BECKERMAN AND TREMBLY JOIN NIKE PROJECT-40 SQUAD FOR SIX-GAME EUROPEAN TOUR

Mastroeni Helps Lead U.S. to 2-0 Victory Over El Salvador; Team Looks Towards 2003

Beckerman, Trembly Join Nike Project-40 Players on Tour of Germany, Holland

A 23-man Nike Project-40 squad, with member from all 10 MLS teams, will depart on Friday, Nov. 22 for its annual international training tour. Including Rapids midfielder Kyle Beckerman and midfielder/defender Seth Trembly, the team will compete against the reserve teams from several of the top clubs in Germany and Holland over the course of a six-game schedule. The team departs this Friday Nov. 22 on the two-week trip which runs through December 6. Scheduled to arrive in Germany first, the squad will take on the reserve squads of Germany's Borussia Moenchengladbach and 2002 UEFA Champions League participants and defending German champions Borussia Dortmund. The Project-40 squad's first opposition in Holland will come on Thanksgiving Day against 16-time Dutch Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven. Matches against Utrecht and Volendam (both played in Utrecht) will be followed by a rematch against PSV Eindhoven. The complete schedule of the trip follows:

DATE			OPPONENT			LOCAL TIME
Tues. November 26	vs. Borussia M'Gladbach (GER)	@ 7:00
Wed. November 27	vs. Borussia Dortmund (GER)	@ 3:00
Thurs. November 28	vs. PSV Eindhoven (HOL)		@ 2:00
Tues. December 3	vs. Utrecht (HOL)		@ 3:00
Wed. December 4		vs. Volendam (HOL)		@ 7:00
Thurs. December 5	vs. PSV Eindhoven (HOL)		@ 2:00

The squad is made up of 11 Nike Project-40 players and 12 guest players. Former Colorado Rapids Head Coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick will be heading the Project-40 trip for the second consecutive year. In 2001, he guided the squad in matches against three professional English reserve teams, including Manchester United. Myernick is already familiar with several of the players on the roster, including Beckerman, whom he recently called up for U.S. Under-23 National Team competition in February and August and Trembly, who traveled to England in August. The trip to Germany and Holland marks the fifth consecutive year of international travel and competition for the Nike Project-40 team, including a 1999 tour of Portugal with current Rapids head coach Tim Hankinson at the helm. Beckerman and Trembly have traveled overseas with Project-40 since 2000.

Mastroeni Rounds Out 2002 with Team USA in Shutout of El Salvador

The U.S. Men's National Team concluded its historic 2002 season with a 2-0 shutout of El Salvador in the cold and steady rain on Sunday at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., improving its lifetime record against the Central American nation to 9-1-4. Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni started in the midfield, contributing a solid 45 minutes of play before giving way to halftime substitute Leo Cullen. With the hard-tackling midfielder in the starting lineup, the United States has allowed only three goals in the eleven games (including the 2002 FIFA World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup Championship campaigns) and has posted an impressive record of 9-1-1 during that span. As the only member of Arena's 2002 FIFA World Cup squad not to have recorded a cap in qualifying play leading up to USA's historic finish in Korea/Japan, Mastroeni will re-join the team in early January 2003 as he looks to further his status as a midfield fixture.

With their victory over El Salvador, the U.S. Men's National Team improved their final 2002 record to 12-6-2 in 20 games, the highest win total in the team's 86-year history. The team also registered a record 10 shutouts on the year, the second time they have reached double-digits in that category in their history. The USA's impressive 10-1-1 record on home soil also marked a new high for the team. The team is expected to regroup in early January 2003 at a site to be determined.

Rapids Around Town...

Rapids defender Steve Herdsman and midfielder Kyle Beckerman will be at the Ronald McDonald House today in downtown Denver, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. to help celebrate the charity's "World Children's Day" celebration. The Ronald McDonald House is located at 1300 E. 21st Ave. (near the Children's Hospital at 21st and Downing). The young Rapids talents will spend the afternoon signing autographs, taking pictures and interacting with the kids. Media members with questions should call the Rapids Media Relations Department at 303-299-1487 or 303-299-1590.

Upcoming Appearances

Player(s) Event/Location
Date Time
Coach Hankinson Ponderosa H.S. Boys Soccer Banquet
11/21/02 6:30 p.m.
(Guest Speaker)

TBA Compa Food Drive (at Stock Show Complex)
11/23/02 9 a.m-1 p.m.

Stewart, Carrieri, Pueblo Clinic at USC
11/25/02 2-6:30 p.m.
Hart

For more information, please call Kieran Cain, Director, Colorado Rapids Community Relations at 303-299-1598.

Family-Friendly Pricing Continues in 2003

Colorado Rapids Season Tickets are now on sale for the 2003 MLS Season at INVESCO Field! Full season packages begin at $234 (adult) and $135 (youth) and include many flexible options, including half-season and "flex" plans to cater to needs of all fans. For more info. visit www.coloradorapids.com or call (303) 299-1599.

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