According to Dunfermline's player/manage Jim McIntyre, the Colorado Rapids and Tam McManus are close to agreeing on a deal that would bring McManus to Colorado for the 2008 MLS season. From Dunfermline's web site: "Tom's been on trial with Colorado Rapids since Monday and he'll sign subject to agreeing personal terms"
It's the same old story with Southampton yesterday. Again they played well under Nigel Pearson . But the defense again let the team down allowing Blackpool to score twice in five minutes early in the 2nd half. Luckily for Southampton Stern John equalized in the 63, raising his goal total to 15 in league play.
The real problem for the Saints isn't that they haven't won a game in their last 10. Southampton's defense has returned to the form they had earlier this year of letting in goals. They have had a shutout since Jan 12th. As much as many Saints fans seems a bit happy, or at least relieved, that George Burley left to take the Scotland job, the change in managerial positions (Burley -> Dodd/Gorman -> Pearson) has done nothing in the way of getting the back line to tighten up. The Pearson era has ushered in 8 goals in 5 games. That isn't much worse than how Saints have done at most other times this season. Nevertheless, it's not the sort of issue a team wants to have going into a relegation fight.
On another note, I ran across a nice new blog my Mike Whalley to follow : http://mikewhalley.wordpress.com/
It's not soccer but it still should be fun. I'm off in awhile to see Brother Ali in concert. I think this is the third time in 9 months he's came through the Denver / Boulder area. The only way to see him live more often would be to move in with him.
I enjoy Steve Davis' columns over at Soccernet. And in a recent one on the Colorado Rapids [click here] he's painfully spot on when pointint out that the Rapids have not brought in a goal scorer. He's also very correct in pointing out that a bit before bringing in Christian Gomez, the Rapids had traded away young USMNT midfielder Kyle Beckerman for Medhi Ballouchy to spice up their attack; a change that didn't work.
The issue I have in his latest column are the key loses. Zach Thorton, a backup goalkeeper that barely got a sniff in the first team, is a key loss? And Nicolas "Niko" Hernandez is a key loss? He had a single goal last year and wasn't good enough to hold down a starting job as a striker. And at that a starter for a front line that Davis goes on to comment performed like crap in 2007. The same holds true for Cancela. He had 3 starts for the Rapids in 2007. How is he a key loss?
Thanks to FC Rocky for putting together all the gains and losses in players the Rapids have had the last couple of days. The 3rd was an MLS roster deadline so it was the usual time in the spring to cut players.
Yesterday, March 4th, the MLS held a waiver draft for those players that were cut. Brandon Prideaux was picked up by the Chicago Fire [Red Card on Prideaux, here]
Of note the Rapids also signed a Brazilian player they were pursuing. It wasn't Reinaldo. He was signed by a team in Korea's K-League, Busan I'Park. The Rapids Brazilian signed midfielder Rafael Gomes. Gomes last played for CD Santa Clara in Portugal's 2nd division. He's known as a defensive midfielder. Could Pablo still be on his way out? Or has Clavijo already gone back on his claim that the Rapids don't need to DMs (the one he made when Beckerman was traded)?
