Top Stories

Colorado acquires rights to Matt Pickens

The Colorado Rapids have parted ways with goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, but have found a replacement in none other than former Chicago Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

The Fire traded Colorado the rights to Pickens in the trade that saw them swap second-round picks and acquire Baggio Husidic. The Fire also secured an allocation in the trade.

Pickens, who spent part of the 2007/2008 season with Queens Park Rangers, has signed with MLS and is expected to step in and be the Rapids new starter.

According to Coundoul's agent, Ron Waxman, Coundoul turned down a contract offer from Colorado, and is now pursuing options in Europe.

Waxman, who also represents Pickens, confirmed that Pickens has already signed his new deal with MLS, a little more than a year after leaving MLS for Queens Park Rangers.

What do you think of Colorado acquiring Matt Pickens? Think the Rapids should have kept Coundoul?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Hey Shane, I don’t share your opinion of Pickens either. Say what you want, but the Chicago Fire wouldn’t have won the Lamar Hunt Open Cup in 2006 without him. Just ask Landon Donovan.

    Reply
  2. Don’t know anything about Pickens? Hmm….lets see. Attended every game he was a starter. Watched him fall apart in every game around the 85th minute. 2 of his late goals conceded nearly cost us the playoffs.
    Couldn’t cut it for League 1&2 teams after failure at QPR.

    Yep. Terrible.

    Reply
  3. Great move by the Rapids. Bouna was a fantastic shot-stopper, but a liability in every other aspect of the game. He wasn’t worth the money they offered. Also, to be honest he wasn’t much of a “fan favorite” here in Colorado like some would have you believe. Sure, he had a funky name and a catch-phrase, but those are easily replaced.

    You call him “Slim”, we’ll call him “Easy”. Welcome to Colorado Pickens.

    Reply
  4. Shane your an idiot…obviously you don’t know anything about Pickens or have some bitter feelings toward him leaving Chicago. He is a great keeper and any team in the MLS would be lucky to have him.

    Reply
  5. IMO even if Baggio bombs Chicago wins. He is a Gen A player meaning he doesn’t count against the cap. Plus the Fire get an allocation. They pretty much got a free player and can use all the money saved and received on giving out raises or signing a good young international.

    It’s not horrible for Colorado but I think Chicago came out a little bit ahead. Pickens is a big upgrade for the Colorado though it must be said.

    Reply
  6. dcpohl- rapids get a solid GK’er… the Fire get the player they wanted… personally i feel this was an even up right trade…

    if anything Col came ahead acquiring a solid keeper while the fire are taking a chance on an untested kid..

    with all the bad reviews baggio got in the combine, i wonder if D.H and Co. told him they’d pick him up, but he’d have to tank the combine :P…. probably not, but i like conspiracies 😀

    Reply
  7. Great trade for both squads. Baggio wanted to be on the FIRE and he gets his wish. Good to see Pickens back in the league. Really surprised the Galaxy didn’t try to get “Slim” last season.

    remember…Slim likes watching smoke and flares…too bad he will be cooking right in the middle of the pit now.

    Reply
  8. Baggio has to be satisfied about staying in Chicago. He already knows most of the players and coaches. He’s already trained and played against the Fire several times. It will be a very smooth and painless transition for him. He should do well there.

    Reply
  9. Igor, your comment is a perfect example of why some people here make me want to strangle someone. If you even bothered to read what Ives wrote, you would know the answer to that question. They offered him a contract, he didn’t like it, so now hes looking at European options. What was so difficult to understand?

    Reply
  10. The problem the Rapids have is continually pissing in the faces of their fans: getting rid of Beckerman (a fan favorite), acquiring Christian Gomez (for a DP allocation no less), and now parting ways with Bouna (a fan favorite, to be sure).

    I could grow to like Pickens, as long as he doesn’t wear Jersey girl capri shorts like Burpo.

    How a team can build a beautiful stadium and great facility and the opportunity for fan goodwill and a rebranding of what has been a poorly managed club, and then in the subsequent two years create so little momentum to entice fans to keep coming back is just amazing.

    Reply
  11. yeah i agree with jb. coundoul’s not that sick at all. good shot stopper at times, but really shaky with his decisions I feel like.

    Reply
  12. Rapids come out way ahead. Condoul is a high-risk GK who plays on a team that makes at least one great defensive mistake per game. Condoul oftentime compounded that mistake.

    Reply
  13. Another brillant season of MLS is nearly here. What i wanna know is, will Real Madrid be playing in the All Star game? I figure it would be easier since they have some cooperation with Real Salt Lake. Only other big clubs i can figure coming over for the game are Bayern Munich, Liverpool and InterMilan.

    Reply
  14. Good luck to Bouna. He’s the no.2 GK for Senegal. That should help. Probably should head to France or Greece/Turkey. He could fit in quickly, i’m sure.

    Reply
  15. Chicago has a copyright on calling him “Slim” Pickens. Any such references without paying the proper licensing fees are litigable.

    Please contact me if there are any questions regarding this manner.

    Reply
  16. Not a bad move for either team. The Fire are well-covered by Busch and wouldn’t want to pay Pickens a salary to sit on the bench. And the Fire got their target in the draft as well as another 4th round pick. Looks like a win-win to me.

    Reply

Leave a Comment