"New striker to Colorado - checking into it." "Player arrives on Monday, trying to get a name." Quotes from Bergin just now. Anybody know anything?
Rapids have no cap room or SI slots, so it'll be really interesting who falls out of the garbage. If it's Musa Fooking Shannon, I may just skip the July 4th game altogether.
I've got inside info from a contact in the front office. We've managed to lure Eric Wynalda away from ESPN!
Greenie did. He also bought David Kramer's gloves and sent them to Hanki as a present. The note read, "Hanki, you have done to the Rapids what no other coach could possibly do." Go Colorado Rat-Holes!
I assumed that with the Powell signing (at the league max), we were pretty much at or near the cap (of course, it always seems like there is room under LA and NY's cap, but thats a different story for a different thread for different categories of threads ;-)
I believe there is/was a sort of 'emergency relief' clause, Chicago used something like that a couple years back to replace an injured player. I think it was meant to apply to injuries to marquee players, though the Rapids can certainly make a fair case that ZiZi is about as close as we got now.
The Marquee Player relief system was scrapped two years ago. Last Year the Revs lost Serna in his second game after they got him from the Mutts and had to eat his roster slot and Cap for the rest of the season. I do think however there is some relief possible if you lose enough players to reduce your roster down to where it's hard to field a team. I'm not sure how that one works but I don't think your any where near that level of loss. The most likely way for teams to get some Cap for another player when they are at the Max is to trade a draft pick to someone who has some Cap they are not using. Godd Luck tonight. Hope we can help you get a new coach. George
New Players? I addition to wasting salary/allocations, our 'brain trust' has decided to acquire players during the season instead of before preseason. I think these are 'for next season' additions more than help now. With so many playoff teams, I guess it can make sense if you really can't get the roster set by February (camp). We actually have some depth in the roster, and I don't think a lack of bodies available to play is the problem. Schmidt, Trembly, Borchers, Rizo, Vallow, Crawford, etc. haven't been a step down from the starters as a group. Heck, you could make a case for them having some advantages over the starters. By the time Powell is playable, and any new signee is ready, we'll be in August. Zizi is back in September. What'll we be then? 2-12-4? How about a new coach instead of a new forward. Heck, if they name Bravo or Trittschuh, they're not even out salary! Richard
http://www.ussocceruk.com/modules.p...e=article&sid=293&mode=nested&order=1&thold=0 Abdul Thompson Conteh. Doesn't ring any bells with me. The English DC United fans are somewhat sniggering for some reason.
He used to play for DCU under WRongan. He's wasn't very productive for DCU and doesn't have much pace.
Will he be any good for you (sounds like no) as I want to see the Rapids do well after a former Gunner (Gimandi) walked out on you.
Abdul Thompson Conteh. Are you ***************i*ng kidding me?!? There are more productive strikers in the A-League. Oh I forgot, we have to get a foreign player because our coach and GM are so good at spotting foreign talent! Fire them both!!
Is it just me... ...or is this team being build around worn-out foreign "quick-fix" players in their early 30's? If they don't get injured right away or leave, then they're only good for a year or two. That's too bad because the rest of the league is being built around quality youth. Meanwhile, we're going to go through this every year.
A potential midseason acquisition that isn't going to cost the Rapids much of anything, and people are already flipping their lids. In 2001, the guy scored 14 for DC (and another 5 in the Open Cup) before sputtering under Hudson in 2002. That's significantly more than any member of the Rapids, past or present, ever produced in a single season. Is he expected to be an immediate starter? No. Expected to turn the season around? No. Expected to be a long-term acquisition? No. The guy is here on trial, will require a minimal amount of money, has a significant amount of professional experience (played in Mexico in the mid/late 90s for Monterrey, I think), and if nothing else will provide for strong competition in training. God forbid you guys would wait to see him play before stringing him up as a "has-been."
"God forbid you guys would wait to see him play before stringing him up " And besides, don't we need to cut down Powell first to make room for Conteh
greenie, I agree with everything you said, but doesn't it seem like ther is a ongoing pattern here? He's had his chance with some other teams in the recent past and hasn't produced. I understand it won't cost us much (if anything), but it just seems we look at old, washed up foreign players all the time. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that I don't trust our powers that be to make the correct decision on players that they bring in to the club.
Yes, it's a pattern... I think most of us would agree that the Rapids aren't going to be hoisting too many cups this year. I think we'll all be shocked if they don't get knocked out of the Open Cup by an A league Team. So why is the team behaving like they're favorites making a run for the title? Adding that one last veteran for the final push. The teams that win in the future in the MLS will be built around a foundation of good, you US players. We should be getting our younger players more experience. Even Powell sems like a waste of a roster spot. He's coming off injury. He's certainly not gung-ho to join the team and contribute. If it was just this year, then everything would be OK. But we've seen it year after year. It's pattern. And the only way to stop it is to fire the people in charge.
Conteh is not only a green card holder, but I believe through marriage might be a citizen(ie qualified and taken the test that 90% of the people born here cant pass). A pretty quality individual too. I am surprised to read about a link to the Raps, though, as he wants to stay in the DC area because of his nonprofit organization that does a crap load of community and charity work.