His latest hairstyle--closely cropped and dyed blond--is a testament to that.

But even Carrieri must have trouble keeping up with his new team, the new-look Colorado Rapids, who have completely overhauled their roster of late.

Colorado's latest move netted veteran midfielder Carlos Valderrama, who with his orange-blond mane is one of Major League Soccer's most recognizable players and a perennial all-star.

Upon his arrival last week, the 39-year-old Valderrama not only replaced the newly blonded Carrieri as the Rapids' golden boy, he also bumped the 1998 North Stafford High School graduate from the starting lineup for Saturday's game at RFK Stadium against D.C. United.

"Any player that's not going to start gets disappointed," said Carrieri, who just joined Colorado himself via trade from San Jose on June 12. "But we're trying to find where everybody fits, and I just kept my head, tried to be ready. When you get bumped by Carlos Valderrama, you can't complain too much."

Carrieri got his shot later, though, entering as the Rapids' final substitute in the 87th minute. He made his presence felt almost immediately, taking a feed from Raul Diaz Arce deep on the right side and ripping a shot at United goalkeeper Mike Ammann.

With the score knotted at 1, Carrieri saw some bonus action in two five-minute overtime periods and used his speed and fresh legs to create opportunities for the Rapids. His drop feed to a streaking Ross Paule at the top of the box nearly resulted in a game-winning score in the first minute of extra time, but Paule's blast soared over the net.

Later, Carrieri took matters into his own hands, warding off a defender and whirling for a left-footed rip that spun high and wide. Still, the 1-1 draw resulted in a much-needed point for Colorado, which at 2-8-4 was tied for the fewest points (10) in the MLS entering the contest.

"They wanted me to play wide, make some runs forward," Carrieri said. "I opened up a couple of chances. I felt dangerous, put some pressure on their defenders, and I think if I had been out there a little longer I could have put one in the back of the net."