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reprint of COLORADO RAPIDS NEWS RELEASE -- byline Ben Grossman

NEWS RELEASE

RAPIDS DEAL CHRIS HENDERSON TO KANSAS CITY FOR DEFENDER/MIDFIELDER MATT MCKEON

All-Time Rapids Leader In Points Dealt to Wizards As Rapids Immediately Bolster Defense For 1999

DENVER (Thursday, November 19, 1998) - The Colorado Rapids today traded midfielder Chris Henderson to the Kansas City Wizards in exchange for defender/midfielder Matt McKeon (pronounced Mc-YOU-en). Henderson holds Rapids records for all-time points with 55 (12 goals, 31 assists), all-time assists with 31 and assists in a season with 14 in 1997. Numbers aside, Henderson may most be remembered for his acrobatic side-volley in the dying minutes of Game Two of the 1997 Western Conference Finals that beat the Dallas Burn and propelled the Rapids into MLS Cup '97.

After a 1997 season in which Henderson led the Rapids with 28 points (7 goals, 14 assists), an up-and-down 1998 campaign saw him never find the dangerous form of the previous season, as he totaled only two goals and nine assists for 13 points. Distractions were numerous for Henderson in 1998, as he fought unsuccessfully for a spot on the 1998 U.S. World Cup roster, witnessed the birth of his first child, and battled shoulder problems and a hernia for most of the season.

McKeon, 24, an imposing presence at 6'3", 195 lbs, is known for his solid on-the-ball skills in addition to his physical play. Cast as a central defender for much of his three years with Kansas City, McKeon's offensive ability makes him a candidate to also fill a central midfield role for Colorado. McKeon actually made an appearance as a forward for the Wizards in a game against the Rapids in 1998.

A graduate of St. Louis University in 1995, McKeon recorded 17 goals and 20 assists in his senior year, and earned the prestigious Missouri Athletic Club National Player of the Year award. McKeon went on to join the Wizards in 1996 before becoming a regular starter in 1997.

After the Rapids gave up a league-record 69 goals in 32 games in 1998 (2.16 per game), Rapids coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick added a player that will quickly shore up the middle of the defense (as a central defender or defensive midfielder) and a player that Myernick is familiar with. Myernick has coached McKeon on two separate occasions in the past, first with the U.S. Under-20 National Team in 1993, and then with the U.S. Olympic Team in 1996.

It was McKeon who scored the goal in a qualifier against Canada that qualified the U.S. Under-20 National Team for the 1993 World Championships in Australia, in which the U.S. finished eighth in the world.

MATT MCKEON

 

Position:  Defender
Ht:  6-3
Wt:  195
Born:  September 24, 1974, in St. Louis, MO
Hometown:  St. Charles, MO
Citizenship:  USA
College:  Saint Louis University
Pro Outdoor Experience:  	Kansas City Wizards, MLS (1996-1998)
			U.S. Olympic Team
				U.S. National Team, U-23
			U.S. National Team, U-20 
			U.S. National Team, U-17
CAREER MLS REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS:
  GP GS MIN G A PTS SHT SOG BK FC FS OF CK C E
1996 12 9 823 0 1 1 10 9 0 14 7 0 0 2 0
1997 31 30 2736 4 1 9 15 8 3 75 28 2 0 9 0
1998 22 21 1875 0 0 0 14 8 1 40 24 0 1 4 1
Total 65 59 5434 4 2 10 39 25 4 129 59 2 1 16 1
CAREER MLS PLAYOFF STATISTICS:
  GP/GS MIN G A SHT SOG FC FS OF C E
1996 2-May 283 1 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 0
1997 2-Feb 180 0 0 0 0 6 6 0 1 0
Total 4-Jul 463 1 0 1 1 7 9 0 1 0
CHRIS HENDERSON Position: Midfielder Ht: 5-10 Wt: 150 Born: December 11, 1970, in Edmonds, Washington Hometown: Everett, Washington Citizenship: USA College: UCLA How Acquired: 1996 Discovery Player Pro Outdoor Experience: Colorado Rapids, MLS (1996-present) Stabeck, Norway (1996) FSV Frankfurt, Germany (1994-95) U.S. National Team (1991-present) CAREER MLS REGULAR SEASON STATISTICS: GP GS MIN G A PTS SHT SOG BK FC FS OF CK C E 1996 29 29 2544 3 8 14 57 29 0 35 41 16 104 4 0 1997 30 29 2501 7 14 28 63 25 0 47 54 35 84 2 0 1998 28 22 1915 2 9 13 55 24 1 28 28 21 31 3 1 Total 87 80 6960 12 31 55 175 78 1 110 123 72 219 9 1 CAREER MLS PLAYOFF STATISTICS: GP/GS MIN G A SHT SOG FC FS OF C E 1997 5/5 450 2 2 9 7 5 7 5 0 0 1998 2/0 59 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 Total 7/5 509 2 2 11 8 8 7 5 0 0 RAPIDS COACH GLENN "MOOCH" MYERNICK: "Chris was a great servant to the Colorado Rapids. He was always dedicated, loyal and obviously very productive. At the same time, he did not have the type of season in 1998 that anyone had thought he would. He is very talented, and his best soccer may very well still be ahead of him." "Any time you see an opportunity to make your club better, you have to act on it. Chris was a great player for the Rapids, but I feel this move makes us a better team. We took the opportunity to add a player that we think can immediately improve us at the back, but can also play a couple of different positions if need be. We gave up the most goals in the league last year, and in one move we have made a huge step towards improving that problem." "Matt is a strong, aggressive player who despite his physical presence is very adept at going forward into attack. When a player has both of those attributes, he creates a huge problem for the opposition, there just are not that many players of that size who can also run at a defense and attack." MATT MCKEON: "I enjoyed playing for Glenn before and know that his teams are very organized and disciplined. Colorado is a hard-working team with some very good players, and I am glad that they decided that I could be someone to help them continue to improve." "Whether Glenn plays me at the back or in the midfield or even up front from time to time, it does not really matter to me. I played mostly at the back for Kansas City, but I am confident in any of those positions and will be glad to fill in whatever role the Rapids see me in."

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