A bit odd to see the only player who played in all 30 games for the Rapids last season to be leaving, no? Scott Palguta and Drew Moor are going to be busy at left back next season.
Press release from the Colorado Rapids:
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Wednesday, November 25, 2009) – The Colorado Rapids announced today that defender Jordan Harvey was selected by the Philadelphia Union with one of their 10 selections in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft.
Each of the League’s 15 teams was allowed to protect 11 players, leaving all others unprotected and available for selection by the Union.
Harvey was originally selected with Colorado's first pick, ninth overall, in the 2006 MLS Supplemental Draft. In five seasons with the Rapids, he appeared in 45 games with 42 starts for 3,793 minutes and recorded four assists. Harvey is coming off a career season in 2009 where he was the only Rapids player to appear in all 30 games, while also registering a career-high three assists. His 2,613 minutes played last season were 8th most in MLS.
Showing posts with label Drew Moor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drew Moor. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Post Match Quotes
Quotes from last night's 1-1 tie with San Jose Earthquakes:
Pablo Mastroeni:
"It would have been nice to get three points, obviously. We can't sit and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to show up and be the team we are capable of."
Conor Casey:
"It was a good point given the circumstances but it was a terrible game from us. Just got to be a lot better going forward. To come out with a point is fortuitous. A little sloppy finishing, a bit off today. Unfortunately, it happens. When that's the case, it's hard to win games."
On reaching the season goalscoring record:
"It feels good but it will feel a lot better when we are in the playoffs. This is crunch time and we have to get in the playoffs."
Nick LaBrocca:
"It's huge (to get the point). We just need to keep picking up the points right now and, with our schedule, if we can keep picking them up, we can make our way into the playoffs."
Gary Smith:
"Disappointing to lose Jake so early. All of our wide players are lost now. I would think it's too quick a turnaround (for the weekend) for Jake given how he hobbled off."
"We've relied heavily on those guys (Casey and Cummings) all season. Goals around the team have been very hard to come by and those two have borne the brunt of pretty much everything we have created and scored from and, tonight, we fell just a little bit short. The front two are just not quite clicking as they did early on and when you are reliant on a pair as we are and they don't click, it's a big loss."
"In the end, we are fortunate to get a point again after a lot of possession and disappointed we didn't get all three."
"The reality is we are getting down to the nitty gritty of the season and our own game is obviously the most opportunistic to get three points and we have failed to do that. The balance is not good on the schedule but it's still four points from 12."
"I think we are now putting a lot more pressure on to not concede because the creativity in the group is slowly but surely starting to wane."
"If any of them are feeling a little bit sorry for themselves, then they need to quickly snap that and get themselves together for the weekend."
"If anybody was expecting a rest, they ain't going to get one. If they're fit, they're playing."
"With the lack of pace and cutting edge out wide, we're not quite getting what we want out of the team. So, it's not going to be easy. I'll make no bones about that. We've lost three important wide players who give us something different. They can turn a mediocre attack into something special. We've got to look to other areas to produce that and only time will tell if we can."
"They'll work it through to the final breath of the game. We've got two points out of six but we could have had zero and, maybe, in other years, we might have had zero and those two points could be very important."
On Mastroeni's return:
"He was great on the ball. On a night where two or three of our midfield players just fell short. Nick being shuffled to the right, he was out of the game a bit. Mehdi found if difficult. Kosuke has been a livewire and I felt his service fell short from where it was before. Pablo was one of maybe two or three players who really tried to make something happen, to light a fuse, create a spark. He did his utmost to keep the ball moving quickly, find a little angle, get it into feet a little bit sharper and just drive the lads on quicker. It was great to have him back."
"Drew was terrific again at center back and also, Julien, in the first half, defensively. The pair of them did very well."
On Facundo Diz:
"He will certainly benefit from wide service because he's a big strong guy, he attacks crosses. The fact is, we don't have the right personnel to really bring him out of his shell but he's a very genuine and game individual and we will see a lot more of him. At some point,we may have to call on him to come up trumps for us. This may be the time."
"Our conversion rate has to be clinical because we are not going to be as freely getting sights of goal as we were because we have lost some very influential players. What we need are some cool heads, we need some confidence and some real edge in front of goal. That will be the difference and every team will be asking for that. The teams that can produce that will be in the last eight, no doubt about it."
Pablo Mastroeni:
"It would have been nice to get three points, obviously. We can't sit and sulk and feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to show up and be the team we are capable of."
Conor Casey:
"It was a good point given the circumstances but it was a terrible game from us. Just got to be a lot better going forward. To come out with a point is fortuitous. A little sloppy finishing, a bit off today. Unfortunately, it happens. When that's the case, it's hard to win games."
On reaching the season goalscoring record:
"It feels good but it will feel a lot better when we are in the playoffs. This is crunch time and we have to get in the playoffs."
Nick LaBrocca:
"It's huge (to get the point). We just need to keep picking up the points right now and, with our schedule, if we can keep picking them up, we can make our way into the playoffs."
Gary Smith:
"Disappointing to lose Jake so early. All of our wide players are lost now. I would think it's too quick a turnaround (for the weekend) for Jake given how he hobbled off."
"We've relied heavily on those guys (Casey and Cummings) all season. Goals around the team have been very hard to come by and those two have borne the brunt of pretty much everything we have created and scored from and, tonight, we fell just a little bit short. The front two are just not quite clicking as they did early on and when you are reliant on a pair as we are and they don't click, it's a big loss."
"In the end, we are fortunate to get a point again after a lot of possession and disappointed we didn't get all three."
"The reality is we are getting down to the nitty gritty of the season and our own game is obviously the most opportunistic to get three points and we have failed to do that. The balance is not good on the schedule but it's still four points from 12."
"I think we are now putting a lot more pressure on to not concede because the creativity in the group is slowly but surely starting to wane."
"If any of them are feeling a little bit sorry for themselves, then they need to quickly snap that and get themselves together for the weekend."
"If anybody was expecting a rest, they ain't going to get one. If they're fit, they're playing."
"With the lack of pace and cutting edge out wide, we're not quite getting what we want out of the team. So, it's not going to be easy. I'll make no bones about that. We've lost three important wide players who give us something different. They can turn a mediocre attack into something special. We've got to look to other areas to produce that and only time will tell if we can."
"They'll work it through to the final breath of the game. We've got two points out of six but we could have had zero and, maybe, in other years, we might have had zero and those two points could be very important."
On Mastroeni's return:
"He was great on the ball. On a night where two or three of our midfield players just fell short. Nick being shuffled to the right, he was out of the game a bit. Mehdi found if difficult. Kosuke has been a livewire and I felt his service fell short from where it was before. Pablo was one of maybe two or three players who really tried to make something happen, to light a fuse, create a spark. He did his utmost to keep the ball moving quickly, find a little angle, get it into feet a little bit sharper and just drive the lads on quicker. It was great to have him back."
"Drew was terrific again at center back and also, Julien, in the first half, defensively. The pair of them did very well."
On Facundo Diz:
"He will certainly benefit from wide service because he's a big strong guy, he attacks crosses. The fact is, we don't have the right personnel to really bring him out of his shell but he's a very genuine and game individual and we will see a lot more of him. At some point,we may have to call on him to come up trumps for us. This may be the time."
"Our conversion rate has to be clinical because we are not going to be as freely getting sights of goal as we were because we have lost some very influential players. What we need are some cool heads, we need some confidence and some real edge in front of goal. That will be the difference and every team will be asking for that. The teams that can produce that will be in the last eight, no doubt about it."
Sunday, September 6, 2009
It Ain't Pretty But It's Got Heart
The Colorado Rapids played their prettiest soccer in the 2-2 home draw against Seattle earlier this season. They have played their most professional soccer in the last two home victories which included a tight 1-0 win over Toronto last night.
Sometimes, it’s about digging deep and finding ways to win. The victories against Houston and Toronto are a far cry from the horrors of Bridgeview when the Rapids blew a 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to go against Chicago. Surely, now, the Rapids are in the playoffs. Thoughts may even be turning to what ifs? Can the Rapids go all the way a la Gary Smith pre-match big screen video?
Toronto may not have been all that much of a threat offensively, De Rosario excepted, and they may have finished with just nine men, but let’s think of what the Rapids were missing. No Mastroeni, no Gibbs, no Palguta and no Jamie Smith, on crutches last night and out until the postseason. No Clark, obviously. He told me last night that he was making a good recovery but we won’t see him on the field until April 2010.
This was a time when the irregulars and the newbies as well as the more seasoned players had to step up and they did, big time. Drew Moor, signed from Dallas only on Monday, was almost flawless in defense apart from one near-fatal error in the first half when he almost gifted the ball to Toronto in front of goal. Other than that, this was a hugely promising debut. It was also good to see Mike Holody get his MLS debut. Gary Smith said afterwards that the rookie has been very impressive since returning from loan and has edged himself up the defensive pecking order.
Props to the big players too. Conor Casey may have missed the penalty but his header was all Casey. Brutal. There was so much power in that header. Strike partner, Omar Cummings, may have been shut down rather well by Toronto’s impressive center back, Gomez, in the first half but he was always a threat. When was the last time the Jamaican had a bad game for the Rapids?
"We've been talking about it all week, of how difficult it was going to be and how we needed the right attitude," Julien Baudet told me after the game. "This showed how we can graft results. From back to front, it was a very professional performance."
Yes, indeed. This was all about heart and graft and finding a way to win in trying circumstances. The Rapids may be depleted in many areas of the field, particularly in midfield, and there are moves afoot to strengthen that area. Yesterday, there were reports of DaMarcus Beasley walking around the stadium with Cory Gibbs. Maybe they are just good friends or maybe Gibbs is trying to persuade him that Denver’s a nicer place to live than Glasgow? Who knows? Let’s think about the difference in money between the MLS and the Scottish Premier though. He would have to take a mighty step down in wages. I’ll try and get something up after Labor Day on the transfer and injury list dilemma.
For now, Rapids fans should be proud of the squad they have and how they are toughing things out to help bring this team into the playoffs.
Sometimes, it’s about digging deep and finding ways to win. The victories against Houston and Toronto are a far cry from the horrors of Bridgeview when the Rapids blew a 2-0 lead with less than 20 minutes to go against Chicago. Surely, now, the Rapids are in the playoffs. Thoughts may even be turning to what ifs? Can the Rapids go all the way a la Gary Smith pre-match big screen video?
Toronto may not have been all that much of a threat offensively, De Rosario excepted, and they may have finished with just nine men, but let’s think of what the Rapids were missing. No Mastroeni, no Gibbs, no Palguta and no Jamie Smith, on crutches last night and out until the postseason. No Clark, obviously. He told me last night that he was making a good recovery but we won’t see him on the field until April 2010.
This was a time when the irregulars and the newbies as well as the more seasoned players had to step up and they did, big time. Drew Moor, signed from Dallas only on Monday, was almost flawless in defense apart from one near-fatal error in the first half when he almost gifted the ball to Toronto in front of goal. Other than that, this was a hugely promising debut. It was also good to see Mike Holody get his MLS debut. Gary Smith said afterwards that the rookie has been very impressive since returning from loan and has edged himself up the defensive pecking order.
Props to the big players too. Conor Casey may have missed the penalty but his header was all Casey. Brutal. There was so much power in that header. Strike partner, Omar Cummings, may have been shut down rather well by Toronto’s impressive center back, Gomez, in the first half but he was always a threat. When was the last time the Jamaican had a bad game for the Rapids?
"We've been talking about it all week, of how difficult it was going to be and how we needed the right attitude," Julien Baudet told me after the game. "This showed how we can graft results. From back to front, it was a very professional performance."
Yes, indeed. This was all about heart and graft and finding a way to win in trying circumstances. The Rapids may be depleted in many areas of the field, particularly in midfield, and there are moves afoot to strengthen that area. Yesterday, there were reports of DaMarcus Beasley walking around the stadium with Cory Gibbs. Maybe they are just good friends or maybe Gibbs is trying to persuade him that Denver’s a nicer place to live than Glasgow? Who knows? Let’s think about the difference in money between the MLS and the Scottish Premier though. He would have to take a mighty step down in wages. I’ll try and get something up after Labor Day on the transfer and injury list dilemma.
For now, Rapids fans should be proud of the squad they have and how they are toughing things out to help bring this team into the playoffs.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Banged Up and Desperate to Win
Big game today but then, at this stage of the season, they all are. The Colorado Rapids enter a home and away series against Toronto tonight in Commerce City. That will be followed by a home and away series with San Jose. Very bizarre. Gary Smith is not all that happy about the way the fixtures have been arranged but he can't do anything about it and his prime concern is getting a decent eleven on the field for tonight. No Pablo, no Cory Gibbs, no Jamie Smith, no Scott Palguta. Omar Cummings contines to struggle with a hip injury and hasn't been training much this week. Strike partner, Conor Casey, has been called up to the national team. The US Soccer Federation reported yesterday that he will not join the squad for tonight's World Cup qualifier because of wisdom teeth surgery.
Gary Smith said yesterday that he wants two wins and two draws in the next eight games to secure a playoff position. A win tonight would do very nicely and would help going into Toronto where the team will still be very short of many first team players. Toronto doesn't look a huge challenge at home with some inexperienced defenders and some trouble scoring but they will be a different beast in Canada. "They are good at home, they have great home support and a plastic pitch," Smith said. "These will be two very tough games."
You can expect a start for new boy, Drew Moor, in central defense. Increasingly, that deal to swap Ugo Ihemelu is looking at least as motivated by financial reasons as skill reasons, a bit of both anyway. Pat Noonan, who played pretty well when he came on last week against Houston, looks likely to step in because of injuries and suspensions in the midfield and I think we will see some game time for Facundo Diz. The big Argentinian striker has not had much opportunity to shine yet but has been scoring regularly in squad games and will seek to impose himself tonight should such an opportunity arise.
Gary Smith said yesterday that he wants two wins and two draws in the next eight games to secure a playoff position. A win tonight would do very nicely and would help going into Toronto where the team will still be very short of many first team players. Toronto doesn't look a huge challenge at home with some inexperienced defenders and some trouble scoring but they will be a different beast in Canada. "They are good at home, they have great home support and a plastic pitch," Smith said. "These will be two very tough games."
You can expect a start for new boy, Drew Moor, in central defense. Increasingly, that deal to swap Ugo Ihemelu is looking at least as motivated by financial reasons as skill reasons, a bit of both anyway. Pat Noonan, who played pretty well when he came on last week against Houston, looks likely to step in because of injuries and suspensions in the midfield and I think we will see some game time for Facundo Diz. The big Argentinian striker has not had much opportunity to shine yet but has been scoring regularly in squad games and will seek to impose himself tonight should such an opportunity arise.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Ihemelu Leaves Rapids; Moor Signed From Dallas
Well, that was a bit of a shock. Having pondered this morning who would be Baudet's first choice partner in central defense, the Rapids obviously have their eye on Drew Moor rather than Ugo Ihemelu to solve that conundrum.
Press release from the Rapids:
The Colorado Rapids have acquired defender Drew Moor in a trade with FC Dallas, the club announced today. Along with Moor, the Rapids receive Dallas’ natural second round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money. Per club and league policies, terms of the allocation money were not disclosed.
In exchange, Colorado sent defender Ugo Ihemelu to FC Dallas.
A five-year veteran, Drew Moor joins the Rapids having played his entire MLS career in Dallas since being acquired by the club as the 6th overall pick in the 2005 SuperDraft.
Moor appeared in 123 games, with 111 starts, with Dallas, scoring eight goals and accumulating two assists. This season, he has started in 21 games for FC Dallas and has scored a career-high three goals.
A college teammate of Rapids midfielder Jacob Peterson at Indiana, Moor won two NCAA Championships with the Hoosiers in 2003 and 2004.
On the international level, Moor has earned five caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Ihemelu leaves Colorado having played in 63 games with the Rapids, scoring one goal and registering two assists. He was originally acquired by the Rapids in a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy on December 1, 2006.
Press release from the Rapids:
The Colorado Rapids have acquired defender Drew Moor in a trade with FC Dallas, the club announced today. Along with Moor, the Rapids receive Dallas’ natural second round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft and allocation money. Per club and league policies, terms of the allocation money were not disclosed.
In exchange, Colorado sent defender Ugo Ihemelu to FC Dallas.
A five-year veteran, Drew Moor joins the Rapids having played his entire MLS career in Dallas since being acquired by the club as the 6th overall pick in the 2005 SuperDraft.
Moor appeared in 123 games, with 111 starts, with Dallas, scoring eight goals and accumulating two assists. This season, he has started in 21 games for FC Dallas and has scored a career-high three goals.
A college teammate of Rapids midfielder Jacob Peterson at Indiana, Moor won two NCAA Championships with the Hoosiers in 2003 and 2004.
On the international level, Moor has earned five caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Ihemelu leaves Colorado having played in 63 games with the Rapids, scoring one goal and registering two assists. He was originally acquired by the Rapids in a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy on December 1, 2006.
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