Good Monday morning Caps fans, hope your weekend went well and you are gearing up for what the week has in store for you.
We still haven’t gotten any news on the Caps’ players out of contract or with options for next season. But silly season has churned out its first rumor, which is sort of like an old rumor.
Reports on Twitter indicate Ryan Raposo is a target of Chinese Super League clubs, meshing with past reported mutual interest between the CSL and Raposo. Raposo is half-Chinese and would seemingly be eligible for the national team, if he wanted, so I could see this move interesting him on several levels.
The days of getting an uber big payday in the CSL are long gone after the Chinese government cracked down on the gravy train. But there is little doubt that Raposo would be a useful player for a team there, or for an MLS side.
Looking at his Football Reference stats confirms a lot of what we all saw watching him play. Raposo isn’t the kind of game breaking player to progress the ball into super dangerous areas but get him the ball in the attacking third or penalty area and he can make things happen.
But from Raposo’s standpoint, a new challenge makes sense. He probably isn’t going to be a regular starter in Vancouver and the Caps won’t want to pay him accordingly. A move to China would solve both problems.
From the Caps’ standpoint, this is hardly a fatal blow. But, if this really is the end for Raposo’s time here, it should not be discounted either. The LAFC match showed a major deficit for the Caps is their depth and losing a guy who can contribute off the bench or when rotated into the squad will mean a Giuseppe Bovalina or Edier Ocampo will be expected to fill those minutes — both of whom remain unproven in MLS.
Raposo was panned a bit after starting slow in Vancouver, despite being the fourth overall pick. And yeah, with the benefit of hindsight, you’d get in a time machine and go back and tell the front office to pick Daryl Dike, Alistair Johnston or Henry Kessler. But, aside from those three players, Raposo has been as good as any other guy in that draft class and has really grown into the wingback role. He’s also been a consummate professional who deserves the freedom that comes from picking his next destination as a free agent. If he does move to the CSL, that will give us all a rooting interest in the league and a chance to cheer him on as he moves onwards and upwards.
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Raposo has been a good depth piece, underrated by his critics while overrated by the writers here. I mean, he only saw action in a mop up role in game two of the LAFC series, so I don’t think the club saw/sees him as a difference maker nor a prospect with any more upside. The rumours of his testing MLS free agency might still be in play but regardless of where he goes, I wish him all the best in his future ventures.
i think you are you and i are on the same page- scarey !! i agree with you on raposo- a good MLS sub player and a Team needs those type of players and the Caps are really short on quality subs- i wouldnt mind if the caps gave a him a salary raise – he makes $155 000, so $200K is reasonable- he is dependable and rarely does anything to cause to concern
and thinking Ryan would go for a Communist China passport and give up a democratic Canada passport would be foolish and short-sighted on his part- would you or anyone you know ?? keep in mind, i lived in china for 6 years, love the culture and did marry there for $2.00 – playing soccer there is a possibility, but changing your country allegiance – NADA !
i think Ocampo will be a good signing, but Bovalina is a NADA
I would be bummed to see Raposo go, he’s great energy and spark when he plays and he’s cheap plus fills the Canadian quota. But he’s gotta do what makes sense for him.