Monday, February 01, 2016 – Colorado Rapid’s announced the signing of Albanian International Shkëlzen Gashi from FC Basel as a designated player. Gashi was the Swiss Super League’s top scorer the past two seasons and the Super League’s player of the year in 2014.
Gashi joins striker Kevin Doyle as the Rapid’s only two designated players after Colorado loaned DP Juan Ramirez to U.D. Almeria in the Spanish second division late last month.
Shkelzen Gashi joins Kevin Doyle as Colorado’s two designated players. (Photo Credit: Corbin Elliott)
For a Rapid’s team that scored only 33 goals in 34 games last season, a proven striker like Gashi could make a tremendous difference. In a statement released by the Rapid’s earlier today Technical Director and Vice President of Soccer Operations Paul Bravo stated that Gashi was Colorado’s main attacking target this off-season, going on to say “He has proven to be a prolific goal scorer in his club’s domestic and European success. In addition he has been instrumental in his national team’s qualification campaign for Euro 2016. We are delighted to sign him on a permanent transfer and look forward to seeing him in burgundy.”
Gashi, 27, comes to MLS with a tremendous resume. 2 years in a row as top scorer of the Swiss Super League and Player of the Year honors in 2014 illustrate the caliber of player that Gashi is.
FC Basel are a club that competes in Europe’s highest competitions. This year they are participating in the UEFA Europa league but in past years have been participants in the UEFA Champion’s League.
If you need proof of the club’s pedigree, look at some of the names to come out of Basel’s youth system over resent years: Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City FC, formerly played for Bayern Munich), Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach) and Alexander Frei (Formerly of Borussia Dortmund) have come out of a youth system that produces top-notch talent. Even Arsenal FC just bought in on a Basel player, signing Egyptian Midfielder Mohamed Elneny during the winter transfer window.
Gashi’s international resume is as impressive as his club resume. Gashi made 21 appearances for the Swiss U17, U19 and U21 squads scoring 8 times before making his senior debut for the Albanian National team in 2013. Gashi has scored 3 goals in 11 appearances for Albania but none more important than the game winning goal he scored against Armenia last March in EURO 2016 qualifying. His effort helped Albania to their first major international tournament in the country’s history as they will play in France this summer.
Rapid’s supporters will be pleased with the signing after a busy off-season has left them without a clear idea of the team’s path forward. The partnership fellow between Kevin Doyle and Gashi will be the focal point of fan’s attention for the season to come. If the two strikers can play off each other and provide for each other, this is a Rapid’s team that could move significantly up the table in the Western Conference.
With Doyle and Gashi as their two designated players, it’s safe to assume that the Rapid’s will be playing some form of a 4-4-2 formation for the 2016 season. Offense should be the main concern and this signing is a positive step in an attacking direction for the Rapids.
The recent hiring of former Rapids striker John Spencer as Assistant Coach coupled with the Gashi signing will have Rapid’s fans salivating. The Rapid’s tied 10 games last season, the most out of any team in MLS. If the Rapid’s were able to squeak out 3 goals over the span of those ten games they would have finished 8th instead of 10th. If they won half of the games they drew they would have finished in 7th. It’s margins that small that decide who goes to the playoffs and who gets an early vacation, and Gashi, coupled with the coaching and improved attacking emphasis that Spencer should provide, could see the Rapid’s offense vastly improve over last seasons output.
This is the exact kind of signing the Colorado Rapid’s and the majority of MLS teams should be making. This isn’t a player like Ashley Cole who is past his prime, running on tired legs, finishing out his career. This is a player, who at 27, is in his prime and may have his best years ahead of him. This is a player who will be playing in the EURO’s this summer. Shkëlzen Gashi is a player who could spend the next 5 to 6 years playing for Colorado and could be a cornerstone for the team to build on.
If you support the Rapid’s and you’re not excited about the caliber of signing your team just landed, then take a look at this. What do you notice about a lot of the goals he scores? They’re striker’s goals! They may not be the most beautiful goals, they may not come from perfect link-up play or crosses put on a dime, but constantly Gashi is in the right place at the right time. Anyone who watched German maestro Miroslav Klose in his prime or watches Olivier Giroud play for Arsenal will understand the point. Sometimes instincts are the most important quality in a player, and it looks like Colorado just landed a player whose instincts are razor sharp.
