New Keeper Incoming? & Preseason Results

I was going to dedicate this post to catching up on a couple of preseason results but we've got some player news tonight to get to first.  Brendan Ploen of the Post is reporting that a loan agreement has been reached with goalkeeper Marko Ilic and his Belgian side K.V. Kortrijk to loan Ilic in until the summer transfer window, with an option to buy him outright then.

This is an interesting move in the vein of other loan-to-buys like Esteves, Namli, and even Yarbrough originally.  The only oddity is the short length.  Depending on when exactly "in the summer" is, the loan could be for as short as 18 games (if its until the summer window opens in Belgium) to as long as 26 games plus at least 2 Leagues Cup games (if its until the close of the window in Belgium).  That's generally long enough to get a good read on a field player where you can get him in for some minutes even as a sub but its much harder to do for a goalkeeper that needs to unseat an incumbent just to get playing time.  There will also be at least one Open Cup match during the loan.  If he's her through the end of the window you have to figure he's getting any USOC and Leagues Cup matches at minimum.  More on this if/when it becomes official and we have more details.

Also, relevant to this, Colorado's second round pick GK Oliver Semmle signed with Louisville City FC today, as expected it appears he didn't get an offer from the Rapids.

So now, on to the first couple of preseason matches in Orlando.  On Saturday the Rapids faced off against the home team in their first game against MLS competition this year.  The starting XI looked like (best guess on formation):

Yarbrough

Rosenberry - Abubakar - Wilson - Beitashour

Price

Bassett - Ronan

Nicholson - Rubio - Barrios

Most of that group went 75 minutes and played a scoreless draw in the first half.  At half Price and Ronan came off for Acosta and Priso.  All the action happened after the break as right out of the locker room Barrios set up Bassett to take the lead, and Rubio doubled it on a PK he earned about 7 minutes later.  Orlando would get one back before the Colorado made full-scale subs:

Rodriguez

Anderson - Bombito - Edwards - Markanich

Priso

Bassett - Harris

Galvan - Yapi - Cabral

This group gave up a goal to end the game in a draw.

Then yesterday the burgundy boys took on USL side Miami FC.  The big news in the starting XI was the first minutes for Gersbach and Maxsø:

Rodriguez

Anderson - Bombito - Maxsø - Gersbach

Priso

Acosta - Max

Galvan - Yapi - Cabral

This group gave up a goal in just 8 minutes, which hurts, but bounced right back with Max and Priso combining to set up Cabral for the tying goal.  Colorado had chances but couldn't break the deadlock in the first half.  At the break Yarbrough replaced Rodriguez, Markanich replaced Gersbach, and Harris replaced...somebody.  Then in the 60th minute the remaining 8 players were swapped out leaving an XI of:

Yarbrough

Rosenberry - Abubakar - Wilson - Markanich

Bassett

Ronan - Harris

Nicholson - Rubio - Barrios

This group would take the lead on a Rubio goal from a Nicholson cross with less than 15 minutes to go.  Markanich would get one 3 minutes later off a rebound of his own shot from a Ronan cross.

Colorado will play Philly on Saturday in their last preseason friendly before the season opener next Sunday in Seattle.