The 2011 Colorado Rapids season was the club's seventeenth year of existence, as well as its sixteenth season in Major League Soccer, and its sixteenth consecutive season in the top-flight of American soccer.
The Rapids will be entered the season as the defending MLS Cup champions.
Background
The Colorado Rapids are coming off a season, where the club's success was highlighted by winning the MLS Cup, their first postseason title in the process. It was the first time in 17 years that a soccer club based in Colorado won any league/cup title, the last being the Colorado Foxes of the APSL.
In MLS regular season play, the Rapids finished in 7th place overall. The club was eliminated during the top-tier qualification propers of U.S. Open Cup, losing 3–0 to Red Bull New York in the fifth round play-in match.
In the Rocky Mountain Cup derby series against cross-mountain rivals, Real Salt Lake, the clubs tied one another 3–3 in season play. Because of this, the Cup was retained by Salt Lake for the third-consecutive year.
Club
Roster As of September 11, 2011.Players Colorado Rapids
Team management
PositionNameManaging Director Jeff PlushTechnical director Paul BravoHead coach Gary SmithAssistant coaches Steve Guppy Brett JacobsGoalkeeper coach David KramerFitness coach John IrelandTeam Administrator Erik CarlsonHead Athletic Trainer Jaime RojasAssistant Athletic Trainer Craig MagriEquipment Manager Carlos Garcia
Player movement
Transfers
In DatePlayerPositionPrevious clubFee/notesRef November 22, 2010 Peter Vagenas MF Seattle Sounders FC Acquired in exchange for Julien Baudet and Danny Earls; subsequently released November 24, 2010 Sanna Nyassi MF Vancouver Whitecaps Acquired in exchange for an international roster slot November 24, 2010 Anthony Wallace DF Portland Timbers Acquired for allocation money December 3, 2010 Joseph Nane MF Toronto Acquired for 3rd round 2012 SuperDraft pick December 15, 2010 Tyrone Marshall DF Seattle Sounders FC Re-Entry Draft March 1, 2011 Steven Emory MF Metro State College Free March 1, 2011 Michael Holody DF Unattached Free March 16, 2011 Caleb Folan FW Hull City Undisclosed March 30, 2011 Danny Earls DF Seattle Sounders FC Free March 30, 2011 Josh Janniere MF Toronto FC Acquired for 3rd round 2013 Supplemental Draft pick April 14, 2011 Eddie Ababio DF University of North Carolina SuperDraft, Round 1 pick September 9, 2011 Miguel Comminges DF Southend United Free
Out DatePlayerPositionDestination clubFee/notesRef November 22, 2010 Julien Baudet DF Seattle Sounders FC Traded for Peter Vagenas Danny Earls DF Seattle Sounders FC November 24, 2010 Anthony Wallace DF Portland Timbers Expansion Draft, subsequently reacquired November 24, 2010 Ross Schunk FW Waived Rapids waive forward Ross Schunk Colorado Rapids December 8, 2010 Peter Vagenas MF Vancouver Whitecaps FC Option declined, free transfer Rapids decline options on three players Colorado Rapids December 8, 2010 Claudio López FW Option declined December 8, 2010 Ciaran O'Brien MF Atlanta Silverbacks Option declined, free transfer
Standings
Conference standings
Overall standings
Results summary
Results by round
Matches
Preseason
Major League Soccer
Regular season
All times Mountain Daylight Time.
Last updated: October 22, 2011Source: Colorado Rapids
MLS Cup Playoffs
Last updated: November 2, 2011Source: Colorado Rapids
CONCACAF Champions League
By winning the 2010 MLS Cup final, Colorado Rapids have qualified directly into Group stage for the 2011-12 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. It will be Colorado's debut in the Champions League and their first time participating in a CONCACAF club competition since 1997.
Group stage – Group B
Team Santos Laguna6411166+1013 Isidro Metapán63031015−59 Colorado Rapids6213912−37 Real España6123911−25
All times Mountain Daylight Time.
Last updated: October 19, 2011Source: Colorado Rapids
U.S. Open Cup
Last updated: March 30, 2011Source: Colorado Rapids
Miscellany
Allocation ranking Colorado is in the #12 position in the MLS Allocation Ranking. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club's ranking.2011 MLS Roster Rules Major League Soccer
International roster spots Colorado has 7 international roster spots. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots, which can be traded. Colorado dealt a spot to Vancouver on November 24, 2010. Press reports did not indicate if or when this roster spot is to revert to Colorado.Vancouver trade Sanna Nyassi to Colorado Major League Soccer The club also traded a spot to New York Red Bulls on September 14, 2010, in the Macoumba Kandji trade. The trade of this spot was not included in the press release and it is not known when this spot reverts to Colorado.Rapids Acquire Macoumba Kandji in Trade with New York - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News The club acquired a spot permanently from Real Salt Lake on June 29, 2005.Rapids Acquire Youth International Slot from RSL - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News
There is no limit on the number of international slots on each club's roster. The remaining roster slots must belong to domestic players. For clubs based in the United States, a domestic player is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder) or the holder of other special status (e.g., refugee or asylum status).
Future draft pick trades Future picks acquired: 2013 SuperDraft Round 4 pick acquired from Houston Dynamo. Future picks traded: 2012 SuperDraft Round 2 pick traded to San Jose Earthquakes; 2012 SuperDraft Round 3 pick traded to Toronto FC; 2012 SuperDraft conditional pick traded to FC Dallas; 2013 Supplemental Draft Round 3 pick traded to Toronto FC.
References