RAPIDS PLACE FOUR PLAYERS ON WAIVERS

Kramer, Titus, Palacios and Shannon Waived Ahead of Wednesday's Waiver Draft

DENVER (Tuesday, November 5, 2002) - The Colorado Rapids made a series of roster moves on Tuesday, placing goalkeeper David Kramer, defender Rick Titus, midfielder Raul Palacios, and forward Musa Shannon on waivers.

The four players waived by the Rapids will join the players released from other Major League Soccer clubs this week in the pool of candidates eligible for selection in Wednesday's Waiver Draft, which will be conducted via telephone by League officials, team general managers and coaches.

Kramer, 30, appeared in 13 regular season games for the Rapids in 2002, and played 46 total matches with the club after being acquired in 2000 from San Jose. The California native assumed the starting role in 2002, and posted a 7-4-2 record, after first-choice goalkeeper Scott Garlick suffered a season-ending injury.

"We expect to have Scott Garlick back to full strength well before the start of the season, and we'd like to open the number two spot up for some younger competition next year," said head coach Tim Hankinson.

The Canadian-born Titus, 33, made 25 appearances for the Rapids after being signed by the club as a Discovery Player in March 2002. He recorded his lone MLS point, an assist, against the Dallas Burn on June 6.

"Unfortunately, his status as an international player worked against him. We have a number of young, quality defenders who won't take one of those valuable slots, and we are looking for more from our international players next year," Hankinson said of Titus.

Palacios, 25, saw action in 16 games for the Rapids in 2002, starting eight. Another international player, acquired from the Chicago Fire in May 2002 in exchange for a conditional draft pick, Palacios recorded four assists in his first six games but failed to notch a point afterward.

"As was the case with Titus, Raul was unfortunate in that he was taking up one of the very valuable international slots. The match between player and club was not perfect, and his former club expressed interest in having him return to Chile," Hankinson noted.

Shannon, 27, was signed off waivers by the Rapids in July 2002, and made only one regular season appearance. The Liberian native also saw action in the team's final playoff game, registering 17 minutes against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"Chris Carrieri and John Spencer established themselves as the clear choices at forward and made it difficult for Musa to crack the lineup. We feel it's best for the player to find a situation where he can get more playing time," Hankinson explained.

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