Ayarna Leaves Camp, Galindo One To Watch

Just a quick update today.  Reuben Ayarna, who joined the Rapids in camp while they were in Houston, did not return to Denver with the team.  That leaves the 4 draft picks plus Nasco, Galindo, and Guzman as the unsigned players in camp.  Today's training was the last full session before the team leaves for Vegas later this week.  Soccer America also named Galindo as the top trialist to watch in a MLS camp.

Goalkeepers:

John Berner - Unsigned draftee

Clint Irwin

Joe Nasco - Unsigned trialist

Matt Pickens - On "Excused Absence"

Defenders:

Davy Armstrong - Homegrown Player - Will start season on IR(knee)

Mark Burch

Albert Edward - Unsigned draftee

Brenton Griffiths - International

Tolani Ibikunle  - Unsigned draftee

Kory Kindle

Chris Klute

Drew Moor

Brian Mullan

Shane O'Neill - Homegrown Player

Grant Van De Casteele

Marvell Wynne

Midfielders:

Samuel Galindo - Unsigned trialist, International

Juan Guzman - Unsigned trialist

Marion Hariston - Generation Adidas

Nick LaBrocca

Dillon Powers

Dillon Serna - Homegrown Player

Nathan Sturgis

Jared Watts - Unsigned draftee

Forwards:

Deshorn Brown - Generation Adidas, International

Edson Buddle

Martin Chavez

Charles Eloundou - International

Kamani Hill

Danny Mwanga

Vicente Sanchez - International

Gabriel Torres - Designated Player, International

Rapids Beat Houston Baptist 3-0, Eloundou Injured

Yesterday the Rapids finished out their week in Houston with a scrimmage against Houston Baptist University.  Again they made changes every 30 minutes.  The lineups through the game:

First 30 minutes:

Irwin

Ibikunle - Van De Casteele - Moor - Klute

Watts - LaBrocca

Sanchez - Torres - Chavez

Brown

Second 30:

Irwin

Ibikunle - Van De Casteele - Moor - Klute

Guzman - Sturgis

Sanchez - Torres - Chavez

Buddle

After half:

Nasco

Edward - Wynne - Kindle - Burch

Guzman - Sturgis

Serna - Hill - Eloundou

Brown

In the 52nd minute Eloundou was injured with what's being called a high ankle sprain and was replaced by Hairston.

Final 30:

Nasco

Edward - Wynne - Kindle - Burch

Guzman - Ayarna

Serna - Hill - Eloundou

Galindo

The goals were scored by Brown in the 12th (assist by Sanchez) and Serna and Galindo late, with Edward getting an assist on both.

The Rapids flew home today and will be in Colorado until mid-week when they head out to Las Vegas to play UNLV and Chivas USA before going to Tucson for the Desert Diamond Cup.

Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

OK, after a couple of days to enjoy the Super Bowl Champion Seahawks its time to get back to the Rapids preseason.  One Colorado team managed to win on Sunday as the Rapids beat the Dynamo 3-2 in a scrimmage in Houston.  The teams played 3 30-minute periods with the second one split up with a normal halftime after 45.  Here are the rosters the Rapids used:

First period:

Nasco
Edward - Casteele - Moor - Klute
Guzman - Galindo
Chavez - Hill - Serna
Buddle
​

Second period:

Nasco
Edward - Casteele - Ibikunle - Kindle
Ayarna - Guzman
Eloundou - Galindo - Serna
Brown
​

After half:

Nasco
Edward - Watts - Ibikunle - Kindle
Ayarna - Hairston
Eloundou - Galindo - Serna
Brown​

Final 30 minutes:

Berner
Wynne - Watts - Ibikunle - Burch
Sturgis - Hairston
Sánchez - LaBrocca - Eloundou
Torres​

The goals were scored by Dillon Serna, Deshorn Brown, and Gabriel Torres got the game winner.  The first Houston goal was scored by Rapids-loanee Tony Cascio.  Ayarna is Ghanaian midfielder Reuben Ayarna who joined the team on trial in Houston.  He's been playing in Sweden the last 5 years after attending Boston College.

Yesterday's update included this statement from GK coach Chris Sharpe in discussing Berner and Nasco:

"We're looking for somebody to compete at that #2 spot, to push Clint day in and day out, and to be comfortable and ready to play,"

With Pickens still on "excused absence" from preseason that makes it pretty clear he'll be traded/sold/cut before the roster deadline on March 1st.  So here's our current camp roster:

Goalkeepers:

John Berner - Unsigned draftee

Clint Irwin

Joe Nasco - Unsigned trialist

Matt Pickens - On "Excused Absence"

Defenders:

Davy Armstrong - Homegrown Player - Will start season on IR(knee)

Mark Burch

Albert Edward - Unsigned draftee

Brenton Griffiths - International

Tolani Ibikunle  - Unsigned draftee

Kory Kindle

Chris Klute

Drew Moor

Brian Mullan

Shane O'Neill - Homegrown Player

Grant Van De Casteele

Marvell Wynne

Midfielders:

Reuben Ayarna - Unsigned trialist, International(?) 

Samuel Galindo - Unsigned trialist, International

Juan Guzman - Unsigned draftee

Marion Hariston - Generation Adidas

Nick LaBrocca

Dillon Powers

Dillon Serna - Homegrown Player

Nathan Sturgis

Jared Watts - Unsigned draftee

Forwards:

Deshorn Brown - Generation Adidas, International

Edson Buddle

Martin Chavez

Charles Eloundou - International

Kamani Hill

Danny Mwanga

Vicente Sanchez - International

Gabriel Torres - Designated Player, International

CHAMPIONS!!!!

Sir Patrick Stewart agrees.

GO HAWKS!!!!

Go Hawks!

Before I was a Rapids fan or Denver resident I was a Seahawks fan.  Tomorrow I'm rooting for Beast Mode and the Legion of Boom!

And regardless of the result, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen have already won Super Bowl week with this tweet:

Football!