The Colorado Rapids wrap up a very successful preseason week in Arizona on Thursday after playing four games in as many days.
Wednesday’s 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy followed a 2-0 victory over Columbus, a scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City and a 1-0 defeat for the reserve team by the US U-18 squad. Colorado head coach Gary Smith said the trip down south had been well worth it.
“There were three very good games and we had a very competitive match with the Under-18s,” he told MLssoccer.com. “All in all, we made the most of the weather and the grass fields.”
WATCH: Reaction, highlights from Wednesday's defeat of LA
The team will be back in Denver by the weekend for further training in more familiar surroundings, which should present Smith and his staff the opportunity to make decisions regarding the roster.
Much of the Rapids talk this week surrounded Irish international trialist Caleb Folan (at right). The Hull City striker – who scored his first goal for the Rapids against the Galaxy – clearly enjoyed his surroundings and impressed Smith no end.
The issue now is whether Smith can sign him. The coach put the chances of doing so at “50-50.”
“It was very good of Hull to have allowed him to come out here and enable us to have a good look at him,” he said. “Caleb has done nothing but produce good impressions both on and off the field. The big question is finance. He has 18 months left on his contract at Hull and we will have to have some quite substantial negotiations with them as to what will satisfy them financially.”
[inline_node:328885]If terms are agreed with Hull, there is no question of Folan being offered any kind of Designated Player contract with the Rapids, Smith added.
“It will be a cap-related issue, a squad-related issue," Smith said. "It is a case of being creative with what we have available.”
Smith will cross the bridge of just how he would fit Folan in, considering the Omar Cummings and Conor Casey partnership, if the 28-year old Irish international does eventually make the move across the pond. He did say it was unlikely all three would play at the same point, at least to start with.
“Those are three genuine first-choice players, and one of them would have to take a back seat as it were.”
One trialist who did his prospects no harm was local Metro State product Steven Emory. The youngster scored two goals on the trip and created another in the Galaxy game Wednesday. Emory was picked up by the Rapids in local tryouts in January.
“He’s done very well,” Smith said. “I think he surprised everyone, to be honest. His general performances have been very good.”
Other youngsters and trialists may not fare as well. Smith said there are about four to five younger players who will be decided upon in the next few days. Andy Lorei, J.T. Murray, Adrian Leroy and Logan Emory will be waiting anxiously.
In addition, Smith has already removed two of his draft picks from the squad in Javed Mohammed and Colin Givens. A third draft pick, Philip Bannister, remains in his native England rehabbing a leg injury. That leaves Eddie Ababio, a defender from the University of North Carolina.
Arizona could have been an opportunity for the 23-year-old Ababio to cement his place on the roster but the Ghana-born youngster could only manage four minutes of play before retiring with a toe injury. Ababio is suffering from blood blisters and extreme soreness in the toe area. Despite this, Smith has liked what he has seen so far from the former US youth international.
“We have already made some moves to try and secure him being here,” he said. “I think he has the right qualities we are looking for in that right-back position.”
One other notable absentee from the field in Arizona was the club captain, Pablo Mastroeni. The 34-year-old veteran did not play a single minute due to a tight quadriceps. Smith said it made no sense to rush things and was looking forward to Mastroeni getting back to fitness in Denver.
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