Clock Strikes Midnight on Bounatime

By: Eric Giacometti | July 16th, 2011

hsv_rost_x345 Wow, well hopefully you haven’t been using the Offside as your sole source for MLS news (as I know many of you do), because I haven’t been very diligent in updating you on all things Red Bull New York. With the Bulls facing some adversity (understatement of the year?), the front office has taken action and enlisted the help of German backstop Frank Rost. Will Rost be the stable netminder the Red Bulls need to get back to their winning ways? We’ll find out soon enough, starting on Saturday against New York bug-a-boo Chivas USA.

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?