Don’t tell anyone, but New York have now won three of their last five matches.  I know, I know, try to keep it on the DL, don’t wanna let it get to their heads.  On a night where DPs such as Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane would not be a factor, it was the Red Bulls whose star power shined the brightest.

Once again, it was Luke Rodgers who got the festivities started with a goal off a rebound in the six.  Hey may not always score in the prettiest way, but who cares.  The fact is, New York is a different team with the Englishman on the pitch, and there’s no debating that.  Hey always seems to get the job done when his team needs him.  After his goal, New York controlled the match and there was no looking back.  As Backe said post game, it was perhaps the most complete performance of the season, and the Bulls sure did look impressive.

With Rafa Marquez back in the midfield for the second consecutive match, there were plenty of skeptics as to how he would bounce back after a subpar night at TFC.  Here’s your answer.  Say what you will about his off-the-field comments and apparent appearance to not give two shits, but the man can still get it done.  I don’t know too many players in MLS that would see that pass, let alone get it to Henry with a perfectly weighted ball (that chip wasn’t too bad either).  Rafa and Tainio paired well together, building attacks and spraying the ball around the pitch helping to unlock LA’s stingy defense.

Unsung hero of the match? Gotta be Dane Ricahrds.  We all knew he had pace, but he was absolutely tearing up the wing, burning by anyone who dared to stand in his way.  The difference this year is that the speedy Jamaican isn’t just sprinting to the end line and losing the ball (usually), but actually feeding his teammates and creating chances.  Runner up goes to Frank Rost, who continues to impress and justify his DP contract.  He’s shored up the defense and lead New York to yet another clean sheet. I’m trying not to get too excited about this result.  After all, this was a weakened LA side.  But you can’t tell me that this team can’t go out there and beat anyone in this league with a performance like that.  That was an team win, from top to bottom.  Could the Red Bulls be hitting their stride at just the right time?  Is this a turning point in their season?  Lemme know down below.

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What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Los Angeles?

Coming off a nice win, you’d think they’d have some momentum, but you know how the old saying goes, “One step forward, get in the car, pop it into R, put a brick and the gas pedal, and let it fly”… or something like that.  This team has uncanny ability to pick you up and throw you down; tricking you into thinking they’ll turn it around (or maybe that’s just me being way too naïve).  Playing against an in-form Salt Lake side, it wasn’t a shock to see the Bulls get out played (despite RSL missing their captain, playing at home, and coming off of a win).   The season now hangs in the balance, with a tilt against Portland likely to determine New York’s playoff fate.  Yet despite the magnitude of the importance of this next game, one player stole the show… and for all the wrong reasons.

When Rafa Marquez first signed with New York in the summer of 2010, he became the teams 3^rd DP (behind Henry and JPA).  There were high hopes for the Mexican captain and Barcelona star.  He offered a calming presence to stabilize the defense and distribution skills to hang with the best in the sport.  Upon joining the Red Bulls, he had a respectable year, but much more was expected in his first full year with the squad (and a return to his favored position at CB).

Then came the 2011 season, and the Rafa of old never showed up.  The only Rafa fans saw (when we have seen him, playing in only half of RBNY’s matches), was a lethargic, uninspired, and arrogant player.  He and Ream never seemed to be on the same page all season.  Their poor communication led to many goals conceded, followed by displays of disgust to his teammates.  He even wore the captain’s armband a few times, despite showing no signs of being a leader.

Fast forward to Wednesday.  Marquez missed New York’s match in Dallas due to yellow card accumulation, yet the team still got the win.  With Rafa available for selection against RSL, Backe opted to throw him back in the starting XI.  The Bulls came out flying in the first seven minutes or so, but it didn’t take long for RSL to get on the scoreboard.  For some reason, Teemu Tainio was marking Saborio on a corner kick, and was easily out-muscled by the Costa Rican and found the back of the net.  No one particularly at fault there, just a good goal.

The last two, however, are a different story.  On both of Espindola’s goals, Ream and Marquez left Frank Rost out to dry.  Ream inexplicably gave the ball away in the six for an easy tap in.  And in the 21^st minute, a lofted through ball caught the New York backline flat-footed, but don’t worry, Rafa was there to flail his arms in disapproval.  Top-notch stuff.

Post game, Dave Martinez of Empire of Soccer caught up with Rafa (who was booed mercilessly all night) to get his thoughts.  Here are some of his quotes (you can check out the full article here, video here):

• “If you watched the game, there were individual errors that you can’t do anything about.  If we look at statistics, I stole a lot of balls. I think I made two or three bad passes out of 30 plus attempts.  I almost didn’t commit any errors, so I am not worried. I think I am playing at my maximum level, and doing everything I can.  I don’t have, unfortunately, four defenders on my level that can help me out.”
• “Tim is still a young player with a lot to learn.  He still has quite a lot to learn, and well, he has committed errors that are very infantile and cost us goals.”
• “I think that this is a team game, and unfortunately, there isn’t an equal level between perhaps (Thierry Henry) and myself, and our teammates.”

Wow, I honestly was in shock.  You gotta have some big balls to say that.  Exactly how you’d expect a leader and veteran to act, right?  In all honesty, I would much rather have Carlos Mendes or even Stephen Keel start at CB.  They may not have half the talent Rafa does, but they’ll give you their all every time, and that’s something the stats won’t show you.  All of this is coming from someone who’s been in Rafa’s corner longer than most other Red Bulls’ fans.  Now, I’ve just about had enough.  If you watch the game recap, Luke Rodgers addresses the fans booing Rafa, and sticks up for his teammate.  Bet he said that before he heard how much of a fan Rafa is of his fellow teammates not named Henry.

I gotta say though, lots of credit to Backe for suspending Marquez for the Portland game.  It was the right decision and absolutely needed to be done.  It’ll be interesting to see how this affair affects the team tomorrow.  Do you think the team is better off without Rafa?  Has the Rafa Experiment been a failure?  Lemme know down below.

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P.S. I’m looking to sell three tickets to the Philly game in October.  Reach me by email, Twitter, or Facebook if you’re interested.

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What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Salt Lake?

Do you prefer Rafa in the starting XI?

Leading up to the Dallas match, the season outlook was bleak.  With the Red Bulls fading fast and coming off yet another disappointing tie, it looked like there was nothing to look forward to in these last few games.  To make matters worse, New York would be missing four starters (Henry, Marquez, Solli, and Miller).  Not exactly a formula for success.  Luckily, FCD had some issues of their own, playing without Brek Shea and Marvin Chavez.  But for the Red Bulls, this game was more about returning players than those absent from the pitch.

Making his triumphant return to the starting XI was the Tank, Luke Rodgers.  Plain and simple, the Red Bulls are a different team when the Englishman is playing.  He worked relentlessly up top with fellow strike partner Juan Agudelo and netted the game’s only tally to secure the win for New York.

Rodgers exited at halftime for precautionary reasons, and the Bulls immediately went on the defensive.  Thank God for Frank Rost.  The man was a beast between the pipes.  Up until now, he’s been a bust, but on Friday, he showed just why he commands DP money.  He made some huge stops to keeps New York in the game and played the role of general, directing a makeshift (and All-American) backline.  Gotta say, I was impressed with Stephen Keel.  Yeah, that’s right.  He held his own, made some big stops, and sent a nice through ball to Agudelo to set up the game winner.  Mendes also filled in admirably, playing out of position at left back.  I don’t know about you guys, but I wouldn’t mind seeing last year’s CB combo of Ream and Mendes again, maybe put Rafa in the midfield (because you know the bench isn’t a realistic option).

When all is said, it’s a big step in the right direction.  New York still has two crucial games this week against RSL and Portland.  6 points from those two would do wonders for their playoff hopes.  As of today, the Bulls have the tenth and final playoff spot, but DC and Portland are on their heels.  The home stretch is here, how will New York respond?  Lemme hear your thoughts down below.

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What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Dallas?

Will the Red Bulls make the playoffs?

A season that started with so much promise is all but lost now.  After starting 4-1-2 in their first seven games and looking like the class of the league, New York is a pitiful 2-5-14.  Henry said it best after last weeks draw against the Fire, claiming that they are not where they want to be, but where they deserve to be.  Speaking of Thierry, where was he last night?  Oh, that’s right.  His inflammation flared up again.  Shocker.  Get this: the last two Red Bulls road games on turf (Seattle and Vancouver) Henry was absent as well.  I’d put my money on the Frenchman missing out the TFC road trip as well, but that’s just me.

Once again, the Red Bulls have a very clever way of making a tie in a must-win game seem almost acceptable.  This tactic, of course, is accomplished by not giving in a shit in the first 45, then playing actual soccer in the second half and grinding out two goals to walk away with yet another draw.  The fact of the matter is, it’s unacceptable.  Regardless of all the missing players, the Bulls still had plenty of talent to handle the lowly Revs.

God, there are so many things that pissed me off about last night, I can’t even begin to collect my thoughts, but I’ll start with Rafa.  I’ve been in his corner throughout his tenure here, and despite all the criticism he’s taken over the years, I’ve remained confident in his play.  But that’s just it, it’s not his play I’m concerned with anymore, it’s his effort.  Seriously, does he even give a shit anymore (if he ever did)?  Wearing the captain’s armband, you’d expect him to take a leadership role and command the backline and reinforce his teammates.  The only thing I saw last night was the Mexican bitching at the ref constantly and blaming others for his mistakes.  For the amount of money he’s making, it’s unacceptable.

Then there’s the Ballouchy-Backe love affair.  Jesus, does this piss me off.  The guy is shit, that’s all there is to say.  He’ll have a few nice touches on the ball, then give the ball away on another fucking back pass to no one in particular.  Once Auvray came in, the game seemed to open up more and the Bulls attack was more fluid.  Backe, please, take this fool of the pitch permanently.  He’s had chance after chance to prove himself and he simply hasn’t cut it.

Perhaps the only positive to take away from last night was Dane Richards’ brace.  His return to goal scoring is a sight for sore eyes.  He was the beneficiary of a great ball over the top courtesy of Tim Ream for his first and calmly tapped in from close in the 87^th off of a Joel Lindpere cross.  Dane said after the game that he predicted he’d score a hat trick before the game.  Almost, Dane, almost.

New York’s playoff hopes are looking slimmer and slimmer by the week, and although it seemed unfathomable at the season’s inception, we may just witness a post season void of Red Bulls soccer.  Without Tainio next week (red card suspension), New York’s task of beating a hot LA side just got even tougher.  Will New York find a way to make the playoffs?  Is this season a total flop?  Lemme know down below.

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What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against New England?

The Red Bulls are fading fast.  Even with games at hand against many of their Eastern Conference rivals, the Bulls find themselves slipping farther and farther down the table.  This is the same team that many were debating to be the best MLS squad ever assembled; yet their playoff legitimacy is seriously in question.  Go figure.

Gotta say, it was great to see RBA sold out and rocking last night.  Despite the team’s struggles, the fans are still behind this team (for the most part) and are getting behind the boys in white in full force.  The match started off with a lot of promise, too.  The possession play seemed to be back and Henry smashed home a class finish from just outside that 18 that beat Sean Johnson to the far post giving the Bulls a 1-0 advantage within 10 minutes.

Despite their strong play, the Fire managed to put away their two first half chances and take a 2-1 lead into halftime.  In all honestly, I think Chicago may have had two or three chances all game… that’s it.  But that’s they way soccer is; take your chances and you’ll have a pretty good chance to win.  The Bulls had loads of chances but didn’t have much to show for it, that is until Dane found a certain Estonian in the box who one touched it beautifully into the side netting.

From then on, the Red Bulls had the lion’s share of possession and created chance after chance.  Yet with each missed scoring opportunity, you could feel the chance for three points slipping away.  Yeah, I’m just as pissed as you guys that the Bulls have managed yet another tie, but there were some encouraging signs from last night.

First of all, Backe made a sub before the 85^th minute and no one was injured.  Yeah, you read that right.  I nearly shit my pants when I saw bench activity so early in the match (by Backe’s standards anyway).  The addition of Agudelo was key as hey worked his ass off, perhaps with some angry energy after Richards started up with Henry in his place.  Surprisingly enough, I was also impressed with the Red Bulls latest pick up Stephane Auvrey as he showed a lot of energy off the bench coming in for McCarty.  He was tough to knock of the ball and won crucial challenges in the midfield.  He even had a few scoring opportunities in the waning moments of the match.   And just in case it hasn’t been said before, Henry and Lindpere are absolutely BEASTS.  It’s clear that the Frenchman is here for much more than just a paycheck and has played as if he has something to prove.  As for Lindpere, he’s proved time and time again why he’s my favorite player.  He refuses to be outworked and doesn’t back down from anyone.  The way he barked at the ref after his goal got me pumped.  He don’t take no shit, and that mohawk is filthy.

What did you think about RBNY’s latest result?  Does this team still have what it takes?  Lemme know down below.

Side Note: Open practice in NYC was awesome, Red Bulls should do this more often.  It’s pretty damn cool to see all the players up close like that.  I got some autographs, pictures, and got interviewed for the team site too… not a bad day if you ask me.  Bee tee dubs, check out the epic voice crack at 3:04, top class.

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What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Chicago?

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?

The Red Bulls last two games have sent mixed messages, granted they were against very different opponents.  Taking on a rather weak Toronto squad, New York took it to Aron Winter’s squad with an emphatic 5-0 win.  Gotta say, it was pretty nice to see the offense firing on all cylinders.  Henry, Rodgers, Lindpere, and Agudelo all got on the board and all seemed right in the world of Red Bull.  Perhaps most importantly, New York posted a zero on the defensive end.  Yes, that’s right, a shut out for the Red Bulls.  Funny how in the beginning of the year, I actually had the audacity to believe that their defense prowess would hold up throughout the season; el oh el.

Then with DC into, the Scum played a rather solid game and pulled out a win courtesy of a Dwayne De Rosario goal (did you expect anything else)?  But hey, at least we got to hoist the Atlantic Cup, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought.  In a game where New York deserved to at least earn a tie, the Bulls couldn’t find a way to equalize and earn a share of the points.  And although De Ro’s goal couldn’t be blamed on poor goalkeeping, the damage had already been done throughout the balance of the year thanks to the less than stellar work of Bouna Coundoul and Greg Sutton.  With neither keeper proving to be dependable, Erik Soler made his move.

Soler delved into the depths of the Bundesliga and found German keeper Frank Rost.  At 6 foot 4, Rost combines the size of Sutton with the shot stopping ability of Bouna, but it all comes at a price.  The Red Bulls have filled their third and final DP slot to sign Rost, but it could be just what New York needs to get back on track.  At 38, Rost is hardly a spring chicken, nor in his prime.  But if goalkeepers have taught me anything, it’s that age does not define them.  You can look throughout the soccer world to see seasoned vets who still get the job done.  From the recently retired Edwin Van der Sar (40) at Man U, to Brad Friedel (40) at Tottenham, to Faryd Mondragon (40) right here in the MLS who as helped turn the Philly Bimbos into a quality team.  My only concern is how quickly Backe is throwing Rost into the fire.  After signing with the team just a few days ago, he will fly cross-country to LA and start when the Bulls take on Chivas.

What do you think of the new DP? Will the Red Bulls avenge their early season loss to Chivas?  Let me know down below.

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NEWS: There’s no place like home for the Tin Man Greg Sutton, who gets sent to back to his native Canada on loan to the Montreal Impact, his former team.

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Will the addition of Frank Rost solve RBNY’s defensive woes?

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

Agudelo silenced the haters, but sent RBA into a state of euphoria.

There was a bit of an uneasy feeling that the Red Bulls would fail to get another quality scoring chance after Thierry Henry squandered a PK chance to put New York up front early on, but rookie sensation Juan Agudelo would have none of it.

After a seemingly endless offseason, the 2011 season got underway with a 1-0 win in favor of the home team, but not without all the drama that usually surrounds a Red Bulls fixture.  Agudelo was lively all night and constantly created chances for himself and his teammates, starting with his nifty footwork in the box that drew a PK early in the first half.  The captain stepped up to the spot but telegraphed his shot to the bottom left, and Kasey Keller parried it away safely.  And even though New York was dominating possession, it was Seattle that had more scoring chances after the first 45.  That’s when you got the feeling that New York might not be able to pull out the win.

Enter Juan Agudelo.  As the Red Bulls were pushing for to split the deadlock, new acquisition Teemu Tainio sent a perfectly weighted ball over the top of the defense that found Agudelo, who did the rest.  After shrugging off two challenges, he squared up his shot a scorched a shot off the outside of his foot to give New York the tally it needed to secure all three points.

Hans Backe finally chose his starting keeper, as Greg Sutton manned the posts, and did so admirably.  Sutton came with a number of big stops including a one handed save on Fredy Montero’s shot from in close after he was sprung loose of a through ball from Alvaro Fernandez.  Things got nervy in the final minutes of stoppage time as Sutton was only able to deflect Montero’s knuckling free kick back in front of the goalmouth, but the rebound was skied over the crossbar effectively ending the threat.

The starting lineup was a little different than may have been expected, as Mehdi Ballouchy got the nod in place of Tony Tchani.  Jan Gunnar Solli started at right back as Tainio manned the center of the pitch.  While Ballouchy showed flashes of brilliance, he was overall not very effective playing the traditional number 10 role.  Once Tchani went in, New York’s offense came to life and created chances with his first few touches.  The defensive duo of Tim Ream and Rafa Marquez did well to shut the door on Seattle’s surges on the counter.

The one thing that the Red Bulls will look to improve upon is their finishing.  New York set themselves up well throughout the game, but constantly lacked the composure needed in the final third to get on the board.  To top it all off, Henry said he picked up a hamstring injury early in the game and his availability next week for their clash with Columbus is in question.  This is especially precarious as New York announced today that they’ve waived Salou Ibrahim.  Although he was mainly an ineffective, lazy, and slow forward, he did provide depth, and was competent at times.  This leaves Backe with slim pickings with all the international call-ups that will be absent from the lineup (Roy Miller not being one of them). Corey Hertzog seems to be the logical answer up top, perhaps pairing with Luke Rodgers, pending his health.  There will be many question marks in the lineup next week, but we’ll save that for another post.

For now, I’m content with taking three points, it wasn’t perfect, but given the fact that it was the first game together as part of retooled team, it’s more than acceptable.  It’s exactly what the title implies, a first step.  One down, 33 to go…

What grade would you give the Red Bulls performance against Seattle?customer surveys

Breaking up the Baby Bulls

Since when was MLS preseason supposed to be this interesting/frantic?  Between trips to Mexico and Florida (and Arizona coming up), cuts, signings, trialists, more preseason matches than one could handle, and the recent slew of injuries, the Red Bulls have had plenty on their plate.  Now, reports have come out saying that New York has cut ties with long-time assistant coach and two-time interim head coach Richie Williams along with goalkeeping coach Des McAleenan.  Not to mention the club waiving two of their 2010 Superdraft selections in Conor Chinn and Irving Garcia.  Oh yeah, and it’s not even March 19^th yet.  What is going on in Harrison these days?

First things first, New York took on the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers on Saturday and got the 2-0 result against their NASL opponents.  Thierry Henry and Mehdi Ballouchy found the back of the net for the Red Bulls as they handled the Strikers with relative ease.  Backe said he was happy with the possession that New York maintained throughout the match and was pleased with their overall performance.  Ballouchy, who missed out on valuable time with the team in Mexico, attempted to win a spot in the crowded New York midfield, and did so quite well.  He played the role of playmaker and impressed as he led the charge most of the day.  Backe is already of fan of Balloucy, and this only furthered his belief in the Moroccan.

Another huge talking point this week has become the recent injury to striker Juan Agudelo, who suffered a groin strain.  With Agudelo hurt and Luke Rodgers still absent from Red Bulls training, it begs the question, “who will partner with Henry come opening day?”  When asked, Backe said he wasn’t quite sure.  Potential options included Ballouchy or Dane Richards.  Neither are true strikers, but Backe did rule out another forward in Salou Ibrahim.  Backe said that his lack of pace would not pair well with Henry and therefore was out of contention.  Neither Ballouchy nor Richards would be a great fit with Henry, but I feel Ballouchy would probably be the lesser of two evils, so to speak.  In the meantime, we’ll all hope for a speedy recovery for Agudelo.

In other news, the Red Bulls have parted ways with the aforementioned Garcia and Chinn, along with two members of their coaching staff in Williams and McAleenan.  The roster needed to be shorted by today’s deadline, so Chinn and Garcia were the unfortunate ones to go.  Both players showed flashes of brilliances throughout their stints with the Red Bulls making appearances in the U.S. Open Cup and friendlies against Juventus, Man City, and Tottenham.  Both players may have had bright futures in MLS, and it’s sad to see them go (especially for Garcia who was about to get welcomed to a warm reception by his hometown fans).  However, cuts needed to be made and, in retrospect, these picks probably do make the most sense.  With regards to the coaching changes, there is still an air of mystery surrounding this matter.  Both coaches were long time members of the NYRB coaching staff, and the reason for their firing was undisclosed, other than simply “repeated offenses.”  Red Bull has yet to announce what those offenses were, but it must be something serious in order for them to be fired so close to the start of the season.  Williams was cited as Backe’s right hand man last year as he showed the Backe the ins and outs of American soccer.

Alas, there’s more preseason yet to come, and more twists and turns likely in store.  The good news is, we’re less than three weeks away from opening day.  Counting down the days, how bout you?

P.S. If you vote “Other” in the poll, let me know who that person was in comments below.

Assuming Rodgers and Agudelo are out, Who Should Start as Forward with Henry?customer surveys