It was another busy week in the Mile High City as the Rapid’s announced more big personnel news. On Tuesday the Rapid’s announced the acquisition of midfielder Marco Pappa from Seattle Sounders FC in exchange for general allocation money.
The Guatemalan international played the past two seasons with the Sounders, following a 4 year run with Chicago Fire. Before his time with Chicago, Pappa played with Dutch side SC Heerenveen of the Dutch Eredivisie, though only featuring 11 times.
Pappa will come to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with an impressive resume already established. Pappa has 49 caps for Guatemala and has notched 11 goals and three assists for his country. In the 2014 Copa Centroamericana, Pappa earned the Golden Boot with four goals in the tournament and took home the Golden Ball as best player of the tournament. Guatemala participated in this past summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup and Pappa featured in all three group stage matches. Guatemala did not advance past the group stage.
Welcome to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Marco Pappa! Photo courtesy of ColoradoRapids.com
During Pappa’s time with Chicago Fire he played in 102 regular season matches and in 2010 was in the starting lineup of the MLS All-Star Team as they took on Manchester United. In 2010 Pappa also earned the AT&T MLS Goal of the Year.
Pappa played a vital role in his first season with Seattle, helping the Sounders win their first ever Supporter’s Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophies. During his time in Seattle, Marco played in 49 games (starting 41) and scored 9 goals while notching 11 assists.
The signing is a statement of intent from the MLS Western Conference’s bottom team in 2015. The 2015 Colorado Rapid’s were toothless going forward while fairly firm in the back. Even with Irish international and designated player Kevin Doyle leading the line the Rapid’s struggled to create chances and goals. Rapid’s VP of Soccer Operations and Technical Director, Paul Bravo echoed the need for a player of Pappa’s quality. “It is no secret we need to increase our attacking output. We are confident Marco will add a creative element to our attack which will benefit everyone on the field.”
Rapid’s fans can expect their new number 10 to slot into the starting lineup right away. Colorado’s main creative architect from 2015, Vicente Sánchez is no longer a Rapid, leaving a hole in the lineup that needed to be filled. Bravo went on to say that with the departure of Sánchez there was “a gap for a chief creator and we believe Marco can step in to that vital role.”
Rapid’s fans will surely be excited about having Pappa in the squad. The Rapid’s learned that hard way what giving a player of Pappa’s class too much space can lead to. Check out this goal he scored against the Rapid’s in 2015.
Marco will be given the chance to be the engine for Colorado. He has the pace, skill and vision to push attacks forward. He can hold the ball up to create pressured attacks as well as play vital passes out wide to the wings and forward to the always hungry Kevin Doyle. Doyle and fellow striker Dominique Badji should be excited about the prospect of playing with an established creative player who should provide the passes they need to get the Rapid’s offense flowing in 2016.
