His preseason wasn't quite as flashy as, say, Deshorn Brown or Dillon Serna's, but whenever he touched the field he showed himself to be steady and good on the ball, which is what Colorado looks for in a defensive midfielder when playing their favored 4-2-3-1.
Mari will immediately be in contention for a starting position in the back of the midfield, which is probably the biggest question mark outside of the right back spot for the Rapids right now thanks to the departure of Hendry Thomas. Being a 26-year-old midfielder with pretty recent La Liga experience (experience that only ended because Real Zaragoza were relegated) also makes him probably the most high-profile signing of what has been a quiet Rapids off-season in terms of player acquisitions.
We look forward to Mari hopefully getting right into the swing of things against New York on March 15th. If he can immediately step in and take Thomas' old job effectively, it will go a long way toward getting the Rapids back into the playoffs in 2014.
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Matt Pollard 