Now on their third and final trip of the preseason, the Rapids arrived early this morning in Tucson, Arizona, where they’ll make camp for the next 12 days while participating in the Desert Diamond Cup presented by FC Tucson. After getting settled in the hotel, the team took to the pitch for a training session, erring on the lighter side of just an hour and 15 minutes as they prepare for tomorrow’s match against Chicago Fire.
At the Kino North Sports Complex, practice began with a standard warm-up and passing drills. The team then did two possession exercises, one that was smaller sided and had a two-touch restriction, and another that was 10v10 with neutrals around the touchline. They cooled down with a light 20 minute jog, followed by a bus ride back to the hotel.
PABLO AND DREW MISS TRAINING
While the team was training this afternoon, Pablo Mastroeni and Drew Moor were elsewhere, participating in a press conference for the Desert Diamond Cup. The two will return to team activities this evening.
RISE AND SHINE
Who knew a quick turnaround could be so… pretty? Having met at the stadium at 6:15 a.m., some of the players took advantage of today's early flight to Tucson to catch some extra z’s. Dillon Powers, on the other hand, took advantage of the situation, snapping some candids of his snoozing comrades.
CHECKING OUT CHICAGO
To kick off the Desert Diamond Cup, the Colorado Rapids face the Chicago Fire on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. MT. The Fire has won all four of their preseason matches, two of which were against MLS side D.C. United, allowing no goals so far. The Rapids suffered their first loss of the preseason against Chivas USA in the Las Vegas ProSoccerChallenge this weekend, having won their three matches beforehand. The match will be streamed live and can be watched by clicking here.
IBIKUNLE DEPARTS
The Rapids have released third round SuperDraft pick Tolani Ibikunle from preseason. The four non-roster invitees that remain with the team during preseason are: Albert Edward, Samuel Galindo, Juan Guzman and José Mari.
NASCO EXPECTED TONIGHT
Rapids goalkeeper Joe Nasco is expected to rejoin the team tonight in Arizona after spending some time with family on the east coast for the last couple of days. Brenton Griffiths will miss time with the team, traveling to his hometown in Jamaica for family reasons.
Contributions from Assistant Athletic Trainer Michael Heitkamp and Equipment Manager Brandy Lay (@blay29)
