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| Thursday, March 21, 2002 14:41 EST |
Colorado Rapids: 2002 Outlook
[ESPN.com news services]
Few teams filled their needs quite like the Colorado Rapids this offseason. With Scottish hitman John Spencer (14g, 7a, 35 pts in '01) returning for a second season to supply the offense in Denver, Colorado head coach Tim Hankinson assembled the missing pieces in his defense and midfield with a handful of acquisitions.
A stronger supporting cast should make John Spencer even more dangerous in 2002. |
He began by adding Pablo Mastroeni to his defensive corps, snagging the dreadlocked warrior with the first overall selection in January's Allocation Draft.
Hankinson continued his makeover by taking midfielder Chris Henderson first in the Dispersal Draft and boldly trading long-time Colorado fan-favorite Marcelo Balboa to the MetroStars in exchange for left-winger Mark Chung.
Mastroeni's muscle behind the creative playmaking of Carlos Valderrama gives more bite to a Colorado defense which ranks last among the league's current teams in all-time goals against average (1.87/gm).
The Rapids are also counting on a return to form of veteran Robin Fraser and the continued maturity of the lightning quick Stephen Herdsman to help guard the net of steady goalkeeper Scott Garlick, who has posted a league-high 389 saves during the last two seasons.
Joining Spencer up top could be Chris Carrieri, the top selection in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, who joined the Rapids in the middle of last season and went on to tally five goals and four assists in 14 appearances.
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2001 Rapids Leaders
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Goals
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14, John Spencer
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Assists
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10, Ross Paule
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Points
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35, John Spencer
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GAA
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1.55 David Kramer
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Depth may become a concern for Hankinson as the season wears on, but just the thought of Colorado's starting 11 should be able to make Denver's soccer fans forget the team's dismal 5-13-8 (23 pts) record from one year ago.
Key Additions:
Mark Chung, Chris Henderson, Pablo Mastroeni
Key Departures:
Marcelo Balboa, Paul Bravo, Raul Diaz Arce, Chris Martinez
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