Lockin’ Em Up…
Sorry to all the forwards out there in MLS, but you will still be at risk of suffering “The Olave” next year. Garth just dropped us the news that RSL has purchased the rights to the massive Colombian from Deportivo Cali and signed him to a contract extension that will keep him in Salt Lake through the 2012 MLS season.
After joining the club in the offseason the 27-year-old defender solidified his spot in the center of the RSL backline just a few games into the 2008 campaign. Olave was an integral part of Real’s reversal of fortunes this year and the club is glad to have him on board on a more permanent basis.
What do you think of this move? Let’s hear your feedback below…
24 Nov 2008 RSL HQ
Hell yeah.
let me be the first to say “Phew!”
Deeeeeelighted!
the move is great. jamison, I thought, was our best defender. Lets see more stuff like this. good work Garth and Jason
Glad Garth got this done–I love yelling “Olave Says NO!” when he muscles someone off the ball. He’s a fantastic defender, and a great addition to the team.
The real question is ’should we protect him’? :). And if you really think that is a real question, I hate you.
YES!!! Great move! Love watching Olave chase down forwards!
This is a great move and will go a long way to ensuring that the RSL defense continues to improve, just waiting on the list of players to be protected from the expansion draft on Wednesday. I now know that Jamison will be on the list.
Awesome.
Agree with 4foosball…. phew indeed.
SWEEEEET…. Now we just need to keep Espy here for the next few years as well. I can’t wait for the expansion draft to be in the past. I’m kinda scared we are going to leave some of our youngsters available though….
I love it! Javier and now Olave, brillant move coach- Now will someone let me know who’s protected in the expansion draft, or where can I find the list from the league???? PLEASE!
Glad we will have him around. Much better than Pope ever was. Glad to have the big guy on the team!
RSL also left starting goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Andy Williams unprotected and vulnerable to the expansion draft Wednesday that will help stock the new Seattle Sounders franchise that begins play in MLS next season. The team was allowed to protect only 11 players. It can lose no more than one of them to the Sounders.
With the league having eliminated the reserve division and reduced roster sizes from 28 to 24 players for next season, RSL also released midfielder Kenny Cutler and defender Dustin Kirby. Cutler was one of the few remaining original RSL players, but played only 11 games in his career, while Kirby played only briefly in one game.
Coach Jason Kreis knew he was going to risk losing a player he liked “very, very much,” and the exposure of Rimando and Williams represents a hope that the Sounders will pass on them - Rimando because the Sounders already have signed veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller, and Williams in deference to his family’s medical situation.
His wife, Marcia, is battling leukemia and needs a bone-marrow transplant.
Five others - midfielder Dema Kovalenko, forwards Clint Mathis and Kenny Deuchar, and defenders Ian Joy Dustin Horst - were left unprotected, too, but the big news was the definitive moves.
Can’t say I disagree with the FO’s protected/unprotected list:
Morales
At the end of the day they protected
1) Espindola
2) Findley
3) Sturgis
4) Wingert
5) Olave
6) Borchers
7) Russell
9) Johnson
10) Beckerman
11) Johnson
Seitz, Beltran protected via Gen Adidas.
And left unprotected Rimando, Williams, Cutler, Kovalenko, Mathis, Deucher, Joy, Horst and Kirby (and released Besagno). Maybe the only surprising (but understandable) move was protecting Sturgis given his injury status over the years, but if he can stay injury free he has a good future ahead of him. Of our starters available I hope Seattle takes Kovalenko.
OLAVE is the shiz!! Great job RSL I love you through and through.
Nothing makes me much happier than locking up “The Beast” for a while longer!! I am glad he decided to stay here and help us tear it up for the next few years!
Phew, I was worried my number 4 Olave jersey would go the way of my Pope jersey. But, seriously, Jamison Olave was a must for the team to keep. His physical style of play is perfect for the MLS and as he continues to mature and understand the style of the league he will only get better. We now have two young, solid central defenders that will provide a backbone to our defense.
You all are reading bad press, Rimando is protected.
Please check good information on the rsltothecore blog, main page, or my blog for correct information.
Olave is sick. Great find. better keep.
oog are you kidding me? allthough i love olave, in no way is he better than pope. no hard feelings to olave, but pope was amazing, what other quality defender was pope paired with. atleast borchers is good. pope will always go down as one of the best defenders in the usa.
I think the title for this article might be slightly politically incorrect. Considering the history of blacks in America and also the high ratio of jailed blacks to whites. Maybe more like “Payin’ Em A Fair Amount For Work Performed and Liberating Em from Deportivo Cali”. Namaste.
It has probably already been pointed out; but on RSL’s website, under the Olave write-up, you used a picture of Russell instead of Olave. Come on now, get that fixed ASAP!
=D
Oh, and how soon until Fabi is signed? That’s another one I’m not very patient waiting for.
RSpockL….lol.
TapocoL…uberlol.
looking good guys!!! can’t wait til the start of the new 09 season!!!
on 25 Nov 2008 at 12:37 am 23Goldenboot
It has probably already been pointed out; but on RSL’s website, under the Olave write-up, you used a picture of Russell instead of Olave. Come on now, get that fixed ASAP!
=D
Seriously, why a picture of Robbie Russel instead of Olave in the Realsaltlake.com article.
RSLFO, please fix this. It is an insult to Olave.
Without a doubt a brilliant move. Since Olave arrived, RSL’s once pathetic defense began to stiffen and I believe gave us the chance to make the playoffs. Other than his mistimed challenge that gave away the gwg to the Red Bulls, which admittedly was a big one, he was almost flawless in shutting down most of the league’s biggest strikers. Without Olave we would have suffered more last minute embarrassing defeats. Good move RSL! With Morales in the front and Olave in the back I can’t wait for ‘09!
I love-e Olave