Rumors And Trialists, Part 2

While there's still no news out of Commerce City, there's a couple of rumors going around Twitter:

• A journalist with unknown accuracy tweeted that he talked to Rosario Central's manager and confirmed that Martin Rivero is being transferred to Penarol in Uruguay.
• Steven Goff, a journalist with a track record of pretty good accuracy, tweeted that he's hearing the Rapids are in talks with former U.S. National Team striker Eddie Johnson.

Both of these tweets are BAD NEWS.  First the Rivero situation.  If its accurate then the Rapids have completely fumbled this signing and have massive egg on their face.  I'll save a full critique until we get official word one way or the other but the silence from the team at this point is doing more harm than good.

On Eddie Johnson run far, far away.  There's nothing but disaster in this idea.  Last summer he agreed to a contract with MLS, supposedly to join the Sounders for $200K a year, only to walk away at the last minute.  Then he signed a contract with Puebla in Mexico in December only to be cut after two weeks for being out of shape and lacking sharpness.  Unless Colorado can get Eddie Johnson to come in on trial like the rest of the trialists or he'll agree to a contract under Cummings $90K there's no way we should sign a guy who's likely to be worse than Caleb Folan.

What actual news we do have out of the Rapids is that there are a ton of trialists cycling in and out of camp.  Added since they returned from California are:

• Midfielder Aaron Pitchkolan (rejoining after missing CA trip)
• Midfielder Issac Cowles  (rejoining after missing CA trip)
• Forward Sterling Copland (played in a few reserve games with the team last year)
• Midfielder Masaki Hemmi (Japanese player currently at School Of Mines, also trained last year)
• Forward Daniel Frias (Indios de Cuidad Juarez - Mexico)
• Goalkeeper Alanso 'Popeye' Jimenez  (Indios de Cuidad Juarez - Mexico)
• Midfielder Andres 'Michi' Sarmiento (Atletico Bucaramanga - Colombia)
• Defender George Breslen-Hall (Arsenal Youth - England)

Also Academy players Dillon Serna and Shane O'Neill along with trialists Luis Zapato and Jefferson Angulo are still working with the team.  Forward trialist Sam Archer has been released.

The updated camp roster:

underline = unsigned trialist

Goalkeepers:

Steward Ceus

Joel Helmick (draftee)

Alanso 'Popeye' Jimenez
Ian Joyce

Matt Pickens

Defenders:

Eddie Ababio
George Breslen-Hall

Hunter Freeman

Kosuke Kimura

Tyrone Marshall

Drew Moor

Scott Palguta

Anthony Wallace

Marvell Wynne
Luis Eduardo Zapata

Midfielders:

Davy Armstrong

Tony Cascio

Jaime Castrillon
Issac Cowles
Steven Emory
Masaki Hemmi

Josh Janniere

Ross LaBauex

Jeff Larentowicz

Pablo Mastroeni

Brian Mullan

Joseph Nane
Aaron Pitchkolan
Andres 'Michi' Sarmiento

Jamie Smith

Wells Thompson

Kohei Yamada

Forwards:

Andre Akpan

Quincy Amarikwa

Jefferson Angulo

Conor Casey
Sterling Copland

Omar Cummings
Daniel Frias