photo by JN Santos/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
The man responsible for the tumultuous offseason the Colorado Rapids endured is prolonging his
stay with the club.
Technical Director Paul Bravo signed a new three-year deal with the Rapids on Wednesday,
extending a stay that began in 2009.
Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com
As it turns out, Arturo Alvarez won't be suiting up for Chivas USA heading into the 2012 MLS
season after all.
Alvarez, who was selected by Chivas in the first stage of the MLS Re-Entry Draft but never came
to terms with the club as he sought opportunities overseas, has reportedly signed with Portuguese
top-flight club Pacos de Ferreira on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The addition of Wilmer Cabrera as Pareja's right-hand man has been the worst-kept secret in
Commerce City for some time. Today the Rapids made it official, along with the rest of the coaching
staff (all of which had been leaked prior to today). The new additions:
Wilmer Cabrera - Assistant Coach
Former Men's U-17 coach for the U.
Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
It's been a bit of a whirlwind year for Richie Williams, but he has landed in a spot of extreme
importance in the U.S. Soccer community.
Williams was named U.S. Under-17 national team coach on Tuesday, a position that also entails
overseeing the federation's residency program in Bradenton, Fla.
Shortly after his contract with the Revolution was not renewed, Steve Nicol entertained an offer
to fill the vacant heading coaching job in Colorado according to a Goal.com report in November.
But, according to Nicol, it wasn't he who to reneged on the opportunity.
In a Jan. 10 report from the Boston Globe, the former Revolution manager stated that he
never said "no" the Colorado job, but rather, it was the club who declined his services.
Changing coaches often means changing playing styles, and the decision to hire Oscar Pareja as
head coach means the Colorado Rapids of 2012 may look quite different from the teams of
2010-11.
Giving Pareja the reins of his first MLS team is going to create a roster shakeup. The
Colombian, a veteran of MLS campaigns from 1998 through 2005, has already talked about the need to
find a Carlos Valderrama-type playmaker for the Rapids.
Changing coaches often means changing playing styles, and the decision to hire Oscar Pareja as
head coach means the Colorado Rapids of 2012 may look quite different from the teams of
2010-11.
Giving Pareja the reins of his first MLS team is going to create a roster shakeup. The
Colombian, a veteran of MLS campaigns from 1998 through 2005, has already talked about the need to
find a Carlos Valderrama-type playmaker for the Rapids.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
Philadelphia Union
Reaction to the release of the 2012 schedule:
The Goalkeeper notes that the Union is hosting New York and DC twice. "This strikes me as unfair
from a competitive balance standpoint...As such, it would seem to me to make more sense to have
each team host one team once and one team twice.
Today Colorado made it official and hired Oscar Pareja as the team's 7th head coach. The Rapids say
6th but I like to count Roy Wegerle's 1 game as player/manager at the end of the 1996 season. ;)
There's been no details as to the amount or length of his contract other than "long" according to
Tim Hinchey at the press conference.
STARTERSLA Galaxy centerback Omar Gonzalez has passed up a chance to impress USA coach Jurgen Klinsman so
he can go on loan for 6 weeks to German club Nurnberg.
-Does this make any sense at all to anyone? Besides that the Bundesliga does not even resume play
until Jan 20!
photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com
The Colorado Rapids have signed Oscar Pareja as their head coach, the club announced on
Thursday.
Having beaten out three other finalists, Pareja will attempt to lead the Rapids to the MLS Cup
final in his first head coaching position.
FC Dallas reserve team coach and academy director Oscar Pareja will be leaving that role to take
the head coaching job with the Colorado Rapids. Pareja, an MLS veteran as a player, also worked as
an assistant coach with the United States Under-17 National Team in 2007-08. "I am honored to join
such a great organization like the Colorado Rapids, and want to thank everyone at Kroenke Sports &
Entertainment for the opportunity.
BREAKING NEWS: The NSC Minnesota Stars will ring in 2012 with the unveiling of a new logo, designed
by our good Friend-In-Football Kevin Joseph, on Mon Jan 9 at 7:30pm at Brits Pub in downtown
Minneapolis. See you there!
STARTERSThe 2012 NSCAA Convention will take place January 11-15 in Kansas City MO.
The Colorado Rapids are set to hire FC Dallas assistant and Academy Director Oscar Pareja has
the team's new head coach, the Denver Post reported on Tuesday evening.
Pareja has beaten out a group of candidates that included Denis Hamlett, Tom Soehn and Richie
Williams. The Rapids are expected to make the announcement this week.
Multiple sources are reporting that the Rapids have decided on Oscar Pareja as their new head
coach. Some are saying the announcement could come as early as tomorrow. As mentioned yesterday
Pareja had a long career at FC Dallas and then moved into the coaching ranks there, eventually
being put in charge of Dallas' youth program, considered to be the most successful thus far in MLS
(in admittedly a short 5 years since the youth initiative was announced).
BREAKING NEWS: Is Oscar Pareja about to become the new head coach of the Colorado Rapids?
-He was a player for the Dallas Burn, and is currently the director of the very successful FC
Dallas academy.
STARTERSThis is one man dangling a piece of meat over a pack of ravaging wolves.
Now that we're through the holidays its time to get back to business. Hopefully KSE will make a
coaching choice this week, as this debacle of an off-season can't go on much longer. More on that
in a moment.
The last remaining head coaching vacancy in Major League Soccer sits in Colorado, where the
Rapids are expected to make a decision on their replacement for Gary Smith this week.
Four candidates have emerged as Colorado's leading contenders. Denis Hamlett, Oscar Pareja, Tom
Soehn and Richie Williams are the four men sources have told SBi are the finalists for the job.
Just received this breaking news from FCD....
FC Dallas has acquired 18-year-old Colombian striker Fabian Castillo from Deportivo Cali,
the club announced today. Terms of the deal will not be disclosed per league and team policy, and
are subject to receipt of the player's visa, International Transfer Certificate and a medical
exam.
