Obster has been linked to a move here sporadically since last year. The 25 year old has wanted to make the move sooner, but the mother/sister club just wasn’t letting him go, despite relegating him to bench duties for most of the Austrian season. Even so, he was with the team twice as they won Austrian league titles in 2007 and 2009.

It is expected that the young player will sit either behind Angel and (*forward name here) or claim that gaping hole left on the wing by Dave Van Den Bergh.

What are your thoughts on this signing? Will we see Obster debut against the Galaxy? Habla away!

image credit: ny post blog

From their official press release:

“We have been tracking Leo’s progress for some time and we think he will immediately add depth and experience to our defense,” said Red Bulls Sporting Director Jeff Agoos.

I wish I could offer more of an insight on the player, but frankly, I am unfamiliar with him. Nevertheless, he has been a part of a winning side in Israel, an underrated league at best. His signing surely spells trouble for centerbacks Carlos Mendes and Andrew Boyens, who will definitely take a bump down the depth charts if Krupnik succeeds in the U.S.

As an aside, his signing was announced this morning on ESPN Radio. It went a little something like this:

“And in anticipation of playing David Beckham, the Red Bulls have signed veteran defender Leo Krupnik to the team.”

Ya. That’s why.

Of course, a goalkeeper will not be the offensive answer this team has been searching for, but Coundoul will be a steadying influence on a backline that has been hurting all year long.

The cost of bringing Bouna Time aboard is Jon Conway. Though serviceable for quite some time with the Bulls, he has not been able to regain his winning form after being suspended for violations of the league performance enhancing drug policy. Conway is by no means the root of the Bulls problems, but he does represent another hefty salary being tossed to the way side. Conway joins Pietravallo on the Bulls cut list.

Bouna Coundoul’s signing is a slight ray of sunshine in an otherwise bleak 2009. Being that he has signed on through 2012, one can make the implication that this signing is just as much about the teams present state, as it is its future.

Now the one question on my mind is when will the ax start to fall on underachieving starters? Share your thoughts.

Unfortunately, I do not keep up with the Colo 2nd division, so I have about as much insight on him as the next guy. The signing does come as a bit of a surprise though, since the Bulls currently have four players covering the two CB spots (five if you put the ever versatile Seth Stammler into the equation), and no offensive motor to guide the midfield.

RBNY has not made the deal official yet, but MLS is usually the last source to report on a transfer.

Share your thoughts on this acquisition. And if you know the guy, educate us on what type of player he is!

IMG CREDIT: GolGolol.Net

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.

Thank. Goodness.

The article sites that the ITC was received, and the Red Bulls immediately transferred the required 30k transfer fee to FAS (which should keep their directors happy . . . and quiet!).

So, come this Saturday at Real Salt Lake, Alfredo Pacheco will be manning our backlines, and if one thing is certain, its this; we will all be seeing a lot of El Salvador jerseys in Giants Stadium this weekend.

Carlos Johnson showed great skill in his debut, despite the red card.It will only be a matter of time for the Red Bulls to see what Pacheco can offer. Will he be able to wake up that left sided attack?

Cut him!

Alec Dufty, after being named Man of the Match right here on TORB, has been waived to make room for Alfredo Pacheco. Though he was still with the team as of yesterday, his days with the Bulls are numbered.

As for Mac Kandji, he achieved “asylum” status in the United States, allowing him to now be able to travel out of the country with the team, and ultimately, making him a United States citizen (one step closer to the USMNT!). And what is an asylum status?

Wikipedia, do your work once more:

” . . . a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or Church sanctuaries (as in medieval times). Political asylum should not be mistaken with modern refugee law, which rather deals with massive influx of population, while the right of asylum concerns individuals and is usually delivered in a case-to-case basis.

The United States honors the right of asylum of individuals as specified by international and federal law. A specified number of legally defined refugees, who either apply for refugee status overseas, as well as those those applying for asylum after arriving in the U.S., are admitted annually.”

Kandji’s status change ultimately makes room for another international spot on the teams roster. And more over, he will now be able to compete in the upcoming CONCACAF Champions League games.

Theoretically.

You see, according to multiple South American news sources (like this one, and this one), Alfredo Pacheco picked up an injury during the 2-2 draw against the United States this past weekend. There is no indication of what type of injury it may be, nor does either article specify the severity, other than pointing out Pacheco is “probable” for todays qualifying clash (and he didn’t practice on Monday either).

Someone please get a job at the US Embassy and find a way to get these green cards passed a bit quicker, because this current route may result in more headache than results.

What makes this injury worse is that it may hinder Pacheco in what was expected to be his debut this weekend.

So, should this “tweek” be something to worry about? And is all of this taking a bit longer than anyone would like to admit? With only Celades in sight to take the pitch, will it be enough for the Red Bulls to achieve a decent result in Chicago this weekend? Share your thoughts.

Here is some of the latest news surrounding the Bulls today:

- So here is your Carlos Johnson update (since nothing can ever be done easy around here . . . ). Johnson has signed a contract with the Red Bulls through a Colombian agent that he recently took on. The problem? His former agent still has exclusivity with her client, or so she claims. According to the NY Times article, “Jan H. Schiefloe, a California-based agent, claims that the Red Bulls directed Johnson to a Colombian agent, Reuben Caicedo.” This has caused her to speak out against Red Bull, in particular, Jeff Agoos. All I care about is seeing Johnson in an RBNY kit as soon as possible. And if this gets in the way, I am sure there will be plenty of RBNY fans voicing out their displeasure.

- And in a rare piece of MLS insight, the article also highlights Johnson’s salary information: “Johnson, 24, signed a one-year contract, with a three-year option, with the Red Bulls for a base salary of $90,000 and a $53,000 roster bonus this year, increasing to $119,790 in 2012. The deal included incentives that could exceed $40,000 a year.”

- It is now official (and I wish I could have reported this when I found out weeks ago!) – The Red Bulls are honoring current season ticket holders by freezing their season ticket package prices for the 2010 season! Take a read here.

- Jack Bell at the New York Times has a wonderful write up on the past, present and future of Red Bull Arena, featuring some quotes from Mr. Erik Stover. Click here for the write up.

- Steve Goff reports the pending MLS return of US National Team Defender and New Jersey product, Gregg Berhaltar. Anyone interested?

- Ives has his MLS soccer rankings up for this week. The good news? Red Bulls aren’t the bottom of the barrell (they are just 13th!). The bad news? This weeks opponent, the Chicago Fire, are #1. Oh joy.

- And finally . . . I have to say that I am quite pleased with RBNY’s efforts to advertise the team in a variety of different ways. The “Bulls on Parade,” for as hokey as some people claimed it was, generated a viral “weird” factor that got peoples attentions. This latest effort is very cool – taking a high powered projector into the city, and having it run RBNY highlights the whole way through, while the street team does its juggling in front of it. For a team that has long desired a vamping of its advertising techniques, this year, they are taking it to a new level. Check out the video below!

New York Red Bulls: Projections from Red Bulls Reader on Vimeo.

*** Courtesy of RedBullsReader ***

img. credit: Laurent Gillieron/AP Photo

Before we get into the status of Alfredo Pacheco and Albert Celades, I have to highlight this spectacular video. Pacheco has been an intergral part, not only in Salvadorean football, but for his club FAS in their domestic league; so much so that they gave him a going away party! Check out the video and watch Pacheco get showered in some love.

And speaking of Pacheco – did you guys catch him this past weekend? I hope you had DVR because the big guy will be a huge pick up for the Red Bulls.

He is a large defender who really shut down the left side of the field to the point where the United States really had no avenue to exploit. He played physical football the entire way through, surging with the ball when he could, and shutting down defenders more often than not. Dangerous on both ends, he will surely provide the cross this team has been missing on that left side since Dave Van Den Bergh.

I for one can’t wait for his arrival.

And what of Albert Celades? Well, Brian Lewis at the Post reports that Celades has indeed secured his P-1 Visa. After another trip to Spain, he should be ready to roll against the Chicago Fire this week.