Per league policy, contract details are currently unavailable.

The US youth standout and Red Bull Academy alumn has been the talk of the preseason, performing well alongside Juan Pablo Angel up top. But as I addressed earlier with the Luke Rodgers story, there is quite a glut at the forward position already, compounded by the addition of Ibrahim Salou. It will be interesting to see where Agudelo would fit into Backe’s crowded striker corp. Did he make enough of a good impression to earn some playing time? Or is the league much closer than it appears to reforming the reserve league?

Either way, the Bulls have not had this type of excitement surrounding a home grown youth player since Jozy Altidore, a former Generation Adidas alumn himself. And his addition will not push anyone out of the roster. What will Agudelo’s addition mean to the team? Let me know, after the jump.

Let’s start with the positives. Zenga was the Italian keeper on the international level for nearly a decade. In his illustrious playing career, he featured mostly for Inter Milan, but also had a two year stint with the Revolution prior to being named coach. He was the face of Italian goalkeeping for nearly a decade, and his flamboyant style and athleticism earned him the name “Spiderman.” His first stint as a coach came in the MLS, where he managed for a full season, though only managed a 10-20 record. He had a good season under Catania before leaving the club for greener pastures at Palermo, and is a coach who’s name would actually entice some Serie A clubs today. His growth as a manager continues to point in a positive direction.

The negatives in this instance are numerous, mainly because Zenga’s coaching career mirrors this franchises instability. He has coached in five different countries for nine different teams. His familiarity with the MLS is dated at best, and when he did manage under the system, the results were disastrous. If he was hired, you are looking at the top two personnel positions in the entire organization being filled by outsiders whom are ignorant to the socialistic intricacies of this league. His growth, which I said is currently on the right path, has sprouted from a near decade of pond skipping his way from team to team. From Wikipedia:

After a short stint with Milan amateurs Brera Calcio, Zenga moved to Romania in 2002, first managing Naţional Bucharest and then Steaua Bucureşti. In the summer of 2005, after being fired from Steaua before the end of the season, Zenga joined Red Star Belgrade, leading the Serbian team to a double (national league and national cup in Serbia & Montenegro). In the 2006 summer, Zenga was called to coach Turkish side Gaziantepspor; however, after a poor beginning (5 wins in 17 league matches), he resigned in January 2007 in order to accept an offer from United Arab Emirates club Al-Ain FC. After just 5 months in charge Al-Ain sacked Zenga, who was announced in September 2007 as new Dinamo Bucharest coach, replacing Mircea Rednic, but resigning only two months later following a 1–0 loss in a local derby lost to Steaua.[1] He then accepted a job as football commentator and pundit for Italian public broadcasting service RAI.

The amazing bouncing Coach.

Even with his recent successes, this is by no means the safest hire for the Red Bulls to entertain. And according to SBI, they haven’t even sat down for an initial meeting or had a phone conversation. Yet.

Is this name a serious contender? Or is this just another fun log to throw into the Christmas fire? Share your thoughts.

Here is a resume to consider:

One-time coach of Portsmouth (where he managed 10 points in 16 league games). A Multiple winner as a player with Arsenal. And most importantly, a good friend of Thierry Henry.

Is Tony Adams the man you see capable of steering this near ship wreck organization in the right direction? Have your votes be heard!

POLL: Former Arsenal Captain Tony Adams As Next Coach:(survey software)

That was Juan Carlos Osorio after the FC Dallas game, and by all accounts, it looks like he had more on his mind than yet another loss.

Maybe this weeks summit in Austria is what weighed so heavily on him.

SBI reports Jeff Agoos and Erik Stover have been summoned to Austria to meet with Red Bull brass to explain the mess that has been the 2009 season. And it looks like heads will roll for these failures.

This, along with the Beckham game, will surely make for a circus atmosphere the next two weeks. A change can come as early as this week.

You all know how I have felt about this. But sound off. Should Osorio get the ax? Or do more heads need to roll? Will Osorio even have a job after this meet and greet? Share your thoughts people!

With both clubs primarily focused on righting the ship late into the season, the big guns should be getting a rest, and some bench players will have the opportunity to see the pitch and possibly compete for starting minutes in the process.

Since I can’t seem to find even an amateur feed of the event, I’d be happy to direct your attentions to live running commentary of the event from two very reliable sources:

- Red Bull Reader has their representative at Buck Shaw, ready to report the action, which you can follow along here!.

- TheOffside.com Alumni (San Jose blogger) and now big shot SBI Correspondent (good job buddy!), Sean Rubio, will be tracking the action live as well at SBI Mafia Central. Click here for the action!

Both RBR and Sean at SBI give a great and detailed account of the game, so follow along, cross your fingers, and hope for the best possible result.

We’ll be back tomorrow to recap all the action. But feel free to leave your comments below.

This week, I am “dumping” a lot of stuff on ya’. So get your “open new tab” buttons ready! Links galore are coming your way!

- We start off with the slowly dying publication known as “The New York Times.” Some of you may have heard of it. Anyway, Danny Cepero has taken over Jozy Altidores slot as the NYT Pro Soccer blogger, and has put up a beautiful, must read piece on the less than glamorous lifestyle of a star MLS player. It is actually very endearing. Check it out.

- Have you heard about the season opener in Seattle against the Sounders? It’s a sold out affair. Take that Mariners!

- Here is a link talking about Becks return (and exit). If all goes as planned (which I dont think will happen), his first game back will be against the Red Bulls. My favorite part of the link? “To a July 18 game at the New York Red Bulls, in the suffocating heat of the East Coast summer and on artificial turf (both of which he loathes).” Good. The booing won’t make it any easier. If it happens.

- How close is Celades to signing with the Bulls? This Close.

- Jeff Parke has resurfaced overseas, this time on trial at Anderlecht. This is one blogger that has his fingers crossed for him. Go Jeff!

- American Soccer Blogging Godfather Ives Galarcep reports two Boca Juniors products are currently training with the RB organization; Nicolas Villafane and Gabriel Quirulef. I hope these two work out better than past bosteros. I am one Boca fan with his fingers crossed.

- And speaking of the backlines, MLS has a good article up about the possible facelift that is underway in the Red Bulls defense. A definite read for a Wednesday morning.

- And finally, the Bulls roster is under compliance. From here on out, every player they sign will mean a player released. Let the games begin.

Have a great day everyone! Ill be back later if anything exciting pops.

How about a starting central defender for a former La Liga side? How about a veteran of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona? How about a defender that has been a part of La Liga Championship teams!?

Meet Albert Celades, central midfielder, formerly of Real Zaragoza. The 33 year old vet has been around greatness and garbage in his 13 year Liga career, finding himself on championship teams and relegated losers. He is widely considered a tough as nails presence in the middle defense, who gets on the end of an occasional header for goal. Like most Red Bulls, he has played a central defensive midfield as well. And to top it all off, Ives reports that the Red Bulls have him on trial in Argentina.

Thats encouraging!

THE CENTRAL MIDFIELD

Not to undercut my next “Preseason Battles” edition, but the central defense for the Red Bulls could use some support, especially in the face of a season featuring so many miscellaneous games on schedule. Goldthwaite, Boyens and Petke will only take the team so far. The added veteran leadership of a tried and true big league veteran will only help stabilize the backlines; that is, if Celades continues to be in game shape.

Add this move onto the possible transfer of Pacheco, and you have the makings of an exciting (and short) lead up to the season.

So what are your thoughts now? Things looking better? Liking the mix or veterans and youth players? Or what?!

Let me know!

- Life Vest? Check. Hey, you may want to drown me.
- Bullet proof vest? Check. Because bullets are everywhere in Jersey and New York.
- Military boots? Check. In case I have to fight back.
- Now, where is my jockstrap? Oh, there it is. Check. And thats for the dirty fighters!

Ok. Now I am ready for you.

Trading Dave Van Den Bergh is not the end of the world. SBI reports that both DVB and Mike Magee are on the Red Bulls trading block, heading into the SuperDraft. And I say? So be it. Here is why.

We can start with the money issue. Once again, a year has passed with a very minimal change to the salary cap structure. Concessions were made by eliminating the reserves division, but that will cut into the prospective roster depth. Therefore, no matter what, the teams are still squeezing their wallets to get the best value.

Dave Van Den Bergh enjoyed a phenomenal season with the Bulls last year, and earned his place as the hardest working footballer on the pitch, week in and week out. He transformed himself from a 2007 after thought to a 2008 hero. His goals weren’t always the prettiest, but they were clutch. And his attitude on the pitch rubbed off well on the rest of the players.

But let’s face facts. A couple of thousand dollars can be the difference between bargaining power for a well skilled, fairly known South American player or a player with high risk, and possible low reward. It is the nature of MLS business; bargain shop, and get the best for your buck. The Red Bulls barely paid DVB half of his salary the past two seasons, with Kansas City supplying the funds for the rest. Suddenly, you are talking about a 100k+ hit on a cap that can not afford to waste space.

Not that an investment in DVB is a waste, but it is certainly money that can be spent elsewhere to further strengthen and reinforce a squad, rather than bringing in retreads to relive last years regular season nightmares. This team needs an infusion of new blood, without sacrificing the on the field product.

If DVB were to exit stage left towards FC Dallas, the Bulls have the luxury of a more than competant back up in Jorge Rojas, at half the price. The extra money can be put towards finding that missing piece that has been searched for since the Guevara days; a quality attacking midfielder. And with the market in its current shape, opportunities may arise to aquire quality at a bargain (look at Kansas City recently resigning Claudio Lopez as a NON – DP).

Now, the team made it to the finals last season, but please, don’t forget the futility that mired the season leading up to it. They were uninspired, for the most part, and over matched. Though making the Cup is an achievement, by no means does that make the team an immediate contender. Like the NFL in playoff season, the Red Bulls decimated opponents by getting hot at the right time. This doesn’t put them on the level of a Houston or New England, who are expected to be there. Red Bull has to make a deeper investment in their on the field product to achieve such a lofty status.

Can the team worsen without Van Den Bergh? Surely. Juan Pietravallo, though fairly difficult to judge as a late seson addition, did have his share of problems on the squad, and he is playing at a guarenteed 190k a year. But, in Van Den Berghs case, there are people who would be able to fill the spot with a fairly small adjustment period, a lower price tag and most importantly, a younger age range. He is almost at the middle of the wrong side of 30. Yes, he performed last year. Yes, we know the kind of impact he may have. But to make such a long term commitment at a pivitol offensive position makes this a tougher call than sentiment would dictate.

You know my stance, and I am fully armored . . . so . . . what do you feel? Is Van Den Bergh untouchable? Or is that an Angel Only status?

With Mendes secured into the fold, the Bulls have added to their CB options, which also include Kevin Goldthwaite, Andrew Boyens and Mike Petke. Goldthwaite is coming off of a career year, featuring play in the center and wings of the defense. Boyens, who took some early gruff for replacing the Bulls first round draft pick Eric Brunner, persevered as the year progressed, and became a valuable asset down the playoff stretch with defensive partner Diego Jimenez. And Petke, though a bit older than the rest of the boys, brings a veteran leadership to a squad that won’t have Jeff Parke to fill the roll anymore.

Even so, many Red Bull fans are clammoring for the signing of a stronger CB option. Recently, Ives bought up the fact that “Trader Mo’s” in Toronto is open for business come MLS Draft Day and may be looking to wheel and deal. With that comes the rumbling of options; can they pull off a trade with Toronto or more teams to find the answers to their needs? Or is the January transfer market just off to a slow start, and are other options right down the road?

I am in the camp that feels one more quality CB anchor would be a definite boost for this team. Goldthwaite is versatile and can adjust if necessary. Boyens was very promising and may show more of that this coming year. And Mendes is still a bit too short for Osorios model of the ideal CB, but he can also fill the roll of a defensive midfielder quite handily. The hope for many is a round about trade to secure Wilman Conde. But that is a pipe dream if there ever was one.

(*editors note: That being said, there has been no stronger a CB tandem for the Red Bulls over the past 3 years than Mendes and Jeff Parke)

Look at the open markets, look at the Bulls line up, and look at the needs of other teams out there; what are the realistic options to go after for CB? Do you feel that the Bulls can survive with the current CB options? Let me know what you think.

img credit: flickr.com

So I put it in your hands. And the response was the most highly one sided votes in “weekend poll”s short history. Overwhelmingly, Red Bull fans not only believe Dave needs to be resigned; they think its a top priority. 62% call him a top priority signing, while 34% feel he should be signed, just so long as it doesn’t spend the team out of contention. That is 96% of our overall readers, nearly unanimous in their outcry that Van Den Bergh must return. Wow. I should have just asked people if eating is necessary to life – would have gotten the same reply.

If his agent is looking for leverage, point him this way.

Dave Van Den Bergh is on the verge of that lovely age of 33 this coming season. It is an age of worry for many. But Red Bull fans see things differently. DVB has shown a tremendous growth and leadership the past two season, and players like Schelotto and Blanco will tell you, MLS is the fountain of youth for certain older players. It is possible that the Red Bulls lock into DVB for 2 years, and still reap the benefits of his skill, without incurring too much damage. And if you read into Ives analysis, it seems that he is looking for a similiar deal to his previous one.

All things considered, the readers and fans have spoken; Sign the Dutchie to the Red Bull Side!