Talk about a homecoming for Henry.  Amidst the Red Bulls struggles domestically, the Frenchman lead the first MLS team ever to compete in the annual tournament to a tie against his former club Arsenal in a gritty 1-1 draw.  After Joel Lindpere netted the lone goal in a win against PSG, New York was in position to take home the Emirates Cup trophy with just a tie needed against the English powerhouse.  And despite playing like pure dogshit against MLS competition, the Bulls rose to the occasion against superior opponents, taking it to PSG and Arsenal overseas.

While this tournament win will be seen Theirry’s time, let’s give credit where credit is due.  Not only did this team fly out to London just hours after the conclusion of the All Star game, but many then had to play two straight games without any reprieve.  Jan Gunnar Solli comes to mind as one of those grinders who went out and did his job despite the obvious fatigue that was setting in.  Much respect to those who put in 180 minutes over the two-day tourney.

Now the attention shifts back on the MLS schedule, with RSL on the tap.  When I was listening to the PSG-RBNY match, I heard the announcer say something about the Bulls winning just 12 of their last 88 road matches (correct me if I’m wrong).  Sounds about right, considering we didn’t win a match in all of ’09 away from the friendly confines of Giants Stadium.  New York are desperate for points, and there’s not much time left to do it.  Even with games at hand, New York are looking up in the Eastern standings.

Side note: I’ll be live blogging the match tonight, so stop by tonight about 8:45 and put your two cents in.

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Who is your MVP of the Emirates Cup?

Amongst all those missing were Dane Richards (Jamaica call-up), DPs Thierry Henry (hamstring) and Rafa Marquez (Mexico call-up), along with each of their respective partners on the pitch (Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream, both with Team USA).  This made the prospect of getting a win in Columbus all the more difficult, considering that the Crew haven’t lost a home opener since 2007.  But this new-look Crew team, bereft of the familiar veterans that once defined them, may just have been the opponent that New York could have hoped for given the circumstances.

Backe and company rolled into Columbus praying for a point, and that’s exactly what they got after a hard fought battle that saw the Red Bulls only mustering two shots to challenge Crew backstop Will Hesmer.  However, it was their defense, lead by the longest tenured Red Bull on the roster and team captain Carlos Mendes, that lead the way to the 0-0 result (go figure).  The Crew out possessed New York and had the majority of the match’s scoring opportunities, but the Red Bull’s “bend-but-don’t-break” mentality saw them through.  With last year’s starter Bouna Coundoul away with the Senegalese national team and last week’s starter Greg Sutton out with a concussion, New York turned to the newly-signed rookie Alex Horwath who came up big in his debut.  His calming presence in net helped to preserve the shut out, with a huge helping hand from the aforementioned Mendes.

Saturday’s match also marked the debuts for several Red Bulls.  Stephen Keel got the start at centerback and filled in admirably.  He cut off several crosses before they could become dangerous and stymied several attacks in the box.  Also getting his first minutes for New York for Luke Rodgers, who was deemed fit for the match.  Rodgers seemed out of sorts for portions of the game and even admitted that he didn’t feel quite himself.  The jury is still out on Rodgers for me, but I’d like to see why exactly Backe was so on high on him preseason.  Hopefully he can return to full fitness soon and begin contributing.  Without Henry and Agudelo, the forward line was in shambles.  Oh and note to Backe, “Never play Mehdi Ballouchy at forward.”  Boy, what a mistake.  He was constantly out of position, dropping down to the midfield to posses and distribute and never looked comfortable in his role as striker.  I really don’t understand why when asked, Backe has nothing but high praise for rookies Corey Hertzog and Tyler Lassister, but doesn’t feel either is ready for the starting 11 just yet, (Hertzog made a cameo appearance late in the game Saturday and was more effective than Ballouchy in his little time on the field, in my opinion).

Joel Lindpere and Teemu Tainio once again had solid games in the midfield, with Lindpere moving centrally and Danleigh Borman inserted on the left wing.  Even with all the injuries, the midfield that New York used on Saturday was effective, and I especially liked Tony Tchani and his ability to get forward (an opportunity he seldom gets in his new role as the holding midfielder).  He was able to use his size and speed to create problems for the Crew defense at times and had one of the two shots on goal for the Red Bulls.  Even though New York failed to find the back of the net, they managed to walk away with a point with a lineup that barely resembled the one from just a week ago.  Does that say more about New York’s depth or the Crew’s ineptitude?  Given the fact that there will be more instances of international call-ups and injures, we may soon see a similar situation to Saturday’s.  How would line up the Red Bulls if you were Hans Backe and the same players were available to you?  Let me know down below.

P.S. How bout that Agudelo kid?  He’s making it hard for people like me to quiet the hype around him.  Three appearances with team USA, two goals.  Quite simply, he has a nose for the net, and the best is yet to come.  That being said, please, PLEASE, don’t get too excited about Agudelo’s success.  Although it’s amazing what he’s accomplished so far, he still has a ways to go.  US keeper Tim Howard reminded everyone of that very sentiment after the game.  Luckily, Agudelo seems to have a good head on his shoulders.  He’s taking it one step at a time and not letting his triumphs go to his head, just as we all as fans should do, as well.

What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Columbus?online survey

Well, it looks like Backe’s decision to make Thierry Henry the next Red Bulls captain is official.  After seeing Henry wear the armband in Wednesday’s friendly against Atlante, there was some speculation as to whether the decision would be carry over into the regular season.  This one definitely took my by surprise.  We all know that Henry is the most recognizable name on the roster and one of the greatest players of all time, but does that make him fit to lead this club?  I’m not so sure.

Now, this isn’t to say that I don’t think the Frenchman won’t be a good leader, because only the coaches and players out there on the pitch can make that call.  However, I do know that there were also some other deserving candidates that Backe passed up on.  For instance, Carlos Mendes, the most tenured Red Bull on the squad seemed like he would be a good fit.  However, he may not even be in the starting 11 this year, so it’s understandable that he wasn’t chosen to wear the armband.  The one person that I thought would be the best fit for team captain was Joel Lindpere, and apparently you all did too.  About two months ago, I put up a poll asking the very question of who would make the best captain, and Lindpere won in convincing fashion, taking in a little more than 46% of the vote.  Henry, on the other hand, received just 13 votes, good for 16.25%.

Although he is relatively new to the club, Henry has plenty of experience with captaincy, wearing the armband for both club and country (Arsenal and France).  In fairness, those are two names that are hardly anything to sneeze at.  Although this move comes as a surprise to me, I don’t think that this will be as much of a problem as it was when David Beckham took over captaincy for the Galaxy in 2007.  In that case, Beckham supplanted Landon Donovan as captain, causing some controversy within the team.  In New York, there was no clear successor to Juan Pablo Angel’s captaincy, so I don’t foresee too much uproar about this move.  What do you think about Henry being New York’s next captain?  Leave a comment below.

Was Making Henry the Next NYRB Captain the Right Call?Market Research

I just got a look at a few of the highlights from last night’s match, and my first reaction was, “Damn, we have the best back up keeper in the league.”  Greg Sutton was playing out of his mind in the second half making some huge saves including a double save of a close shot and the impending bicycle kick.  However, this did lead my to question whether we can expect to see Sutton in NY much longer.  With the Red Bulls now carrying three keepers, does this make the Canadian backstop expendable, and valuable trade bait?  Personally, I think it’s important to have someone of Sutton’s caliber as a back up, and it also pushes Bouna Coundoul to be at his best at all times, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

I liked what I saw and I can’t wait ‘til I can actually see them in person.  Backe said he was impressed with the defensive effort and I’d be inclined to agree, especially with the young unit that was sent out in the second half.  They seemed to play well off of each other, despite playing together for a relatively short amount of time.  You can read my immediate reaction and recap here.  What do you guys think?  Do you like what you’ve seen so far?  Lemme know in the comments.

P.S. MLS just released the 2011 schedules, go check it out!

No, not them. As the offseason winds down, the Red Bulls have undergone quite a facelift. New York has added plenty of new faces and parted with some old ones as well. With all these changes, the question on many fan’s minds is, “How will Hans Backe make it all work?”

First things first, the Red Bulls have officially signed long sought after striker, Luke Rodgers from Notts County in England.  The move brings New York’s tally up to seven forwards.  While this does give Backe great depth, there still remains the question of who will get the bulk of playing time.  Without question, Thierry Henry is guaranteed a starting position, pending his health that is.  However, his strike partner has yet to be determined.  The addition of Rodgers makes things interesting, adding yet another quality name into the mix of potential partners for Henry.  Many fans were calling for the insertion of 18-year-old Juan Agudelo into the starting 11, fresh off another great performance for the U.S. National Team.  However, Backe and Soler seem to be taking a more cautious approach with their young star.  Although there’s no doubt about his potential, Backe wants to be careful not to throw him into the fire just yet.  The other options at forward would be Salou Ibrahim, Corey Hertzog, Conor Chinn, and Giorgi Chirgadze.  Ibrahim looks like he is likely on his way out, and the remaining three are young and unproven players.  If Backe were looking to go that route, he’d certainly place Agudelo at the top of that list.  So it seems Rodgers will have a pretty good chance of staring the season up top with Henry.  Backe himself stated of Rodgers, “He’s definitely a higher striker, he’s not a target [forward].  I really hope that he will be a regular starting player.”  Seems as though he’s already made up his mind.  Question is, what strike tandem will have the best chance of replacing the goal-scoring prowess of Juan Pablo Angel?

Moving on to the midfield, the pitch seems just as cluttered.  New York added four new players in the offseason: John Rooney, Matt Kassel, Marcos Paullo, and Jan Gunnar Solli.  Departures from the midfield position included Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Seth Stammler, and Luke Sassano. I’m interested to see how all the midfielders get incorporated into the mix.  If I had to guess, I’d say that Solli has the only real chance of winning a spot in the starting 11.  There was already enough of a problem last year when Mehdi Ballouchy joined the club, sending Tony Tchani to the bench.  Of course, all this is contingent upon whether Soler can manage to pick up a top-of-the-line center back or not.  Soler and Backe have expressed their interest in bolstering up the backline.  If the Red Bulls were to pick up another center back, this would leave Rafa Marquez free to play the holding midfielder position as he did last year.  If not, it seems that Backe will place Marquez alongside U.S. National Team defender Tim Ream.  With all these possible combinations across the pitch, Backe will have to make a decision as to what formation will work best based on his players strengths and weaknesses.

Well, we still have quite a few questions yet to be answered.  Hopefully, all of them will be answered over the course of training camp and before the season’s first game (just secured my tickets for opening day, booya).  Let me know what you think about this roster situation in the comments.

Where Would You Rather Have Rafa Marquez Play?online surveys

I’m not exactly sure if I’m breaking this story (although I haven’t seen it reported on any other site as of now), but Matt Kassel has signed with New York.  According to a Facebook status update, Kassel states, “It was fun Maryland but New York Red Bulls it is!!! ..thanks for all the support everyone.”  Kassel, an academy product, had intended to leave the University of Maryland after his junior year for some time now, but it seems it has just now become official.  Kassel was a leader on a Terps team that earned a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament, scoring 9 goals to go along with his team-high 11 assists.  He is the type of two-way midfielder New York could use after the departure of (fellow-Terp) Seth Stammler.  Oh, and in case you couldn’t already tell, I’m a Terp too.  So there you have it, Kassel is the newest addition to the Red Bulls.  Who says Facebook is a waste of time?

MLS has undergone a pretty drastic transformation right before our very eyes this offseason, one that has left me asking, “Where have all the stars gone?” alla Hershey’s Cookies and Cream commercials circa 1998.  Many of the league’s big name stars have hit the road for various reasons, leaving behind an opportunity for many of the leagues budding young talents to take their place.  Players such as Juan Agudelo and Fredy Montero will have a golden opportunity to further their growth and become bonafide stars in the MLS.  But let’s take a look at the damage so far, shall we?

Now, instead of trying to put all these names into a poetic paragraph, here’s a list I compiled of big name (though not necessarily at the top of their game) players that are no longer in MLS:

• Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)
• Freddie Ljungberg (CHI)
• Nery Castillo (CHI)
• Brian McBride (CHI)
• Robbie Findley (RSL)
• Edson Buddle (LA)
• Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)
• Jaime Moreno (DC)
• Taylor Twellman (NE)

Robbie Findley and Edson Buddle will be taking their talents to second division teams in Europe, good career moves? Yikes, cheers gentlemen.

Remember what a big deal was made last year about the second meeting between the Red Bulls and Fire? 5 DPs on the pitch for the first time ever (that ironically never happened courtesy of Thierry Henry’s injury)?  Well, that same meeting today would feature but two, Henry and Rafa Marquez.  Whether you liked them or not, these names were the main attraction for their respective teams and, in some respect, for the league.  This is a list that consists of Designated Players, National team stars, All-Stars, League MVPs, and all-time leading goal scorers.  Now that the league is left bereft of all these big names, it will be interesting to see who steps up to take the spotlight.

And in a story that fits in with the theme of stars on the move, Juan Pablo Angel is officially a member of the LA Galaxy.  The stake has finally been plunged through the collective heart of Red Bull nation after being on life support for the few months.  JPA became the final piece to the DP trio in LA, that features Landon Donovan and David Beckham.  The only question now is, “How much does he have left in the tank?”  After being signed Angel had this to say about NY, classy as usual: “I want to take this opportunity to show my appreciation for the Red Bull supporters, me and my family will always be grateful for the love and support they gave us. I also want to thank the organization for allowing me to be part of their club. I spent four great years in New York and I will remember my time there fondly.”  I’m really interested to see how he fares with his new team and wish him nothing but the best.  Hopefully, I’ll be on hand at RBA when he makes his triumphant return.  Until then, one final salute to perhaps the greatest Red Bull to put on the uniform.

The SuperDraft has come and gone once again and this year’s edition certainly had its share of head turning moves and picks.

The Red Bulls came into the draft with four selections and came away with four fresh faces that could signal quite a bit of change throughout the organization.  With their first pick at the #13 slot, NYRB selected forward Corey Hertzog from Penn State.  As I was watching the draft at home, I couldn’t help but be surprised by this pick.  With the recent additions of Jan Gunnar Solli and Luke Rodgers, both attacking minded players, it seemed almost a given that New York would look to bolster up the backline through the draft.  Instead, Soler and the rest of management went with what seemed like the best player available on the board.  Hertzog was the NCAA’s leading scorer last year and helped take Penn State to the second round of the NCAA tournament where they lost to Maryland.  Even with the departure of JPA, the Red Bulls are faced with a large abundance at the forward position.  This could likely spell the end of days for striker Salou Ibrahim.  Backe seems very high on Hertzog, claiming that he may place him on the wing wide right.

With their second round pick, 25^th overall, the Red Bulls made perhaps the most surprising move of the draft, selecting 20-year-old John Rooney.  I’m still very much on the fence with this pick.  Backe and Soler seemed impressed with Rooney at the combine where he patrolled the center midfield in, of course, an attacking role.  On the other hand, I’m not so sure this move isn’t anything more than a marketing ploy to get another big name in New York.  While no one is expecting Wayne-type talent, it will be almost impossible for him to remove himself from his brother’s shadow.  Rooney described himself as “…a player who likes getting on the ball and trying to make stuff happen.”  Backe said that he was surprised that New York had the opportunity to pick Rooney as low as the 25^th pick, as he believed that Rooney was one of the top 3 midfielders at the combine.  I’m interested to see just what kind of role he plays with the Red Bulls this season.

New York finally made a move for a defender with their third pick selecting North Carolina State’s Tyler Lassiter.  GM Erik Soler has high expectations for Lassiter stating, “Lassiter is a junior Tim Ream for me. He’s got a good left foot, good reading of the game, he’s orientated, he’s got good passing and he does the same mistakes Tim Ream does: Plays it too short sometimes, gambles a little bit,” Soler said. “So we think it’s exciting. We’ll see if we can create another good story with him.’’  Quite a label to put on a kid fresh out of college, but if truly is the next Tim Ream, the Red Bulls will be in good shape for years to come.  The Red Bulls last pick was used to select University of Maryland midfielder Billy Cortes.  Although he played midfield throughout his college career, Backe plans on having Cortes compete with Chris Albright.  Expect Cortes to play a similar role to the recently departed Jeremy Hall as a wing-back.

Overall, it will certainly be interesting to see how all these draft picks pan out for the Red Bulls this year.  The Red Bulls had a better than average draft and hopefully all these moves work out.  All I know now is that Red Bull Arena will host a team that boasts Henry, Marquez, and Rooney.  This season is fast approaching Red Bulls fans, strap in for a fun ride.

Which Draft Pick do You Expect to Have the Best Career?Market Research

A sight we'll never see again... JPA entering RBA as a Red Bull.

Today, the LA Galaxy traded up for the 5^th pick in the MLS Re-Entry Draft to select Red Bulls legend Juan Pablo Angel.  This officially completes his move away from Red Bull Arena.  All New York fans will sorely miss Angel in more ways than one.  I could talk at length as to what Angel has meant to this franchise, but there isn’t anything that hasn’t already been said before.  No one can put into words the impact he’s had for this franchise, and Major League Soccer as well.  Lost in the midst of this pickup is the effect it will have on the Galaxy, who suddenly become perhaps the most potent attacking team in the league.  With 2010 Golden Boot Runner-Up Edson Buddle to partner with Angel, along with DP’s David Beckham and Landon Donovan, the 2010 Supporters’ Shield winners will certainly be one of the most feared teams in the league once again.

The Galaxy also snatched up former Red Bulls Luke Sassano to strengthen their midfield and add depth to their bench.  Sassano, who logged just 120 minutes in 2010, will most likely be remembered for his red card in San Jose early in the season, which lead to a 4-0 defeat.  However, he was a serviceable midfielder that did his job when called upon.  Among the other moves in the MLS include the legendary Jeff Cunningham returning to the team that drafted him in 1998, the Columbus Crew.  This is a big addition with Columbus already having lost their talisman Guillermo Barros Schelotto.  The first pick in the draft belonged to D.C. United, who selected MLS and World Cup veteran Josh Wolff.  Another former USMNT veteran on the move was former Crew defender Frankie Hejduk who was selected by Sporting Kansas City (still haven’t gotten used to that new abomination of a team name).

Overall, it was a day of full of surprises and moves, but none bigger than the loss of JPA.  As one of his biggest fans, I wish him nothing but the best of luck in the future.  All New York fans owe Angel much gratitude and it’s a shame that he wasn’t able to win and MLS title with the Red Bulls.  Here’s a video of Angel thanking the fans for all the support he’s received over the years.  Thank you Juan Pablo Angel, forever a Red Bull.

Red Bulls Reader also made a compilation of JPA’s goals over the years. Enjoy.

Man oh man, what a few weeks it’s been.  Apologies for the brief hiatus but the finals crunch has proved pretty time consuming.  So I figured now would be as good a time as any to introduce a new segment called “In case you’ve been living under a rock…” where I’ll run through all the top events that I’ve missed since my last post.  Now let’s get to it:

• The Colorado Rapids took home the MLS Cup beating FC Dallas 2-1, and who else but former Red Bull Macoumba Kandji proved to be the difference.  His late entrance to the game sparked the offense and his shot was deflected in for the own goal winner… open hand, apply to face, shake head, repeat.
• Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo made their USMNT debuts in Cape Town as they took on South Africa.  Ream got the nod in the starting 11 and played very solidly in his first cap.  17-year-old Agudelo was entered the game on a late substitution, and scored the game’s only goal.  Great day for the Red Bulls and US Soccer…
• …followed by a miserable day for US Soccer, as Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, a head scratcher to say the least.  Many have cried foul citing that FIFA is a corrupt organization.  While I’m not sure how much truth there is to that claim, it’s pretty certain that this was a deflating day for our nation.
• The expansion draft came and went, and NYRB were completely unscathed as both Portland and Vancouver passed up on all New York players.
• But that’s not to say New York hasn’t lost any players since the last day of the 2010 season.  The Red Bulls are no longer associated with Luke Sassano, Carey Talley, and yes, in case you haven’t heard, this guy named Juan Pablo Angel as they all entered the MLS Re-Entry Draft.  The reality of his departure has just recently set in for me.  The Red Bulls will be without their most prolific goal scorer and their skipper, leaving the question of “who will wear the armband next season?” (You can read more about my thoughts on JPA here)
• Another player no longer in New York is defender/midfielder Jeremy Hall.  The Portland Timbers received hall in exchange for a 3^rd round Superdraft pick.  As a personal fan of Hall (and fellow Terp) I think this was a pretty poor move by management.  Although Hall and an injured plagued 2010 campaign, he showed real promise playing on the flanks as a midfielder.  At the very least, New York could have done better than a mere 3^rd round pick for Hall’s talents, a Generation Adidas player.
• In other international news, midfielder Dane Richards continued his exceptional form for his national side of Jamaica scoring three goals over a five game span in the 2010 Caribbean Championship.  Hopefully, this is an indicator that his form over the latter half of the 2010 MLS season was not just a hot streak, but rather a turn for the better in Richards’ career.

Phew, I think that just about covers everything.  Hopefully we won’t be seeing this segment too often in the future, but you never know.  If I missed anything that you want me to talk about, let me know in the comments, I love hearing your thoughts.  Cheers and Happy Holidays.

P.S. Check out my info page by clicking my name at the beginning of my posts (or right here).  Personal and contact info enclosed for anyone interested.

Who Should Be the Red Bulls Captain in 2011?Market Research

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