A couple of fans with well placed sources int he Rapids FO have done some digging and separately both gotten similar stories (though they may be talking to the same people). The highlights:
- Pareja was given a contract extension and raise through 2015 around the end of the season (this has been confirmed by other reports outside of fans as well)
- He is now the highest paid coach in Rapids history
- He's getting paid more in Colorado than Hyndman ever did in Dallas
- The Rapids have not given anyone permission to talk to Pareja
- There has been no conversation between the Rapids and Pareja about him being unhappy, or the Rapids being unhappy about any of his demands
- Dallas has gone to the press to drive a wedge between Pareja and the Rapids
- The Rapids are seriously considering filing tampering charges with the league over what Dallas is trying to do
If these sources are accurate it appears that Dallas has gotten desperate and are trying to force bad blood between OP and the Rapids FO, hoping it leads to the Rapids releasing OP or OP going to the FO and telling them he wants to go Dallas. It probably also appeases their fans a bit to appear their making progress in signing him.
So we've got two contrasting stories, both serving the image each of the team's wants to have out there. I doubt either one is 100% true, but what happens in the next week will go a long way to determining which one was closer to the truth. There's a Caribbean combine in Antigua this weekend and the college combine (which the top players from the Caribbean will be invited to) starts a week from Friday. Presumably this coaching tug-o-war will be played out one way or the other by then.
Of course if the sources above are accurate, the Rapids can quickly end this story by putting out a statement on Thursday similar to the one released in November. That quashed the rumor fairly well back then. Or Pareja could make a clear statement about where he wants to be in 2014.
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