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

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 brand is expanding.

Anyhow, I want to jump into this as quickly as possible, and update everyone on the goings on around Red Bull land. So here goes . . .

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- ESPN DEPORTES REPORTS RAFA MARQUEZ SIGNS WITH RBNY. Add ESPN Deportes to the growing list of sites touting the signing of the Mexican captain. Rafa Marquez has been given the opportunity to transfer out of Barcelona for free, but only to the New York Red Bulls. Talk about connections! This caveat in negotiations has seemingly allowed the Bulls to wrap up the star centerback/defensive midfielder to a three year contract worth somewhere in the vicinity of $2.5-3 million per year. According to the article, the announcement may take place as early as this Friday. As has been the case the past few weeks, nothing is concrete as of yet, but I’ll keep you abreast of situations as I hear them.

- BTW . . . did my source not say two weeks? Just sayin’ . . .

- BOLTON And BLACKPOOL SHOW INTEREST IN KANDJI - Who says nothing good comes out of these friendlies? Macoumba Kandji has spent the past two seasons struggling through injuries and mismanagement. Before that, he was one of the hottest forward prospects in the American market. After two outstanding performances against Man City and Tottenham, it looks like Kandji has garnered some overseas attention. According to The Sun (yes, I know), Bolton and Blackpool are keeping tabs on the Senagalese big man. Let’s see where that one goes . . .

- JOHN WOLYNIEC. The inevitable took place early this week. Woly will no longer be a part of the Red Bulls roster, but he may still be around the team. In a move that is earning much praise throughout the fan base, the Red Bulls organization have offered Wolyniec a coaching position to stay with the team. Wolyniec has yet to respond, but the simple gesture of making the offer to the New York native and Red Bull fan favorite is earning the team high praise in a season where they seem to be doing just about everything right.

- LOS ANGELES GALAXY GAME AT RED BULL ARENA = SOLD OUT . . . and without Beckham to boot! Imagine that!

- I WAS ON THE RADIO . . . IN EDMONTON - Canada is going soccer crazy. Naturally, they are looking for boots-on-the-ground insights on Thierry Henry and his impact to the team. So, Jim Kerr of i880 reached out and I was his featured guest. I’ll post the interview as soon as I get it in my grubby hands.

- JUAN PABLO ANGEL, ALL STAR. Bruce Arena will be seeing a familiar face on the pitch; Juan Pablo Angel. Though he was not named to the original starting XI, Angel will be featured in this game against Manchester United in Houston. Check out the festivities tonight on ESPN2 at 8:30pm.

- “FRIENDLY” DANE RICHARDS . . . is my new nickname for our favorite Jamaican! If you want to know why, tune into Episode 21 of Seeing Red! tomorrow night. Until then, enjoy anyone of our 20 current episodes on iTunes! Subscribe and stay informed.

- FINALLY, THE OBLIGATORY HENRY STUFF . . . you have to check out this video. Matchday 360 by MLSSoccer.com. Epic.

First of all, much love and thanks to every single person who has supported the Seeing Red! podcast, whether a long term listener or a casual first timer. Taking a look at the roster of guests the past few months, from Erik Stover to Nick Zimmerman, Ives Galarcep to Shep Messing, Jeremy Hall to Tim Ream and so many others, we could not have asked for a better start. And of course, we could have never done it without you.

Carlos Mendes joins this weeks show, as we talk a little Thierry Henry, Columbus Crew, Barclays Challenge, we answer e-mails and give out some prizes!!

Click here for the show! And subscribe to us on iTunes!

Here is the latest tweet from the Juan Pablo Angel, reporting from the Bahamas:

What I would have paid to have him kick a set piece sea shell straight into this kids mouth . . . I mean, if Bieber can be owned by a revolving door, imagine what a beach ball could do!?

With even the front office perpetrating these rumors, can Henry be that far behind? Share your thoughts.

This weeks poll question is a straight forward affair; which reserve player has earned himself playing time in the starting XI?

The choices range from the inspired play of rookies like Irving Garcia to the finishing ability of old reliable assets like John Wolyniec. And as always, I leave their fate in your hands. Have your vote and take below.

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WHICH RESERVE STANDOUT HAS MOST EARNED A STARTING XI SPOT?online survey

Here are today’s news updates and tidbits.

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- TODAY’S THIERRY HENRY UPDATE: So here is the latest. On Barcelona’s official website, Barcelona President Joan LaPorta (who I sorta interviewed a few years ago . . . along with Thierry Henry … if you want to call it that!) stated “We are working on this and will try and reach an agreement that suits both the club and the player” referring to Henry’s move to MLS. This is by far the best and clearest indicator that Henry would be on his way.

Kudos to Brian Lewis at the NY Post for the find.

- RED BULLS CONTINUE THE BRAZILUGUESE PUSH, WITH A FRIENDLY AGAINST CRUZEIRO – Why couldn’t the Ironbound be an Argie hotbed of soccer? I would take a Godoy Cruz clash at this point. But alas, it is what it is, and the Bulls are doing what they must to lure in the local community. And once again, they are dipping into one of the more popular Brazilian teams to fill the bill. Cruizero is a team rich in history, and with a deeply dedicated fan base throughout the Portuguese speaking community. Scheduled for JUNE 18th at 8PM, it will be the perfect cure for the World Cup break. Catch the USMNT in the morning, and end the day with a romp of live soccer, right in your backyard. Contact (877) RBSOCCER for ticket information or visit REDBULLSREADER.COM.

- SCHELOTTO OUT FOR THE CREW CLASH: For as much as I enjoy watching the local team succeed, one of the highlights of the season for me is when Boca legend Guillermo Barros Schelotto takes the pitch in New York. Well, that isn’t happening this week, thanks to a nasty elbow by the former Xeneize to the jaw of Chivas USA defender Michael Umana which has earned him a league suspension.

What does this mean? I’ll let Lloyd Christmas say it for me . . .

- JUVENTUS BRINGING THE BIG GUNS . . . Alessandro Del Piero. David Trezeguet. Diego. Juve is bringing in the big guns for the May 23rd friendly against the Red Bulls. Do you have your tickets yet? Once again, contact (877) RBSOCCER for yours today!

- SHEP MESSINGS NEW FEATURE: Local legend and Seeing Red! guest Shep Messing will be putting his no-filter thoughts on paper in a brand new feature to NewYorkRedBulls.com – SHEP UNLEASHED! Shep never holds back, so make sure to give him a read every week. That is, until someone puts the kabbash on his work!

- SEEING RED! IS RECORDING . . . so start sending your e-mails to seeingredny@gmail.com for your chance to win a $25 gift cert. to Prem. Soccer Shop.

- AND A FINAL TEASE . . . you will never believe who I will be eating with for my birthday. RBNY fans will have quite a laugh when the pics go up. Just sayin’ . . .

Will the team meet expectations?

Here is your 2010 season preview:

Knuts and Bolts

It has been an offseason of change for the Red Bulls organization. After suffering a regretably memorable 5-19-6 season, the Austrian Overlords felt that it was time to start anew. So in came Erik Soler, a European player agent and former shareholder at IK Start of the Norwegian league. Reknown for his business sense, the franchise put all trust into Soler to turn the ship around. He brought in Hans Backe, who was in the running to be the next Swedish National Team boss. And the facelift began.

Since then, they have signed a solid left back in Roy Miller, an attacking midfielder in Joel Lindpere, a veteran bedrock in Carl Robinson, an injured defender with upside in Chris Albright and a threatening forward option in Ibrahim Salou. Those signings, along with a very promising draft, the acquisition of homegrown player John Agudelo and the opening of their new home has Red Bull fans looking towards 2010 with a minute sense of optimism.

Yes. Optimism. After a 5 win season. Imagine that!

Last season . . .

From the suites to the streets my friends. Last year was an absolute let down following the Bulls valiant, gutsy march toward the MLS Cup in 2008. And that is what makes this season a large question mark for many, and rightfully so.

Top Three Goners

1. Juan Carlos Osorio.

The former Manchester City trainer and current head coach of Once Caldas of the Colombian league, Juan Carlos Osorio lived an enigmatic career with the Bulls. Lured away from Chicago, “The Professor” was heralded as a savior to a franchise that was aching to turn the corner. Once with the team, he was able to lead the Bulls to the MLS Cup for the first time in its history. Then, 2009 happened. Before the season was over, Richie Williams would be guiding (and righting) the ship while Osorio saw the door about as quickly as he was let in.

2. Jorge Rojas

Much like Osorio, the Venezuelan international came to the team with a heap of expectations on his shoulders. The career leftback was converted to an attacking central midfielder. Why? No one knows. The results were disasterous. Often, it would be Rojas defensive instincts and retreat mentallity that would stimy an attack at it’s most vital point. It was a failed experiment from the start.

3. Albert Celades

Along with Jon Wolyniec, Mike Petke and Andrew Boyens, Albert Celades never quit on the season. He was a midfield motor when no one cared. He made a positive contribution to the team when positivity seemed dead and buried. The Spaniard declared his retirement after enjoying a solid run towards the end of the season. He came out of retirement shortly after to sign with a low level Chinese squad, which happened to be signing a slew of his friends. That’s life.

Top Three Additions

1. Joel Lindpere

The Estonian seems like the right fit to find Juan Pablo up top; he has been doing so all preseason. Lindpere’s performance will be a determining factor in the success of the Red Bulls midfield this season.

2. Roy Miller

Good size, excellent ball control, and a propensity to move the ball up with dashing runs, well thought out overlaps and brave crosses, Miller will add a dangerous dimension to the Bulls defense and attack.

3. Carl Robinson

Carl Robinson can be one of the best acquisitions this team has made in a long time or a gamble turned awry. Robbo33 is a physical presence in the midfield with a distributors touch. The problem is his propensity for injury. Granted, that was on the hard as granite pitch in Canada, which RBNY fans can definitely relate to. We shall see how a real surface plays to his game. Can Robinson find comfort in his New York stay? If he can, he will be a vital cog in this teams midfield stability.

Three Players To Watch

1. Joel Lindpere – Is he the central attacking midfield option this team has been lookiing for? Or will he be shifted to his natural left mid position in favor of another, more potent option?

2. Macoumba Kandji - Can this be the breakout season Red Bull fans have been waiting to see from the Senegalese Gazelle? He will have every opportunity to succeed, but he better watch his back; new signing Ibrahim Salou will be breathing down his neck.

3. Tim Ream – From Erik Soler and Hans Backe to the fans themselves, Tim Ream has been the name at Red Bull camp. The young centerback is composed, collected and displays loads of talent on the ball. Can he be the defensive anchor long sought by this team since the departure of Jeff Parke?

Three Questions Heading Into The New Season

1. Are the Red Bulls a playoff contending side?

2. Who will be manning the left wing?

3. Will Thierry Henry be the Bulls 2nd DP?

Red Bull will win everything if . . .

. . . they get off to a hot start, taking advantage of a rather forgiving first few weeks in the schedule, and do the same at the end of the season with their home stand in October, coupled with a continued concentration on box to box defending and organization, the acquisition or internal development of an effective and distributive left mid and CAM combo and perhaps the signing of a world reknown French striker. Doesn’t sound so bad, right?!

Red Bull will crash and burn if . . .

. . . they fail to make Red Bull Arena a difficult place for the opposition to play in. Why? They proved last season that the road was absolutely no friend to them, being unable to record a single away victory all season. If they do not find a certain equilibrium in their performance, they will sink.

Projected Lineup:

4-1-3-2 (modified 4-4-2)

——-Angel—Kandji——-
da Luz—Lindpere—Richards
———Robinson———–
Miller—-Petke-Ream—-Hall
———Coundoul———-

Prediction:

People are underrating the Bulls this season, and that bodes well for a team whom, historically speaking, does best when expectations are low (and vice versa!).

Surely, teams have gotten better over the offseason, but parity rules supreme in MLS, and that will work in Red Bulls favor. Teams like DC have gone through many changes this offseason and still have huge question marks. The Chicago Fire releasing Jon Busch leaves a gaping hole at GK, no matter if the organization claims they were pushing Andrew Dykstra as the starter the entire offseason. New England will always be tough under Nicols, but are they that much more improved? The same goes for TFC under Preki. And Philly? After last nights loss to the Sounders, they seem to be a gimme for league bottom dwellar.

The Bulls, with just under three months of preperation, have gotten a head start on everyone, with players building familiarity and chemistry in an extended “winter/spring training.” If they come out to a fast start, and sustain that start, they should finish top three in the division.

Record: 13-9-8
Finish: Semifinal exit.

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Follow me, as always, on Twitter.
www.twitter.com/daveredbulls

Wow. What a sentence.

The magic is still in the air, as the Bulls prepare for their first regular season action in the new digs against long time rivals, the Chicago Fire. The opponent is much improved, and have reunited one of my favorite Fulham striker duos of Brian McBride and Collins John. But thanks to recent releases, they aren’t so invincible anymore.

Let’s dive into some of the shtuff going on this week:

- INJURY REPORT: Dane Richards and Carl Robinson are both questionable for Saturday’s season opener. Richards tweeked his hamstring, and Robinson described his injury as a “knock” on the knee. Both were taken out for precautionary reasons.

- BUT . . . Juan Pablo Angel is projected to be ready.

- SEEING RED! is up and running! We review the opener, take a look at Chicago, announce new winners in our reader mail segment, and interview New York Times veteran soccer writer Jack Bell! Take a listen by clicking this link!

- SEASON PREVIEW: Coming tomorrow! Every year I have been here (except 2007), I have offered my season preview on the Bulls. Admittedly, they aren’t always “spot on.” 2008’s preview saw me predicting a 12-11-7 record. They ended up 10-11-9. Of course, I predicted a repeat to the MLS Cup final in 2009, only to see the team collect a lowly five wins. Hit and miss baby.

- THIERRY HENRY continues to be rumored as a summer transfer to the Bulls. As is Raul. Jack Bell doesn’t see this happening. Do you?

- THE CHICAGO FIRE . . . are remodeled, restructured, and reinforced. But cutting Jon Busch and reying on two young, inexperienced keepers to bring you success heading into the season is a tough expectation to achieve, regardless of the talent in front of them. Sean Johnson is a rookie, and expected starter Andrew Dykstra has limited MLS experience at best. Of course, debutante Coach Carlos De Los Cobos is going to be looking to escape with at least a point on his MLS debut, and the Fire are more than equiped to stop even the strongest attacks. But will that defense do enough to compensate for a green keeper? That will be key.

- JOHN AGUDELO. I wish I knew what the hold up was, but if I was a betting man, I am sure the CBA had something to do with it. With the Fire game right around the corner, you would have to wonder when this kids future will be cemented.

- ESPNZONE AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: March 24th at 7pm, the ESPNZONE in the city brings you its annual Red Bull autograph signing event. Years past have included names ranging from Jozy Altidore to David Roth (how is that for a throw back?!). This year, the Bulls present Bouna Coundoul, Joel Lindpere, Carl Robinson and Greg Sutton. And the first 50 fans who buy a game card worth $25 or more will receive an regulation size, Red Bulls soccer ball! That in itself is worth the trek!

This is always a fun event, in an intimate atmosphere. I highly suggest you head on out and meet some of the guys.

- DANE RICHARDS. What a strike. I am sorry. I can’t get over that one.

www.twitter.com/daveredbulls