Here we go: Happy New Year. 2015 starts right now. #wintheoffseason #noexcuses— Brian Crookham (@briancrookham) October 26, 2014 Related threads: December 10 Expansion Draft thread 2015 Super Draft thread Pablo thread (Hinchey said he's not going anywhere, but Pablo has looked so down in the dumps the last two games, I wonder if he might resign) Early off-season stories: Rapids offseason wishlist: A second attacking DP. Does Gabriel Torres Want to Return to the Rapids in 2015? (Club says he's in their 2015 plans, Gaby might want to go elsewhere for more playing time, but of course someone would have to want you.) Will Zat Knight return? Rapids Confident Zat Knight Will Be a Big Help on Backline
If the Rapids think Zat Knight has something to offer after his play here my expectations are pretty low in their ability to identify talent this offseason
Yup, there's likely to be a lot of sandwiches. In addition to the usual trouble, as that Post blog post noted, the new CBA could complicate off-season plans.
Good news bad news: Good news: With Chivas USA beating San Jose today we don't suffer the indignity of being the last team to lose to a team being contracted. (DC and SJ were the last teams to lose to TB and Miami BTW) Bad news: With Chivas USA beating San Jose today we suffer the indignity of finishing behind a contracted team and finishing in 8th, the worst finish position in team history.
Clean house. Clean house now! Don't wait until after the playoffs, don't wait until January like you usually do to start making moves. Now! Realistically I know the Rapids can't sign 20 new players in one off-season, so I guess some have to stay.
Seems to me that nothing will change until after the expansion draft. Would hate to bring in people we want and then have a problem with protecting them.
This club has not been good at being proactive, so I have little hope there will be any moves of consequence until after the new CBA. This of course will give TH a handy excuse and the opportunity for plenty of tweets and press releases stating that the club is working hard and preparing for a bright 2015 while not actually doing anything.
I don't think moves are allowed until after expansion draft, but given teams have already made some 2015 player signings it's hard to say. Ie Columbus signing the former KC striker whose name escapes me, think he was guy who made heart sign with hands after goals.
The Rapids failed to win the last 14 games of the season - that's almost half a season. As bad as Rockies ownership is, could the Rockies lose almost half a season, so about 70 games in a row, or even the Avs or Nuggets losing, say, 30 to 35 in a row to end the year, and there is a collective shrug by the ownership and management of the team? I"m pretty sure that any other team would end a season like this with a massive house cleaning. Ie, the Monday morning after the last game, the management - starting from the top - is fired. I am sure that MLS doesn't care, because Don Garber's sole goal in life is a NY versus LA championship with Seattle players guest reffing the game. But MLS should care about what its owners do and don't do - MLS will thrive more with more competitive teams. Dysfunctional ownership is a problem in this league. See, Chivas. I wish there was something to be done about this, but I fear the alternative is even worse (see, Chivas). Sadly, there is one guy who I think could actually effectuate change. Too bad he pretty much seems to work for KSE (I think Balboa, if he started waves, could get the kind of media attention to make change happen - he is the only guy in Colorado soccer that has that kind of weight - I don't know if Balboa is still a "Rapids Community Ambassador" or whatever he was being called, but since he does the broadcasts on Altitude, I assume he works for KSE). Either way, I guess I'll enjoy the (crap) sandwich with everyone else and hope that the dumpster fire takes out the management of this team in the meantime.
I have absolutely zero hope that 2015 will be any better than this year. I agree, if the Rapids hold onto Knight after watching his performances with the team this year, I seriously question their ability to evaluate talent. Most of my pessimism comes from Pablo. Nothing I have seen this year tells me he will be a good coach, and I think the Rapids will give him at least 3 years to prove himself. Pablo took a playoff team and converted them into one of the worst teams in the league. I know the roster changed a little bit from 2013 but not so much to warrant such a decrease in performance.
Sounds like injuries are going to be the main explanation for the Rapids' nose-dive, with lack of veteran depth being a secondary explanation: Rapids' frustration with struggles won't cost coach Pablo Mastroeni his job.
Yep. There seems to be a lot of focus on success early in the season. Seems to me there was a lot of good luck going our way (which I will take any time) during the first part of the season, followed by a lot of bad luck in the second part. Injuries certainly had an impact (Drew Moor may be the top reason for the defensive collapse), but tinkering with the lineup both at the beginning of the season (when they should have been building cohesion) and during the second half (when really strange choices were being made) were a major contributor to the collapse. You don't see the highly successful teams making that many lineup changes on a regular basis. I am fine with Pablo getting another year to get things going, all coaches should have time to get things settled. Just hoping it works out next year as I *really* don't want to go through another rebuilding time. rod.
This part is interesting Competition on the field also has a deeper meaning: Players on minimum contracts earn $500 every time they enter a game as a substitute, and $1,000 for every game they start. Irwin unexpectedly made 31 starts last year while on a minimum deal after the Rapids’ starting goalkeeper at the time broke his arm. “I pretty much doubled my salary,” he said. “That’s big. But it’s an anomaly.”
David Dir comments on Torres, I think it's unlikely he returns with way FO handled him this year but the guy has Skill and Technical ability to be great in MLS. When Torres touches ball in 18 he is dangerous , if rapids can't find a place for a guy like that I would grab him if I were another team— David Dir (@BigDfutbol) October 26, 2014 another on Pablo “@CONomad48: @RapidsMHC Pablo's priorities are? pressure, work both sides of ball , def as team , work ethic, intensity consistent in com— David Dir (@BigDfutbol) October 19, 2014
I was really really hoping to get on this morning to find that Hinchey and Bravo have been fired. I'm actually disappointed. I guess, it was the ownership's plan to signal to fans you've thrown in the towel midway through a season. Got it, noted.
If you ask me they threw in the towel before the season even started (just filled roster holes), they made lip service to improving the team all year to no actual affect. This is the second time (and more extreme) in 3 years this has happened.
The ownership's plan is to not lose more than $X on running the Rapids. Presumably, since Hinchey still has his job, mission accomplished.
I don't have hope that KSE can rise to a higher standard. The ownership's plan should be to make a killing. They don't have a clue.
Very possible. It was loudly communicated to the fans when they didn't even pretend to give lip-service to the hole in CB.
KC and Houston are back in Western conference next year. That improvement bar just got a bit higher for 2015.