Colorado Rapids: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 00:30, 2 February 2007
Template:MLS team The Colorado Rapids is a professional soccer club based in Denver, Colorado that participates in Major League Soccer. The club was founded in 1995 as the Colorado Rapids. The team colors, as of 2006, are blue and black, with the home jerseys having blue and black vertical stripes. The away jerseys are white with green and black trim. They played their home matches at Mile High Stadium from 1996–2001 and moved into INVESCO Field at Mile High in 2002. They plan to move to Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the 2007 season.
The Rapids have made two finals in their history: the 1997 MLS Cup and the 1999 US Open Cup—losing both times.
History
The Colorado Rapids were one of the ten founding clubs of Major League Soccer (then named Colorado Rapids). The inaugural 1996 season was a forgettable one for Colorado. Despite fielding experienced players like Shaun Bartlett, Chris Woods, and Marcelo Balboa, the team finished dead last in the Western Conference with the worst record in the league.
The complexion of the team changed dramatically for the following season with new head coach Glenn Myernick. Myernick brought new faces to the squad including Paul Bravo, Wolde Harris, and Ross Paule. The team struggled early on, but rallied to grab a postseason spot. The Gunners pulled off two major upsets and advanced to the MLS Cup final. Chris Henderson scored a mid-air volley past Dallas keeper Mark Dodd in the 87th minute in the Western Conference final, ensuring Colorado's place in the MLS Cup final. They lost the final to DC United.
Colorado continued on a rollercoaster of success and disappointment: Myernick brought in more new players including Anders Limpar and Marcus Hahnemann and the club made it to the 1999 US Open Cup final, only to be upset 2–0 by the Rochester Raging Rhinos.
The 2000 season boasted two of the more memorable moments in Rapids history. The first was Marcelo Balboa's famous bicycle kick which garnered the Goal of the Year. The second was clenching a playoff spot in the final game of the season against the Los Angeles Galaxy, scoring in the 97th minute.
In 2001 Tim Hankinson took the reins as Colorado's new head coach. Scottish striker John Spencer also joined the club that year. Hankinson proved to be a somewhat controversial coach due to his defensive style of play and questionable player acquisitions. While he did bring effective players like Mark Chung, Carlos Valderrama, and Joe Cannon to the squad, Hankinson also signed a number of expensive and unsuccessful players including ZiZi Roberts and Darryl Powell. After several years of mediocrity, Tim Hankinson was relieved of his position at the end of the 2004 season.
Kroenke Sports Enterprises had purchased the club the year before and made sweeping changes before the 2005 season. KSE cleaned house in the front office and appointed Fernando Clavijo as the new head coach. Clavijo brought in many new additions to the squad including Jeff Cunningham, Terry Cooke, and David "Dedi" Ben Dayan. The team saw steady improvement over the course of the season. The season's success was highlighted by a dramatic playoff victory over FC Dallas in a penalty shootout.
Colorado's 2006 season seemed to parallel trends from previous years. Clavijo's squad performed inconsistently and only secured a playoff spot at the very last instant. Lightning managed to strike twice as they duplicated their 2005 playoff run by again beating FC Dallas in penalties only to crash out of the Western Conference Final by a two goal deficit. Other highlights from the final black and blue season include securing the Rocky Mountain Cup for the second consecutive year and winning the MLS Reserve Division.
The Rocky Mountain Cup
With Major League Soccer's expansion in 2005, Real Salt Lake became the second team in the Rocky Mountain region and the Rapids' closest neighbor. The supporters of the two clubs created a competition between the two sides to foster and memorialize this budding rivalry. Colorado won the Rocky Mountain Cup in the first two years, 9 points to 3 and 7 points to 4.
Supporters
While the Rapids have always had good attendance, the club has had a fairly rocky history when it comes to ultras. A handful of formally organized groups have come and gone. While there have been several groups both large and small, the most notable of these were the Jolly Green Men and the River Ratz. Reasons for the failures of these groups include lack of growth and tensions between the stadium security and the Rapids front office. After the River Ratz become defunct, there was a period of several years where there was no real supporters group.
In 2005 and 2006, two organized groups emerged and are beginning to build from scratch. The Centennial Firm is the latest group trying to establish an ultras scene with flags, banners, and drums. The alternative group is called Class VI. They do not take part in the organized activities of an ultras group, but are rather an organized body of season ticket holders. After the close of the 2006 MLS season, the Rapids announced a new area in Dick's Sporting Goods Park that would specifically house fans interested in an ultras experience. This section will be called The Front Range. The section will also house the Centennial Firm, but the Firm will remain a separate entity.
Television and radio
Rapids matches appear on Altitude Television, which is owned by Kroenke Sports Entertainment as are the Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets.
Honors
- MLS Cup:
- Runners-up (1): 1997
- US Open Cup:
- Runners-up (1): 1999
Current roster
As of January 13, 2007 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Notable players
Marcelo Balboa (1996–2001)
Shaun Bartlett (1996–1997)- Paul Bravo (1997–2001)
- Joe Cannon (2003–2006)
- Mark Chung (2002–2005)
- Robin Fraser (2001–2003)
- Marcus Hahnemann (1997–1999)
- Chris Henderson (1996–1998; 2002–2005)
Aitor Karanka (2006—)
Anders Limpar (1999–2000)- Pablo Mastroeni (2002—)
- Clint Mathis (2005—)
Adrian Paz (1997–1998)
John Spencer (2001–2004)- Steve Trittschuh (1996–1999)
Carlos Valderrama (2001–2002)
Jorge Dely Valdes (1999–2000)
Chris Woods (1996)
Head coaches
- Bobby Houghton (1996)
- Roy Wegerle (1996, interim)
- Glenn Myernick (1997–2000)
- Tim Hankinson (2001–2004)
- Fernando Clavijo (2005—)
Team records
- Games: Chris Henderson, 178
- Goals: Paul Bravo, 39
- Assists: Chris Henderson, 53
- Shutouts: Joe Cannon, 25
MLS regular season only, through 2006
Ownership
- Anschutz Entertainment Group (1996–2004)
- Kroenke Sports Enterprises (2004—)
Home stadiums
- Mile High Stadium (1996–2001)
- INVESCO Field at Mile High (2002–2006)
- Dick's Sporting Goods Park (under construction for 2007)
Year-by-year
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 5th, West | Did not qualify | Semifinals |
| 1997 | 4th, West | Final | Round of 16 |
| 1998 | 3rd, West | Quarterfinals | Did not enter |
| 1999 | 4th, West | Quarterfinals | Final |
| 2000 | 3rd, West | Quarterfinals | Round of 32 |
| 2001 | 4th, West | Did not qualify | Round of 32 |
| 2002 | 4th, West | Semifinals | Quarterfinals |
| 2003 | 3rd, West | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals |
| 2004 | 3rd, West | Quarterfinals | Round of 16 |
| 2005 | 3rd, West | Semifinals | Round of 16 |
| 2006 | 4th, West | Semifinals | Quarterfinals |
Average attendance
regular season/playoffs
- 1996: 10,213/missed playoffs
- 1997: 11,835/15,785
- 1998: 14,812/6,582
- 1999: 14,029/6,542
- 2000: 12,580/8,789
- 2001: 16,481/missed playoffs
- 2002: 20,687/11,002
- 2003: 16,772/6,434
- 2004: 14,195/8,028
- 2005: 13,638/11,207
- 2006: 12,056/4,176
- All-Time: 14,662
Trivia
- The Colorado Rapids underwent an image change before the 2003 season, switching their kit colors from the old green to the black and blue that was used through the 2006 season. The new uniforms, which closely resembled those of the Italian Serie A club Inter Milan, were received with mixed reactions. There was speculation that the club might switch back to green kits for the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods Park in 2007, but the team's decision to reveal a wholly new kit using maroon and sky blue during an event for season ticket holders has quashed these rumors.
- The Rapids have inducted two players into the club's Hall of Fame: Marcelo Balboa and Paul Bravo.
- Along with an official MLS reserve team, the Colorado Rapids also have an affiliation with the Boulder Rapids Reserve of the Premier Development League.
Sources
External links
- Official Website
- Official Fan Club
- Centennial Firm Supporters Club
- Class VI Seating Club
- Rapidsfan.com
- Rocky Mountain Cup Website
- Rapidman.com
- Official Rapids board, courtesy of BigSoccer
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