A lot of the hot button issues were discussed, and others simply insinuated. But here are a few small pieces of change I picked up from being there yesterday. Enjoy:

THIERRY HENRY

Everyone wants to be the first to break the Henry to RBNY headline, so you can only imagine that his name was ballied about like a French beach ball. Each question was met with possibly the most guilty expressions a person can make. Stover. Williams. You name it. So just out of basic reasoning here, yes, this rumor seems to hold water. There seems to be some sort of communication with Henry that they are simply not allowed to discuss.

Big Apple Soccer was able to delve into Henry a bit more, with team captain Juan Pablo Angel. Angel was surprisingly candid on the subject. Check it out – it’s a great read.

RICHIE WILLIAMS

Williams is definitely a front runner for the head coaching position. Look no further than this quote from Erik Stover: “I think he’s done an outstanding job. It’s a pretty tough position to take over. Obviously morale was very low, we had a lot of injuries and he showed his mettle. For my money he should be a finalist and we’re going to work through that.” Though a 3-3-2 record doesn’t seem like a big deal, it is when you take into consideration that he took on a 2-16-4 team that was completely and utterly demoralized. Williams was allowed to act as a key spokesperson yesterday, speaking to the media candidly, and being a face face for the RB organization – all of which are excellent indicators of his worth in the eyes of the team.

JEFF AGOOS

I can’t remember the last time in any sport that a current part of the teams management was spoken of as an afterthought. Stover and company continuously referred to a rigorous and delving search for their next General Manager at every turn. Maybe Agoos was already shown the door and I missed it, but rest assured; 2009 will be his last season in New York.

PRIORITY SIGNINGS

Besides the constant dodging, bobbing and weaving of Thierry Henry questions, Richie Williams did state that a top priority signing for the offseason is an effective central attacking midfielder. And that is music to the ears of the long suffering fans.

All in all, the team seems to be going through a retrospective of their four year reign as owners of the New York franchise, and, learning from their mistakes, have begun a complete restructuring of the current system. It is a great move for a franchise that just wants to forget 2009 and bask in the glory of a new home in 2010.

And it isn’t just the management that is changing; the mentality seems to be as well. Red Bull has mentioned the dreaded Metrostars monicker more in the past two weeks than in the past 4 years. Players of past glory like Youri Djorkaeff and Tab Ramos have been linked to possible positions in the Red Bulls franchise, and familiar faces like Tony Meola, Mark Lisi and Claudio Reyna keep popping up as well.

All of this is pretty amusing; the best thing that could have possibly happened for this team, this year, was for the campaign to finally be over. Now, in offseason mode, the Bulls have a head start on steering this ship in the right direction. Do you think they will get it right this time around? Share your thoughts.

But not tonight.

The retiring Albert Celades opened up seams that this team has been searching for since the first half of the Seattle opener. Mac Kandji finally found the finish to match his step overs and fancy footwork. And Juan Pablo Angel netted the type of brace everyone has been waiting to see this season. In other words, the team finally meshed. The result? A 5-0 thrashing of a playoff contender.

Though Petke suffered a sprain in his quad early on in the game, forcing the first appearance of Argentine centerback Walter Garcia, his words in our previous interview rang true to me; this is not a bad team. They are an underachieving team. Sure, there are some good pieces to build upon for this team, but it will take a proper coach to get the desired results. With tonight’s win, maybe Richie Williams makes that case for himself. Only time will tell.

So the chapter has finally closed on Giants Stadium, and mercifully, on 2009. And what a way to close it out.

Red Bull Arena, you are right around the corner . . .

After the game, a scuffle between Carlos Johnson and Michael Harrington resulted in another yellow for Johnson earning him – you guessed it – another red card suspension. Harrington wasn’t carded.

On the positive side, center back tandem Boyens and Krupnick, who initially seemed to be a slow and lumbering pair, proved effective as the middle anchors. Dane Richards continues to play strongly, and Matt Mbuta also had a decent performance. But with Angel out of the lineup for this game with an injury, they could not afford to go down a goal so early the way they did. And that ultimately sealed it.

In a scrappy back and forth effort, the Red Bulls downed defending champions Columbus 1-0 on an absolutely beautiful 70 yard run by Dane Richards (yes, that Dane Richards! The one who has been missing all season long!). Seth Stammler began the run of play, interrupting a Crew attack and springing the speedy Jamaican, who then broke Brian Carroll’s neck on a right sided fade move, and delivered a low roller, corner pocket past Hesmer. That is all the Bulls would need to wrap this one up.

Williams continued to show what kind of head coach he can be. He rolled out the effective 4-4-2 from last week, with a bit more of a diamond formation to it. Some changes included Bouna Coundoul in nets replacing Cepero, and Rojas subbing on the left for an injured Albert Celades. Andrew Boyens received a second consecutive start, once again proving very effective in the middle role.

The coach showed to have a feel for his team as well. During a bit of lag in the game, Williams rightly saw the ineffectiveness of Jorge Rojas game on this day, and made a change to put in Big Mac Kandji. Almost immediately, the Senegalese Gazelle broke a pass open to John Wolyniec that fired a Rooneyesque shot finding nothing but post.

A shame too – he really hit the hell out of that ball!

All in all, another wonderful effort by the Red Bulls, who are feeding off of this new coaching change in a way no one would have been able to predict. Williams has officially doubled up on Osorio’s win total in the span of two weeks. Makes you wonder what else he would be capable of doing.

You are a player for Juan Carlos Osorio, and it is the beginning of the 2009 campaign. After a good showing in the offseason camps, you are looking forward to some playing time for the rest of the season. As a matter of fact, you have fallen in line with the Osorio mantra; “practice hard, and you will get playing time.”

Filled with hope, you begin the season and immediately experience a devastating loss. Then another. Then another. Every week, a line up shift leaves your future in the air; “will I be playing today?” Some times, players who have been plain awful seem to see the pitch more than you do. “So much for playing hard,” you think. And then, when playing time is handed your way, it is in an unorthodox position on the field, in a strange lineup and unfamiliar surroundings. How can one succeed under these conditions?

This is the story of many role players on the Red Bulls squad. I’ve heard the story countless times already, though never on the record.

And in comes Richie Williams. Facing a less than threatening opponent in FC Dallas, Richie sees this as a chance for a win. And what do you do when faced with an opportunity? You keep it simple, because that is what will get everyone, no matter how discombobulated, on the same page.

He starts off in a 4-4-2 formation. He pairs off Angel with a reliable holding forward in Wolyniec. He later subs in Kandji to continue Angels successful partnership going. He removes an underperforming Jorge Rojas for Ubiparipovic, who has been hungry for playing time. Ditto for Pacheco, who hasn’t had his head in the game for weeks. He starts Dane Richards behind Angel on the right wing side, which was a successful tandem in the offensive zone last season. Sure, he sacrifices Zimmerman in the process, but that gave Albert Celades one less person to compete with when playing the holder/attack mid role.

In the end, Williams created a fluid team, with defined roles, in a simple attacking formation. Celades didn’t have to try to rip the ball possession away from Rojas and Zimmerman. Angel didn’t have to roam the attacking area all alone, all day. Sure, the wing play was less than aspiring, and Goldthwaite’s mental error cost the team a goal, but you can’t correct this teams litany of issues in one day. Instead, you have to focus on some of the glaring issues and correct them to the best of your ability.

Coach Williams didn’t need to scribble notes, and over think a situation; he just kept it simple. And the results spoke for themselves – the first Red Bull win since May, behind a rare, energetic and inspired performance.

That is coaching. That is the ability to know the flow of the game, and recognize kinks not only in your opponents armor, but your own as well. And that is only one of many observations that left me dumbfounded last night:

- Where was the passion for victory? Trailing by one at home, with an entire half to play, the team sat back far too much in the face of adversity.

- What happened to the simple concept of triangular passing? If it wasn’t a long ball, it wasn’t an option. And we all know how accurate a game long ball is.

- Alfredo Pacheco is not playing for this coach. On both goals, he was slow to the play and disinterested in the results.

- Kevin Goldthwaite, a rock as of late in the CB position, committed possibly the worst brain fart I have seen since since the Mendes backpass many moons ago.

- What was up with this man on man marking strategy? Did Osorio actually give the team specific assignments on who to cover all game? Instead of playing zone defense, the backline was being tattered left and right, following one on one match ups instead of playing a cohesive strategy.

In the end, you had a “professional” soccer club being taken out of the regions most important club tournament by a pub team. I’m sorry, but if that is the best Trinidad and Tobago has to offer, I think that classification withstands justification. Then again, judging by the Bulls performance last night, they would probably be bottom dwellers in the tiny island league too.

Take all of this information in, and you tell me what area sports club worth a grain of salt would not begin the purging process immediately? This is New York! Even the lowly Mets have had to scramble and chop heads recently in the face of failure. And they still have playoff hopes in their sights! The Red Bulls are quickly turning into the MLS equivalent of the New York Islanders; all failure, no repercussions, no progress (Then again, the Isles did at least have the #1 pick in the draft for 2009. Unfortunately, the Bulls putrid season will only result in a #2. And how fitting the #2 is when describing this season. Ya, I went there.)

The Aftermath.

I am sure we all woke up to the same feeling; this is the day that heads will roll. It is now 10 a.m., and all is quiet along the eastern front. This was the season. Now, something needs to be done.

Here is the post game reaction from RBR:

They rallied.

Two unanswered goals are what followed in the second half, with a little help from the Connection defense whom played the role of human pinball. Ernst Obster, playing in his first game as a Bull, scored on a shot that deflected off of a W defender. A little while later, an Alfredo Pacheco blast ballied about and found its way to the back of the net (this was credited as an own goal). But Pacheco giveth and taketh away, as a poorly measured header found only air, allowing the TnT side to pounce and put on in the back of the net.

With the way things are structured, this is not a bad result for the Bulls. Road goals are a huge factor when deciding tie breakers, so the Bulls have a leg up. The next match, in Giant Stadium, will now be the proving grounds. Will the Bulls be able to close this one out and advance?

————————Angel————————

Kandji—-Rojas—-Ubiparipovic—Richards

———————-Sassano———————-

Pacheco—–Petke——-Krupnik———Hall

———————-Coundoul———————

Once I saw that lineup, and that dreaded formation, my instinct was simple; change the channel. You know what the outcome is going to be when a team takes to the road in a naturally defensive and impotent position. Especially this team.

But I didn’t change it. Instead, I watched. And watched. And watched. Because that is what you naturally do with a train wreck of these comedic proportions. And because I’ve had writers block all week, trying to find something of interest to bring to you amidst the worst, most embarassing season I can recall. Thank you Colorado.

The “Real Madrid” Rapids handed out yet another magnificent 4-0 beating to the Bulls. I won’t insult you with an analysis.

It is a shame really; after 2008 and the Cinderella run, Bulls fans looked towards 2009 as a serious contender. The late season and offseason signings formed a formidable team on paper. The coach seemed so focused, and the team, full of promise.

With so much to look forward to, it is a wonder where people place their hopes now. Lord knows the W Connection isn’t just going to roll over and give this team a glimmer of hope. The season is over before August has even rolled around. Players are undisciplined, and playing injured. Seriously. What are you watching for? At least I have an excuse . . .

I said way back on June 8th that Osorio has to go. I believe I was actually one of the first. If 12 straight winless games hasn’t proven my point, I don’t know what will.

More thoughts on Monday.

Dave Van den Bergh was never going to be a Red Bull, due to some family issues he was having. Dallas, Texas is the home of his wifes family and friends, and so, the issue seemed logical; no matter what Red Bull could do, DvB was as good as gone at the conclusion of the 2008 campaign.

But hold the phone. After DvB assisted on the FC Dallas game winner over his former team, the Walking Dutchman shared his thoughts with the boys and girls over at BAS, including some candid words about his final months as a Bull:

“I’m sorry for the coach and the players that stayed behind. I wish for them to be doing just as good if not better than last year. But on the other hand, I think I had talked to them four months previously before I got traded. There were opportunities for them to re-sign me. They didn’t jump on it. After a while you kind of get what you aim for.”

As if his role in the game winning goal wasn’t enough of a kick to the stomach, this tidbit of information hit the Bulls fan base like a ton of bricks. As I have said all season, the left wing has been a black hole this year. Where there was once consistency, there is now confusion. Khano Smith, Danleigh Borman, Jorge Rojas, Mac Kandji, and Alfredo Pacheco are all players that have at one point or another seen time on the wing. And that is just off the top of my head. Sure, Van den Berghs game was not pretty, or fast, but it was effective. He represented a rare breed in this league; a left footed winger with an excellent touch and cross, with the ability to be dangerous from set pieces. And judging by his comments, no one knew it better than Dave.

So what do you think of this little bit of wisdom? Were you always skeptical of the story? Did you bite hook, line and sinker? Share your take with us.

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Only the Metro Bulls would follow up an amazing header clearance of a sure goal with a lax defensive effort on the opponents only goal. Maybe Marshall did climb Jeremy Hall like a stallion, but that mismatch should not have happened to begin with. The teams inability to end danger in extra time has become as predictable as its results.

Three games into the second half of the season, and the Red Bulls are 0-2-1. They are putting themselves in a mathematically dangerous position. There are 12 games left in the season, and they need 30 points to even sniff their way into playoff contention. That means ten wins folks. The Bulls have only managed 2 in 18 games this season.

Things look very bleak.