Colorado declines option on Buddle, 10 other players

The Rapids announced Tuesday that they will not pick up the options of 11 players for the 2015 season.

Among that group is 13-year Major League Soccer veteran Edson Buddle, who played the past two seasons with the Rapids and recorded seven goals in 31 starts.

This past season, the 33-yearold striker scored twice, the first of which made him the eighth player in MLS history to have 100 career goals.

“This is an announcementwe have to make prior to the upcoming Nov. 26 deadline for notifying our players,” Paul Bravo, the Rapids’ vice president of soccer operations and technical director, said on the team’s website. “Some of these players may be back with us by the time we begin training in January as many things could change between now and then.”

MarvellWynne, a 10-year veteran who played the past five seasons for Colorado, and midfielderNick LaBrocca, whowas drafted by the Rapids in 2007 and has 17 goals and 18 assists over two stints with Colorado, were also among the 11 players whose options were not exercised.

The others were defenders Gale Agbossoumonde, Thomas Piermayr and Grant Van De Casteele; midfieldersCarlos Alvarez and Davy Armstrong; forwards Kamani Hill and Danny Mwanga; and goalkeeper Joe Nasco.

The Rapids also announced they exercised the option on midfielder Tony Cascio, who spent last season on loan from the Houston Dynamo.

Cascio was drafted by the Rapids in 2012 and made 42 appearances in his first two seasons. He played in five games for the Dynamo before undergoing surgery for a torn ACL. He returned forHouston’s final game.