Zimmerman was a clear target in the minds of Red Bull fans. He is a box to box midfielder, with a pass first mentality and a tremendous work rate, especially for such a young player. Remember, Dane Richards was always a penned in starter until Zimmerman showed another dimension on the right and won the spot (briefly). He is also quite the bargain, making only $20k in 2009.

Some may feel that Zimmerman’s value is blown out of proportion, since it is based on a window of only a few weeks in which a lagging team fed off of the excitement of a young, debuting midfielder. Others feel the loss will be a hurtful one, especially if he winds up developing into the threat many think he can become. One thing everyone can agree on is this; he is a prospect who may be worth the risk. And it is the Union that are willing to undertake that task.

Well, what are your thoughts? Has Red Bull lost a valuable commodity, or is this kid a one hit wonder, now laid at the steps of the enemy? Hit us up, let us know what you think . . .

RBR is reporting that Red Bull are terminating the loan deal for Alfredo Pacheco effective immediately. In a season full of unbelievable situations, this one proves to be just more frosting on the cake. Pacheco followed the route of other Osorio signings before him, showing displays of brilliance in the middle of mind boggling mistakes. Heralded as the best young player in El Salvador as recently as last season, Pacheco fell far short of expectations, and has received an unceremonious axing for his efforts.

My impressions of Pacheco can be summarized like this; he was a talented kid from a tiny village in El Salvador, entering the concrete jungle of New York City and the American lifestyle, and like many others that have found themselves in the same situation, he choked. I remember being in Times Square, and he was leaning up against the glass at the ESPNZone, just gazing at the outside. I asked him what he thought of the big city, and he simply looked outside, almost distracted, and said “It is amazing what man has created.” As I continued to ask him a few questions, he kept gazing outwards. Some people just can’t adapt to such a drastic change.

Compound that change in environment with Coach Osorio’s continuously changing playbook, and a youngster can get lost pretty quickly, regardless of the talent. Pacheco follows a long line of failed Osorio acquisitions, including Khano Smith, Juan Pietravallo, Gabriel Cichero, Oscar Echeverry and others.

What are your thoughts on this failed experiment? Did they pull the trigger too quickly on this move? Or was it only a matter of time? Share your thoughts!

Khano Smith.

So let’s just work with that for now (though we know SBI has a way of being correct 99.99% of the time).

As we have been saying, Ernst Obster seems to be a practical lock for the roster, and retired Serb forward Veljko Paunovic (31) has impressed with his performance in training. Paunovic has bounced from club to club for a few years, with three stints in Altletico Madrid. Some seem to have reservations about that, but I would take a guy who has been to one of the premier La Liga teams three times any day – as long as his 6 month “retirement” didn’t leave him with nothing in the tank.

What does this have to do with Khano Smith? Everything. With his contract no longer guaranteed, his roster spot may be used to bring in the veteran Serb or another player onto the roster. And this has been directly a result of his inability to meet with the lofty expectations Red Bull had when they acquired the left winger. He has been absolutely terrible and disinterested on the pitch. It seems from the day of his first benching, Smith has not been able to work his way back into the starting line up.

Surely, Khano imagined a dream scenario in New York; he signed this big contract to fill in the shoes of uber fan favorite Dave Van Den Bergh, meaning more consistent time on the field with the starting XI. But not so fast. Dismal, disinterested performances followed, until he found himself riding the pine. Ever since, Smith has seemed uncomfortable with and, quite frankly, regretful of his move to New York. The mere fact that he walked over to the Revolution fans after a 4-0 drubbing of his team, and gave them a clap and a bow speaks volumes. He just hasn’t been able to settle here, and this is why the Bulls are looking to vacate his spot as soon as possible.

Khano Smiths days as a Red Bull seem to be winding down to an end, and that will open up another roster spot. Will Paunovic be the man to fill it? Will it be someone else? Should Khano get one more chance?! Let me know . . .

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Wait. Did you hear that? Sounds like the fan base letting out a big sigh of relief . . .

The central defensive midfielder fell far short of expectations, which were pretty lofty considering his $205,000 guaranteed contract. Infamous for his multiple fouls and cards, the Argentine proved unable to settle with the Bulls or the league.

SBI is reporting that this will be one in multiple moves coming for the franchise. Makes a person wonder . . . who is next? My money is on Khano.

Oh, and that Bonilla thing? Ives squashed it like a bug. So scratch that.

But back on topic. Pietravallo did show some promise as a central destroyer very early on, but that didn’t last. Even with a depleted team competing in the playoffs, Osorio relegated Pietravallo to mostly bench duty. $205,000, just sitting there, during the most important part of the season. And this year was simply a continuation of the same trend. $205,000. Just sitting there.

With the guarantee deadline looming, the Bulls needed to make a move like this if they wanted to salvage anything out of the season. And they did what no one thought they would do; pull the trigger.

This moves signals the first moment all season where a public action has been made by the teams ownership, clearly dilineating their dissatisfation with the results. Now, whether that leads to better results is a different story. But it is a step in the right direction.

Share your thoughts on this mess!

Oduro’s New York story wouldn’t be able to fill up a chapter in the book called his career. But the chances he did have, he was mostly inconsistent and out of place. He was touted as a hot prospect with track star speed. Instead, the Bulls mainly saw a disoriented youngster who did not serve well as an attacking option.

Terry Boss was also cut from the main roster.

So, how long till Oduro becomes another statistic of the Metro Curse? For those unfamiliar, that is the name for former Metro players who head over to other teams and enjoy immediate success (most recent example – Chris Leitch, who has scored more goals and assists in San Jose this year than his entire 2008 campaign). Are the draft picks a sign of a “look onto next year” mentality? Share your thoughts below.

One of the first moves to achieve compliance involves a trade with fellow West Coasters (the Bulls are West Coast Champs, right?!), the San Jose Earthquakes. The Mercury News reports Red Bulls have sent Chris Leitch to San Jose for one of its 8 international slots and allocation money (yes, even MORE allocation money. Metrofanatic just did an article on this very topic).

Leitch proved to be more than a servicable player, especially considering most people thought his signing would be a stop gap for the 2008 season. He stepped in last season when the defense itself could barely hold up, and did his part to strengthen the backlines. Before becoming a Metro, Leitch was doing a good amount of travelling from team to team, offering his services. After establishing himself with the Bulls, his stock has seemingly gone up. To think the Bulls are able to get more money and an international slot for the services of a man that at one point was considered a journeyman; that is a testament to the hardwork of Chris Leitch and Coach Osorio.

Overall, Chris Leitch did his part in what was an improbable 2008 season. Looking forward, his loss will only create more questions for that defensive end of the field. With Leitch gone, and no new signings announced (as of yet), where do the Bulls stand on defense?

BTW – expect more roster announcements later in the day.

img credit: Andrew Zarate

Very little time on my hands, so lets get this show on the road. Plenty of good news around the Bulls, so lets dive right in, shall we?

- The Bulls are heading towards Argentina for training. Though there will be trialists there, it will only be a handful. The cool news for this Argie is that the Bulls will be squaring off with Velez Sarsfield and Argentinos Jrs. Exciting stuff indeed! And another friendly may be in the mix as well (crossing fingers for Boca, crossing fingers for Boca . . . . )

- Juan Pablo Angel has resigned, and now, my second favorite player on the team is locked up to a multiple year deal. Dane Richards will be running around defenders for a few more years in an RB kit, and I couldn’t be happier.

- Speaking of signing fan favorites, how is this for a development; Danny Cepero has signed a senior contract with the club as well!

- Anyone think this is all great timing, especially after fan favorite Dave Roth was let go?

- Now with all this good news, a little cold water needs to be thrown down the collective backs of RB fans, just to keep ‘em level, right? Well, SBI reports Red Bull draft pick Babajide Ogunbiyi is holding out for a senior roster spot. Though I understand his stance against the pittance that is a developmental contract, the smart move would have been to go to camp, show his worth, and have RB realize that he is indeed worth the dough. This isn’t the NFL; draft picks come and go like boxer briefs. Jide is taking a risk here that may hurt a career that hasn’t even begun yet.

Well, Red Bull definitely felt the way I felt about the lack of anything talent worthy over in LaLa Land, as they decided not to pick up any of their players and, instead, they will take a crap shoot in the draft with a conditional Los Angeles second round pick, so reports SBI.

Here is me being candid: Mike Magee was always one of my favorite players. Always. And seeing him re-find himself late last season was one of the happier moments for this Metro Bulls fan. Though I may have been critical at times, it was always in the vain of hope. I still believe Magee has a lot left in the tank.

And as many were indignant about Van Den Bergh’s departure, I can’t help to feel the same way about this. Magee was a major reason the Bulls even sniffed the playoffs two years ago, filling in very admirably for Amado Guevara. Since then, he has been a walking injury. It took him all of 2008 to regain form, and that is a testament to his drive and dedication. It isn’t easy to take over 2 years off, with injuries, and come back in pro form.

And the Bulls gave him up for a bag of chips. Yes, it is a high 2nd rounder (if they use the conditional for this year), but the draft is anything but secure. And I really do hope they draft the absolute best. If not, this one will be painful. Remember – versatility, in this league, is a rare thing to have. Magee is versatile, a hard worker, and a youngster at the age of 24, at the brink of success after a long comeback.

My argument for trading Van Den Bergh was that the Bulls are trading him away at his highest point. That isn’t the case with Magee. And I can only hope Osorio and his scouts know what they have just given up.

img credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

PS: Read the Spanish newspapers reporting this, and check out his monicker. His nickname on the Red Bull radio broadcasts, is “El Fantasmita” or “The Little Ghost.” Gotta love it.

Please don’t kill me, but . . . .

3rdDegree out of Dallas is reporting the imminent trade of Dave Van Den Bergh for long time Coach Osorio target, Dominic Oduro, and the 11th round draft pick in this years SuperDraft.

I guess I will have to go back to the artillary arsenal and suit up again.

THE FAN IN ME

I have to start off with the praise, so well deserved after a season with such success. DVB has been this teams work horse of 2008, taking the youngsters under his wing, and shouldering the offensive burden when Angel was being double, triple and quadruple teamed. Where there was a leadership void, DVB came in to fill it. It was his clutch performances, and non-stop commitment on the pitch that made the Bulls so successful in the postseason. He anchored a team of rookies, no names, and retreads to the MLS Cup Final, and that is not an understatement.

The fan in me will miss DVB if this deal has truly come to fruition. Much like Mathis and Howard before him, I love players that give their all for their club each and every game. He developed a repore with the fans over the course of a year that made it feel like he has always been here, guiding the ship. Well, the two year love affair appears to be over. And his accomplishments can never be diminished, and will never be forgotten.

THE REALITY

The reality of the situation is much like I said in the last post, but with a new twist. Yes, the Bulls did this for budgetary reasons. Yes, they did it because of his age. And Yes, they did wait for his stock to be at its absolute highest to trade him, regardless of how the fans felt. That is business my friends. But the tipping point is Dominic Oduro. Juan Carlos Osorio has had his sights on Oduro since last season. When the opportunity came to further put a stamp on this team, he did so, sacrificing one of his most reliable players to do it.

Now, the trade shapes up as a swap involving not only the players, but a 15th and 11th round choice, and both sides find themselves well served. FC Dallas has been desperate for a left sided attacking threat. The rest of the league has solved that issue, and the Red Bulls are the only ones that have depth in the spot, so in all likelyhood, taking away the possibility of an outside option, Dallas had to look the way of New York to complete its attack. Being that the case, the Bulls ask for the player they most coveted, along with to a first round draft pick. Why would Dallas do this? Because they are riddled with youngsters, and can afford the luxury of trading the draft options away. Why wouldn’t Red Bulls consider and pull the trigger on such a trade, especially in a year where the draft seems to be fairly deep?

As a fan, it hurts to see a leader go. As a business man, I can make sense of why this was necessary.

THE BIRDMAN, DOMINIC ODURO

Now, who is Dominic Oduro? Up until this past season, the 24 year old has been Dallas speedy offensive bench option. When Dallas sufffered through countless injuries, Oduro took advantage of his playing time and shined with clutch goals, and excellent team play.

Much like Dane Richards, Oduro has been blessed by speed. But also like Richards, his finishing, though ever improving, has always been a point of contention. In 9 starts, and 25 appearances, Oduro managed 5 goals and 2 assists; a respectable feat for the young man. 2007 saw him notch 29 appearances, again, as an off the bench, late game threat. Not exactly an unknown commodity or a risk, but the Red Bulls will be offering Oduro something he never truly owned; starting time.

If capable of the responsibilities, he compliments this team in more ways than one. For instance, last seasons squad relied heavily on Dane Richards. Once he was benched or injured, there was suddenly no speed on the pitch, and tactics turned very slow and predictable in the process. Oduro compliments the wingers speed, and is able to compensate for the loss of a Richards if necessary.

He also scored clutch goals as the Dallas season progressed, which is important considering the fact the Bulls are trading away their version of Mr. Clutch. Oduro isn’t afraid to challenge people, and blow past them with his blazing speed. Add to all this the fact that he is 6 feet tall, and a great target on corners, and you have more areas to check off that the Red Bulls needed improvement in. If the trade shapes up the way it seems, then the Bulls and Dallas walk away happy.

MOVING FORWARD

Taking all this into consideration, the Bulls have opened up pandoras box, and bought more questions to the forefront. For instance:

+ Is Oduro’s acquisition a clear sign of the end of Mac Kandji as a Bull?
+ If not, is Osorio going to do something that is completely foreign to the MLS and perhaps institute a 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3?
+ What will be the focal point for the SuperDraft acquisitions at #’s 11 and 15?
+ Will this lineup be able to compete and succeed?
+ Who will fill the void of DVB’s leadership?
+ How much more will the team now rely on Pietravallo and Rojas?
+ Is the team now “too young”?

Again, I must mention that Jorge Rojas is a viable option off of the wing. I will never forget when he first came into the league, and set up a beautful heel pass that lead to a goal by none other than Van Den Bergh and how impressive and telling that one move was. I am willing to buy into the fact that the Vinotinto Captain was simply worn down from a very competitive, non-stop year. This seasons more rested version may do the about face that DVB did from 2007 to 2008. But will that be enough? Can this lineup survive?

——–Angel—–Oduro——–
————–Ubi—————
Rojas——————-Richards
——Sassano—Pietravallo—–
—Goldthwaite-Petke-Boyens—-
———–Cepero—————

Only time will tell.

Personally, I am torn between my brain and my heart. My heart says “Who will be able to fill those shoes offensively and in the lockerroom?” My brain says, “This is a good trade for a guy who’s stock can not possibly go any higher. The Bulls pulled the trigger when the pulling was good, and got a player and draft picks that they so coveted.”

What do you think? Share your hurt, pain, happiness, or tears with us, as I am sure the opinions will be flying.