Colorado has strikers to replace Kamara
The Rapids have scored multiple goals in only one match since MLS restarted play earlier this month. Yet on Friday the club traded striker Kei Kamara to Minnesota for a bundle of assets.
Why did the Rapids send away Kamara, the league’s fifth alltime leading scorer?
The answer: The Rapids feel as though they already have replaced Kamara — a 36- year- old forward on the final year of his contract who didn’t play in either of Colorado’s matches this week.
Kamara was coming off the second- best goal- scoring season of his career, tallying 14 in 2019 for a Rapids offense that was third- best in the league. In exchange for sending him to Minnesota, the Rapids received $ 150,000 in general allocation money plus a 2022 secondround pick, according to ESPN. .
“It became evident it was time to go our separate ways. We wish Kei well,” coach Robin Fraser said Friday. “We have a lot of faith in Diego Rubio and Andre Shinyashiki. They’ll get more opportunities this way.”
Rubio, 27, and Shinyashiki, 23, have each shown flashes in the past but have struggled to find consistency in 2020. Rubio netted 11 goals last season, 10 of which came after June 1, and Shinyashiki won MLS Rookie of the Year for his seven scores.
Rubio hadn’t scored this season until he tallied a goal last Saturday, and Shinyashiki hadn’t scored until Wednesday when he finally got his first minutes of the year at his natural position.
“We have a lot of good attacking players,” Fraser said. “Rubio has been extremely good over the last few weeks. Andre is a player who is versatile and he can be very helpful for us in different parts of the field, but in his heart of hearts, he’s a striker.”
Looking back at Kamara’s 2019 with a more critical eye, his 14 goals may have been an outlier. He scored four of his 14 on penalties and missed three other penalty kicks. If he converted on any of those, the Rapids would’ve made the playoffs. Kamara also had an inconsistent second half of the season, which led to the job being open for Rubio and Shinyashiki at the start of camp.
Minnesota will be Kamara’s eighth different team since joining MLS in 2006. He had a public falling out with Columbus in 2016 before stints in New England and Vancouver prior to joining Colorado. The Rapids have committed to younger players and Kamara, who has three goals in nine matches this year, saw his role and playing time diminish.
The Rapids will be in Los Angeles to face the Galaxy on Saturday.
Rapids sign Beitashour. Colorado signed MLS veteran Steven Beitashour on Friday. The fullback made 24 starts for LAFC in 2019, capturing his third Supporters’ Shield.
Beitashour has played nine seasons and made 247 appearances for four teams. That includes two years at Toronto FC playing under Fraser, then an assistant coach.
The 2012 MLS All- Star has spent time with both the US Men’s National Team and the Iranian National Team. He is likely to back up Sam Vines at left back, who has played in every single minute of the Rapids’ season thus far.