Colorado Rapids: Preseason Doldrums

It is spring here in Colorado.  With spring we start to have our wacky weather.  We have snow followed by 60 & 70 degree days, followed by snow.  The clocks have been adjusted forward and I have endured the misery of adjusting my sleep schedule.  The youth team I coach has started practice, and the fields were open for once.  I even went out and kicked the ball myself. 

As I sit here nursing my sore back and creaky knees it occurs to me that with everything else I should be knee deep in Rapids news and excitement.  A real writer would have notes to look back on.  I just have dim feelings.  It seems to me that this is an annual experience.  There is an anti-climatic point between the waiver draft and the start of the season. We are in that zone right now.  

The Rapids have had their big signing in Christian Gomez.  They have made a few smart moves as well: acquiring Burciaga and the money wise transfer of Nicholas Hernandez.  All that is left is the rumor of the acquisition of Scottish striker Tam McManus. 

Tam McManus has all the hallmarks of being the Rapids annual signing of a foreign player that leaves fans wondering, "What did they see in him?"  To give some perspective on this think of Roberto Brown, Osorno, Diego Serna, Zizi Roberts, Darryl Powell, etc.  I hope Tam works out, if only because his name sounds great for chants.... "Tam, Tam, the hitman,..."   But, can a player who appears to be a journeyman that has bounced around the SPL's forgotten teams make a splash in MLS?  We will have to wait and see.  

Tam has one thing going for him, he is tall, and thus fits the perennial Rapids need to find a target forward.  Some people operate under the belief that a team must, should but must, have a target forward.   I think this is a delusion that is generated from reading Soccer for Dummies.  Great targets are hard to find.   Mediocre ones seldom produce what the attributes, on paper, suggest they should.  Personally, I would prefer two solid players no matter what their stature.

The only really interesting thing left to find out about Tam is, who will get cut to make room for him on the roster.

Much of that is beside the point, though I hope it illustrates it a little.  There just is not much going on in Rapid land at the moment.  The one thing that has any buzz potential is this signing, and it is pretty thin on buzz.  There's been nothing official about Tam from the Rapids.  Which, makes me wonder, why does the Rapids public relations staff let this happen each year.  I understand the media black out between the Cup and the first camp.  Right now should be the time to make some noise.  Anything will due.

Why not talk about the trialists?  I'm not saying hype these guys.  There is nothing wrong with talking about them in fair but constructively critical terms.  There certainly is not any reason to talk about them simply as trialing.  That seems to be the genius of the Sueno MLS trials with Chivas.

Maybe I am being too impatient.  The Burgundy & Blue inter-squad scrimmage is next week and Rapid fans will be able to see what is in store for the season.  Right now Rapids fans will just have to be patient, until we float past these doldrums.