAFC's AND have a DP targeted we could have used the money on. I think that combination was unlikely.
And now Bassett has departed Colorado. I know the club hasn’t officially said anything, but uh, looks like the papers are done: 1483218121729056770 is not a valid tweet id Guess we can’t call him a former Rapid just yet, as it’s a loan with an option to buy, but it’s nice to have another young Rapid gaining international traction!
I'm still in shock from last week's big news of the departures of Acosta and Bassett. Right up till the Rapids tweets on Acosta and the second hand news I had been hoping they would both spend the entire 2022 season with the Rapids. Yes, I knew that losing one or both was a possibility once the transfer window was open. Like has been the case over the last two seasons, Pádraig has/had a plan in place with an already packed midfield and the recent acquisition of Max. I wonder if Bryan Acosta will be more interested in the Rapids with Kellyn no longer on the roster? With this being a three day weekend I suspect the pace of news will pick up starting tomorrow with the Rapids official announcement of Bassett's loan to Feyenoord. Hopefully their will be news or at least some reliable intel about the incoming #9. I also suspect we'll start to see thee obligatory videos from training the week from Arizona.
I hope we can get someone in this month, but I fear that Padraig will be waiting for what is likely a larger pool of available candidates in the summer. That could mean we do one of the ol' "Announce now, arrive in summer" type things.
The OTHER Acosta... Two year deal to be official Wed., apparently. https://www.diez.hn/legionarios/el-...gador-del-colorado-rapids-de-la-mls-NY5010492
Just got a media invite to a (virtual) Q&A with Padraig Smith tomorrow at 3. I'm guessing this will either be announced there or just before it.
Called it three posts above - “wonder if Bryan Acosta will be more interested in the Rapids with Kellyn no longer on the roster?” Some analytics on B Acosta: 1483579856021377025 is not a valid tweet id