.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

First and foremost, does a good coach fit his players around a set formation or his formation based on his players’ skill set?  The latter seems to be the obvious answer; whether Backe will do the same is very much up in the air.  While there are currently trialists down in Mexico (who may or may not make the opening day roster), here is how the team looks to date:

Photo Courtesy of Metrofanatic.com

Does this team lend itself to a 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-1-2-1-2, 4-2-3-1, etc.?  Arguments could be made for a number of different possibilities, but I think a 4-3-3 would work best.  Aside from it being one of my favorite formations to use in FIFA 12, the amount of firepower New York has up front would seem to work well in the attack-minded formation, on paper that is.  Here’s how I would roll out my starting XI, for what it’s worth:

Vuolo

Solli, Holgersson, Conde, Miller

Marquez, Tainio, Lindpere

Richards, Rodgers, Henry

In a perfect world, Thierry Henry would have the flexibility to drift back into the midfield and collect the ball, allowing him to play distributor when the game dictates.  The pace of Dane Richards on the right flank speaks for itself.  Although Lindpere could be deployed at left wing, I think he’d be most effective running the game from a deeper midfield position.  His relentless work rate paired with the tackling ability of Tainio and the distribution skill of Marquez would be a great combination.  Coming off the bench, Backe would have the option to deploy Juan Agudelo virtually anywhere in the front three, and Kenny Cooper would be available to slide in for Luke.  With the likes of Dax, Mehdi, and possibly Pallson as central midfield subs, the long sought after depth for New York could finally become a reality.

What do you think?  Different formation? Different starting XI?  Lemme know down below or on Facebook or Twitter.

What formation do you think suits the Red Bulls best?

Soler Swag for days

After what can only be described as a highly disappointing season in 2011, the Red Bulls, and more importantly their front office, certainly had their work cut out for them.  A roster filled with so much talent but woefully underachieved had to be revamped somehow.  And it was Erik Soler’s job to fit together the right pieces to assert New York as a top team once again.  So obviously selling Tim Ream was the logical next step… Wait, what?

So yeah, we’re down an MLS All-Star at center back, but have no fear, in Soler we trust.  Now remember, the centerback tandem that Backe rolled with for most of the 2011 season featured Ream alongside everyone’s favorite DP, Rafa Marquez.  However, it’s been well documented that Backe plans on featuring the beleaguered Mexican international in the midfield (causing a bit of a discussion as to personnel at CM and possible formations, but that’s a topic for another day.  What that essentially meant to Mr. Soler was that, lest he start Stephen Keel and Sacir Hot at center back on opening day, two more defenders were certainly on the Red Bulls wish list during the offseason.

The first pick up came from, where else, Scandinavia.  The country of choice this time?  Backe’s homeland of Sweden.  Enter Markus Holgersson.  I’m pretty sure his job is just to be tall… and I think he’ll be pretty good at that.  The 6’ 2” Holgersson could prove to be a useful target for Red Bull set pieces, and perhaps more importantly, a stalwart on preventing set piece goals on the other end.  And we all know how that went last year.

The second piece of the center back puzzle came in the form of Wilman Conde.  Yeah, remember him?  He was with the Fiiiii-yerrr from 2007-10 and an MLS Best XI defender in ’09.  Everyone’s favorite tactician, JCO, brought him to MLS in ’07 and was rumored to make the switch to NY along with Osorio, but the deal never quite happened.  Now he’s finally here, but which Conde will New York be getting?  If healthy and at the top of his game, there’s no question he’d be critical piece in helping to solidify a leaky Red Bulls’ defense.  Color me skeptical.  I don’t know how healthy Conde will be nor his form, as he was not at his best last season in Mexico with Atlas.  His play will go a long way to easing the pain of losing Ream to the Bolton Wanderers, or exacerbating it.

As for the 2012 SuperDraft, Soler continued to place little value in picking up up-and-coming college prospects as exemplified by trading yet another pick.  This time, Soler got some insurance on the forward line after making a deal with Portland for Kenny Cooper.  Cooper scored 8 goals in 34 appearances for the Timbers last season, but apparently Backe thinks his was mismanaged by John Spencer and that he will be much more effective in New York’s system.  Backe claimed that Cooper was signed due to an uncertainty that Luke Rodgers and/or Juan Agudelo would return for the 2012 season (visa issues and transfer speculation, respectively).  Now, the Red Bulls have a plethora of attacking options that allows for plenty of variability in formation and personnel choices, as stated earlier.  Without the Gold Cup this year, Backe should have plenty of weapons at his disposal (safe from any injuries, or his own disdain of substitutions).

What do you think of Soler’s moves this offseason? Net positive or net negative?  Is this team ready to compete with the MLS elite for an MLS title?  Lemme know down below, or on Facebook or Twitter.

What grade would you give Soler’s moves thus far this offseason?

Dane's been the man of the moment this preseason.

The hectic preseason continued for New York as they wrapped up their final trip in Arizona this week.  The only thing is, did this long preseason leave us with more questions than answers?

Last time we spoke, the Red Bulls just wrapped up a win against Ft. Lauderdale in a rather lackluster performance.  As we transitioned to Arizona, the glaring questions included who would start up top with Thierry Henry, who would be between the pipes come opening day, and what will the midfield look like?  Lots of questions, not so many answers.

In regards to a possible forward tandem, Backe seemed keen to place Mehdi Ballouchy higher on the pitch, but it seems that perhaps Dane Richards may be the Red Bulls best option.  We know how re-energized Dane was ever since TH14’s arrival, and he’s done surprisingly well paired alongside Henry so far.  Both Richards and Henry found the back of the net against Sporting KC, setting each other up in the process.  To be honest, I used to hate the idea of Richards at forward.  I loved the way he played down the stretch as a winger and, as they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  But I’ve been impressed with the way he’s performed in the preseason at forward, so if Juan Agudelo and Luke Rodgers can’t go come March 19^th, I think the Red Bulls won’t mind having Richards move to the forward line.

If Richards does indeed move out from the midfield, that may pose even more questions.  As it stands, there is still some debate as to how Backe should align his midfield.  I think it’s safe to say that Joel Lindpere has the left flank on lockdown.  Tony Tchani seems to be the safe bet slotted just behind the three in the midfield.  The big question comes into play when talking about Ballouchy and Jan Gunnar Solli.  Both have had good preseason games, but bring totally different skill sets to the table.  Ballouchy is supposed to play the role of creative midfielder, that true #10 that can be the link from the midfielders to the forwards.  At times, he’s been just that, displaying great ball movement and trickery.  Others, he’s made errant passes and seemed out of synch with his teammates.  Solli is an absolute workhorse, box-to-box midfielder.  He’s played well adjusting to his new team and brings versatility to the table.  With Richards potentially moving away from the midfield (at least for a little while), it may open up room for both Ballouchy and Solli to coexist.

Then, of course, is the question that doesn’t seem to want to go away: Bouna or Sutton?  Both have played well this preseason, and both have different strengths and weaknesses.  It’s a battle that pits the pure shot-stopping ability of Bouna against the steady consistency and distribution skills of Sutton.  For me, it’s very close.  Bouna certainly did not win over Backe after choosing to play with Senegal in a relatively inconsequential game.  However, I still give the edge to Bouna.  It’s nice to have someone as talented as Sutton as a backup, but perhaps that is all he is meant to be on this team…

In regards to the four preseason games in Arizona, not much needs to be said:

• Against Tucson, the Baby Bulls easily handled their opponent and Corey Hertzog continued to impress and show plenty of promise.  It was also nice to see Austin da Luz get on the score sheet after his injury-riddled 2010 campagin.
• In the Desert Cup, New York took on Sporting KC.  The aforementioned Henry-Richards tandem played well, and Backe said he was pleased by the overall effort of his team, and it’s always good to play against some MLS competition for a change.
• The match against FC Dalls was a massacre, but who cares?  I don’t know why some people were freaking out.  Sure, we lost 4-0, but did you see who New York had on the pitch?  It was all reserves and trialists, against a Dallas team that played almost all of their regulars in their last game of the preseason.  To quote Dave Martinez, it was our “C” team against their “A” team.  What did you expect?
• New York wrapped up against Atlas de Guadalajara, Rafa Marquez’s former team.  It was a fairly even match for the majority of the match, but I was left scratching my head after I saw that Salou Ibrahim got the start.  He was once again ineffective and seemed to not give a crap (who knew?).  Atlas scored after a shot took a ricochet off of Tim Ream and found the back of the net.  But in a last ditch effort to salvage a tie, Lindpere was taken down in the box setting up a Red Bulls penalty.  Henry deferred to Marquez, and he made no mistake, slotting away and giving New York a well-deserved draw.

Now that the preseason is over, what are your final thoughts?  Who impressed you?  Who didn’t?  Let me know down below.  So far, it’s been wild.  So close to the 19^th I can almost taste it…

Where Would You Rather Have Dane Richards Play?survey software

Well, it seems as though Don Garber’s “big announcement” was a big PR letdown and irked many MLS fans, but it works just fine for me.  Red Bull Arena will play host to the MLS All-Star game for the first time since 1997 back at Giants Stadium, although the opponent has yet to be released.  Season ticket holders get first dibs on these tickets, then partial plan holders.  People have been complaining because RBA holds a mere 25,000 fans, while just last year Reliant Stadium in Houston housed a record setting crowd of over 70,000.  Although RBA holds significantly less, the fans will create a great atmosphere as usual and will give it that marquee matchup feel.

On a side note, NYRB has unveiled their new away kit for 2011. Damn, I’m really feeling these.  Not what I was expecting but a pleasant surprise to say the least.  I still say the Red Bulls should rock a red and black striped third jersey, but this should suffice for now. Add this to the list of things to look forward to in 2011, leaving only one thing on my mind…

...is it March 19th yet???

Which Jersey Do You Like More?online survey

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.

First, let’s take a look at the categories that a Red Bull was nominated as a finalist.  Chris Albright was up for Comeback Player of the Year, Seth Stammler for Humanitarian of the Year, Tim Ream for top rookie honors, Hans Backe received a nomination for Coach of the Year, and finally both Thierry Henry and Joel Lindpere were up for Newcomer of the Year.

We’ll start with Comeback Player of the Year.  The two other finalists besides Albright were San Jose’s Bobby Convey and FC Dallas’s Brek Shea.  Many believed this to be a two horse race between Convey and Albright, with the former proving triumphant over the latter.  This is the one award where I can side with the voters.  Don’t get me wrong, Albright’s recovery from what was seemingly a career ending injury was remarkable and deserves credit, but I don’t have as much of a gripe with Convey winning the award.  He came back from a down year to say the least and proved to be instrumental in San Jose’s playoff push.  He was the distributor for the Quakes and set up many of Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski’s tallies.  New York got to see just what Convey could do in the return leg of our playoff series this year, unfortunately.  This one could have gone either way, but I’m willing to give the voters a break on this one.

Now, with Humanitarian of the Year award being an off-the-pitch award, it can’t truly be held in the same regard as the others.   As much as we all love Stammler and we’ll be sad to see him go, this wasn’t exactly a huge triumph for the Red Bulls as much as it was a testament to Stammler’s commitment to off the field efforts.  Not to take away from all his hard work, but most fans will certainly overlook this award.

I’ve already talked about Ream’s snub for Rookie of the Year in a previous post.  You can take a look at that here, so as Jay-Z would say, “on to the next one”.  When you looked at the Coach of the Year Award, it seemed like Backe was the clear-cut front-runner.  He took a team that managed a mere 21 points in 2009 and turned them around in a complete 180.  With the Red Bulls finishing the season with 30 more points than the previous campaign, and a Eastern Conference regular season title to show for it, it seemed that Backe had this award in the bag.  Then came decision day, where either Backe, FC Dallas’s Schellas Hyndman or Real Salt Lake’s Jason Kreis would be crowned top manager for 2010.  Delivering another swift blow to the collective gut of the Red Bulls fans and franchise, Hyndman beat out Backe.  This one literally made my jaw drop.  How in your right mind can you not choose the manager that directed the largest point increase in MLS history? (Only the Metrostars from a decade ago boasted a 30-point upswing from the previous year as the Red Bulls did this year).  How much did Dallas improve you may ask?  11 points.  That’s right, 11.  Hans Backe almost single handedly turned this franchise around, along with great signings by GM Erik Soler and the guidance of MLS vet and assistant coach Richie Williams.  Backe is not the type of coach to hold a grudge over an individual award, but we all know that he deserved more, namely top manager honors.

Then there’s Newcomer of the Year.  In all honesty, Henry had no right to be placed in this category.  Logging a mere two goals and three assists in league play, this nomination was something of a farce.  The real contender, as we all know, was Joel Lindpere.  Lindpere was the guy that did it all; a true box-to-box midfielder that put in the hard work and was willing to do the dirty work to help his team succeed.  Red Bulls fans will be very biased towards Lindpere, because he has just about reached Metro/Red Bulls immortality in just his first year with the organization.  He scored the first goal in RBA….twice, he turned down his native Estonia pledging his duties solely to the Red Bulls and choosing club over country, and did just about everything right.  He is loved and adored by Red Bulls fans everywhere and was undoubtedly New York’s MVP in 2010.  But was that enough to make him Newcomer of the Year?  Apparently not, according to the fine folks at MLS.  The third nominee, Alvaro Saborio, beat out Henry and Lindpere and took home the award.  In fairness, Sabo did find the back of the net 12 times for RSL, and was remarkable for them in CONCACAF Champions League play.  A forward scoring goals is always going to get more recognition than the engine of the midfield, that’s just the way it works here in MLS.

Finally, we’ll take a look at the MLS Best XI, in which voters choose the best players at each position from around the league, in a 3-5-2 for some reason.  Here’s what we got for 2010.

Ricketts _(LA)

Olave _(RSL), Gonzalez _(LA), Borchers _(RSL)

Donovan _(LA), DeRosario _(TOR), Morales _(RSL), Ferreira _(FCD), LeToux _(PHI)

Buddle _(LA), Wondolowski _(SJ)

Once again, not a Red Bull to be found.  You’d think that the Eastern Conference leaders could crack the best 11, but no, there wasn’t enough room after you put in 7 players from RSL and LA.  These 11 players do make up some of the best in league, but you have to figure that someone like Ream or Lindpere could have found their way onto that “squad”.

Alas, Red Bulls fans are left with more frustration.  All in a days work for New York fans, as the Red Bulls were served up a big steaming plate of “disappointment”, followed up with some salt in the wounds just for some added seasoning, courtesy of our friends at MLS.

Which Red Bull Got Snubbed the Worst?online survey