Saturday, May 17, 2014

Torres Not Available Tonight

Last night MLSSoccer.com's Chris Bianchi tweeted the following:
Torres away with Panamanian team on special fitness program, I'm told. Turn off the alarm, put away the tinfoil hats. Myself included.
(The tinfoil hats are a reference to an earlier tweet about Torres not travelling and not practicing on Wednesday)

This explanation seems to have calmed down Bianchi but it certainly raised my eyebrows!  I have never heard of a player leaving his club team during the season to join his national team on a "special fitness program", particularly when that national team isn't in camp in preparation for a tournament or friendly (Panama did not qualify for the World Cup).

More than one fan has commented that Torres' fitness appears to be lacking this year, he seems to have put on weight and certainly his play hasn't lived up to his billing.  Maybe this is the key to getting him back to where he was.  Of course other fans have suggested that the "special fitness program" is a nicer way to explain some sort of rehab that the Rapids don't want to discuss or that Torres is trying to find a way out of Colorado.

On the latter note, Bianchi followed up his tweet with this:
For record, been reiterated to me recently that Torres big part of club moving forward. He ain't going anywhere as we stand.
So it doesn't sound like the Rapids want him to go anywhere.

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