THE RAPIDS’ NEW STRIKERS
In the last seven days the Rapids signed two new attacking players. The first was Claudio “El Piojo” Lopez a veteran forward/winger that represented Argentina in two World Cups. The second is Quincy Amarikwa, a young and athletic striker looking to further his professional career.
Both bring different qualities to the team. Lopez is a savvy vet, who has played at the highest level in Europe and internationally. He will be a leader on the field as well as in the locker room. Amarikwa is a dynamic young striker with a ton of enthusiasm and potential. He’ll step in to push some of the regulars and add a spark off the bench.
It is still unclear when either player will be ready to step in and help the Rapids. Lopez, formerly with the Kansas City Wizards, has maintained a good level of fitness since parting ways with Kansas City in February but he isn’t match fit at the moment. Amarikwa, formerly with the San Jose Earthquakes, has a full preseason under his belt but will need time to find his spot on the team.
Although Lopez has been training with the team Coach Smith doesn’t think he is ready for the match on Saturday.
“I’m hoping that Claudio will join us on Sunday. He’s trained well this week, he looks in very reasonable shape, and, with a bit of fortune, we can get maybe 30 minutes out of Claudio in the Open Cup game.”
Coach Smith sees Lopez getting 30 minutes in the Open Cup as a positive step considering how long it’s been since Lopez has played a match. Coach has a fairly good idea of “when” of Claudio will play, but “where” he will play is a question that doesn’t have quite as clear of an answer.
The talented Argentinean has plenty of experience in multiple positions but played primarily as left midfielder/winger for Kansas City. Coach Smith is still considering all the possibilities but believes Lopez might play as a forward to start.
“I’m not quite sure how we’ll fit him in on Tuesday, I’ve been pretty open minded about what he gives us. It may be as a second striker. I think it might suit him slightly better on Tuesday in the opening exchanges, in terms of area to cover and his role and job description. That left hand side can tend to be a little bit open and maybe lends itself to bit more athleticism, so it might not be quite ready for him yet. Either way, I think it will be great just to get him out there, get him in the group and working, and build the relationships.”
While Lopez is battling to get fit, Quincy Amarikwa has a different challenge ahead of him. Quincy is probably a little further along in his fitness but still needs to get involved with the group before he can start seeing minutes.
Although Quincy was considered surplus at San Jose, there is no denying the fact that the young forward brings some great qualities. Quincy is entering his second year in MLS and Coach Smith thinks he can play an important role with the club.
Smith sees potential in Quincy and believes “he might just be that difference maker off the bench when we need it, and, of course, if form is good enough and he plays well enough, he’ll put pressure on our front two.”
“He’s got blistering pace and he’s an extremely passionate and enthusiastic player. He’s a bullish character, he roughs people up, and he unsettles defenders.”
Smith sees Quincy as a possible sub for Omar Cummings. The Jamaican forward is in good form at the moment, but Smith wants the ability to give him a rest from time to time.
“Omar has plenty of fatigue around his game because of the amount of work he puts into each match. So being able to, every now and then, bring in Quincy is a good thing.”
Coach Smith recognizes that “Quincy is quite an inexperienced guy at the moment” but believes the kid’s attitude and style of play is something the club is missing up top.