I think we have to assume the Denver Post article is correct in that the Rapids PR Department commonly leak information to the Post early (although they say they don't, wink wink). Even the ColoradoRapids.com website doesn't have the information posted yet! Wow. What a mess. Every time I get excited about the Rapids (i.e. having no coach) they kill me with such amazingly stupid maneuvers. Antonio De la Torre is valuable as trade bait, and should NEVER be given away free. See ya Toño, I liked ya too. Bummer.
Basically it came down to Beckerman or DLT ... Chivas or RSL would have picked either of these guys. Personally, I think they should have traded DLT to Chivas for a 3rd rounder this year and next year ... but why would Chivas do that? They know the Rapids situation ... So the question becomes DLT or Beckerman ... and though Beckerman can drive me nuts ... under a new coach he gets a good look at that potential. DLT has no potential ... we saw what he is ... SO ... I'm not so sure it's a really poor decision. Why? Our midfield is a complete mess. There is no depth even within the starters! So we expose our deepest strongest position. I mean we still have Sullivan and Lewis for depth there too. With that said ... we should have traded DLT to Chivas.
Antonio De la Torre is valuable as trade bait, and should NEVER be given away free. See ya Toño, I liked ya too. ------------------------------------------------------------------- then you were in hankinson's camp..he was about the only one who had faith in him .... because the players did not like playing with him...
OK Gang....MLSNET is saying that many of the BIG names in soccer are up for grabs! Preki & Meola and so many more! I think they are just thinning the payroll to the new teams. What will we be able to get once the other players are gone. I think that we will only end up loosing one or two at most. DLT is a for sure out of here and then I think we will end up loosing Trembely he is good but not that great so....just my thoughts.
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20041117&content_id=19264&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp Available: Rapids -- Antonio de la Torre -- DF -- 1 Rapids -- Darryl Powell -- MF -- 2 -- SI Rapids -- Joey DiGiamarino -- DF -- 5 Rapids -- Jeff Stewart -- DF -- 2 Rapids -- Seth Trembly -- MF -- 5 Rapids -- Scott Vallow -- GK -- 3
I don't think DLT will go that high, if at all. Out of 68 unprotected players, he certainly isn't in the top 20. DLT's biggest problem is that he's not strong in any position, i.e. defender, wing, midfield. He can hit the long ball great, but he's not notable elsewhere. Trembly will go ahead of him. I agree with protecting Vallow first. It's nice to have a solid back-up keeper. Q
If Chivas does a Mexican only thing, then the list of players for them to pick does not extend much further than DLT.
Wow, BillFish, are you going to start letting us down after such a great season?? How come you didn’t get the names fists. I thought you had some inside to the players and coaching staff. At least that’s what it looks like in your CyberSoccer stories. I guess that the FO of some of the teams leaked the story to their major newspapers because I found headlines on the following ones: The Columbus Dispatch, Washington Times, Boston Globe, Boston Herald. I wish I could have gotten the links too, but you have to subscribe to actually get to the stories. (I leave that up to you guys!)
DOH! My only defense to everyone: I wrote the article over a week ago and it wasn't posted until last night. Heck, I re-wrote parts of it after Hankinson got fired. In other news... Pablo steps up to talk about his role with the team. Cheers, BilFish
DLT is history, unfortunately. Chivas was yapping about him the day after the league announced their expansion. Personally, I'm glad to see we protected Zizi. Suprised, but glad. But then I've never denied being one of Zizi's two fans. With Spencer gone we need a strong forward up front who can produce with his back to the goal and Zizi's proven he can do that when not hurt. He and Peguero have very complementary styles and the two of them healthy and on the field striking as a pair should produce significantly more offense that we saw this year. If ZIzi'd had his surgery in 2003 instead of trying to PT his knee first he wouldn't have missed this last season. He'll be back this year... BUT... if I'm wrong and he doesn't pull through it... get rid of him early.
I appologize for the comment, didn't know that little piece of information. Now on a serious note: How do you gain access to the players and coaching staff? Do you just show up at training and you can talk to them??? I'm serious about my own webpage...we need more cybersoccer and rapidfan type forums!!!
OK as far as goalie back ups for us...I think we are Golden with Foss. He really proved himself in the minors...I think that Scott is a great guy and a champion of the comminuty and would give the shirt off his back to better someone but he wants to start and this is his oppertunity to do that. Foss has been with us for a while and I think will be a great addition to the full roster in 2005.
I am not completely surprised at the list. I reality I would be stunned if more than 1 player gets picked, especially when the list of unprotected players leaves a lot of talented players exposed. That can be explained by the salary and age/injuries of some of those guys. I would be really surprised if Vallow got picked, there are just too many good goalkeepers available.
Is the waiver draft soon after this expansion draft. would the players that do not get pick up probably go to the waiver draft? Did I read somewhere that Chivas wants players that speak spanish?
Looking at all the players unprotected (see link below). It seems that, by far, the Rapids have the least desirable set of players. Perhaps it's just me, but you could build a pretty good team from that list http://www.socceramerica.com/article.asp?Art_ID=562135311 I'm sure each team has their own reasons for not protecting some players, but there are a number of starters or key subs on the list.
Just as DLT is the standout among available players, Beckerman's protection is puzzling. As a central midfielder, Kyle's season -- in truth, his career -- has been less than impressive. For all of the potential the former U17 packs, the Rapids have yet to see any wallop while his contemporaries from that storied side have either shone (Donovan, Beasley, Convey, Onyewu) or faded (Trembly, Countess, Martin, Cutler, Thompson). It took the Rapids five years to learn that Trembly was not a piece of the puzzle; will the same be afforded to Beckerman? ------------------------------------------------------ rapidsfan.. we all get your obvious dislike for beckerman...Your comments are getting old.. If you want your site to be the website of the rapids you need new material..go read a good website- 3rd degrees and get some pointer. obviously you don't know what went on behind close doors when you make the statement that dlt is one of the standout of available players.
He is a Mexican with a green card and can fill a bench spot for Chivas without being a foreigner. This is the only reason I think they will take him.
Phil -- stop talking out of your rectum. I have LONG defended Beckerman, including backing up a great many of your posts. I have always given him praise when he's deserved it, including his better games this season. I have written positively about Beckerman on both rapidsfan.com as well as in this forum. However unlike you, I tend to recognize the time when a player is not getting the job done. I suppose you would blame Hankinson for the incredible number of turnovers committed by Beckerman, the passes directly to the feet of the other team? Or his inability to put a solid shot on frame? His propensity for fouls (1st on the team) and cautions (2nd)? Well, um, you're right. I guess that's why the phrase is "behind closed doors." Perhaps if YOU know something, you might share it with the rest of the class, instead of being arrogant in childish. "I know something you don't know, nyah nyah nyah!" Heaven forbid I -- and countless other fans -- don't share your opinion of Beckerman, but the fact is that neither he nor DLT were incredible performers for this club. For all the excuses you afford Beckerman, the same can be said of DLT, except the difference is that DLT had one year with the Rapids while Beckerman has had THREE. Add to the fact that DLT is coveted by Chivas and that he was considered "invaluable" by the Rapids (see the press releases) for his off-field contributions both in the Hispanic community and with regards to the Praire Gateway project... well, I just don't agree that protecting Beckerman was a better choice.
just because someone goes against the " guru greenie" a tirade comes about...if you need to have a childish tirade so be it...i will calmly respond because i can have opinions on this board... he had three years of hell under hankinson... and prevailed in spite of it....on the other hand de la torre prevailed because of hankinson this year. he played game in and game out UNTIL hankinson finally saw what the players were saying the whole year..Get him off the field. also if you look at the stats of all the teams you will see that -that position has alot of fouls..now you saying that delatorre was not very good this year but in your rapidsfan you state that he is one of the most talented on the unprotected ummm...
Pot, meet kettle. You attacked me directly. Not just my article, you attacked me and made claims that were both unsubstantiated and unwarranted. In my response to you I gave you the reasons why I would prefer DLT protected over Beckerman. I didn't take any of your words out of context, nor claim that you've said anything you didn't -- only that you claim to know things that the rest of us don't, but aren't willing to share. Explain to me just who is being the child here. Actually, my exact words were "neither he nor DLT were incredible performers for this club." But that's beside the point, and your bringing it up shows that you're entirely ignoring what I (and others) think it's silly to let DLT go for nothing. Were DLT not of Mexican descent, were Chivas not so interested in picking him up, then I probably wouldn't care. But the fact is that in leaving DLT unprotected, the Rapids give away something for nothing. I am hardly the first person to suggest this, and in fact a great number of people following this news -- fans and media alike -- tend to agree.
IMO - DLT will be the only Rapids player taken on Friday. If that's in fact the case, I would include Vallow in training camp and let the rest 'hit the road'.
This is really the shocking part for me with our unprotected list. Chivas is looking for players like DLT to fill their team. There is obviously some value to him if the Rapids don't want him on the team. I was hoping for a first round pick in this year's Superdraft, but I doubt that would have happened seeing that Kreis went to SLC for 'future considerations' instead of something in this next draft. I am hoping DLT said something to the effect of, "I want to go to Chivas and I won't play for you anymore" and then called Chivas and told them the same thing. In this case the Rapids wouldn't have a whole lot of bargaining power over Chivas. However, since DLT has said how he likes Denver I have a hard time believing the above was the case. IMO we'll miss DLT's dead ball ability. No he wasn't amazing at them, but he could put a dangerous ball into the box on a regular basis. He did lead the team, tied with Hendo, in assists.