ALL THE BULL: International Call Ups, Exantus, and more

By: Dave Martinez | September 25th, 2008

Hey everyone. I am back.

There has been some construction in my office that forced me off the internet for nearly four days. I never knew technology could cause withdrawals . . . . but here I am, back to the old bloggeroo.

And here is some stuff I’ve missed (and maybe you have too) this week:

+ As some of you already know, Gabe Cichero and Jorge Rojas won’t be there for the leagues induction of RSL’s new soccer specific stadium. The Vinotinto calls, and after a couple of tough opening matches, they will be counting on these Bulls to buoy their World Cup hopes against Equador and Brazil. Any team that plays against Brazil immediately gets my attention, so who knows, I may do a running commentary on that match! GO VINOTINTO!

+ The Johnny X situation continues to be muddled. For those just joining us, Red Bull Academy standout Johnny Exantus was announced as a new signee for 4th Division Belgian side Belgian club Royal Racing of Montegnee. In their mission statement, they emphasis Royal’s goal to develop young academy players. Though they have fixtures to follow through April, they don’t emphasis championships in said mission. Instead, they stress an environment for young players to take advantage of, which includes media exposure, training and a vast support system.

So the question seems to be “How beholden is Johnny X to Royal?” The answer seems to be a unanimous “Ummmm?”

Now, Ives reports that the Red Bulls have made it clear no Academy Player would join the senior squad unless they accepted a developmental deal. And that may have been part of the reason for Johnny’s departure. The only loophole to a developmental deal would be to sign JX as their lone Generation Adidas player, which affords teams the luxury of signing a young stud at a better salary rate, but in return, they must commit to the player for three years. So what does the move tell you? Red Bulls feel that JX may be more of a chance than a sure thing, and with the way people rave over RBNY’s youth academies, the front office may feel that the commitment may mean passing over a potential stud. Needless to say, Mo Johnston would disagree.

+ INJURY REPORT: Danleigh Borman rolled his ankle and is questionable for this weekends clash against Colorado.

+ A popular stat has been ballied about this week: The Red Bulls have only managed 8 out of a possible 39 points on the road this season. And a home debut of a new stadium with a dangerous RSL squad presents no walk in the park. For a team with high aspirations for the post season, the Bulls need to learn what the rest of the world recognizes – champions are made on the road.

+ Here is a great read on the resurgent Mike Magee. Check it.

+ And finally – 10 points seperate the second place Revolution and the sixth place Wizards. If you add last place TFC to the equation, you are looking at 14. The Bulls are 7 behind the Revs, in a lone third place position. With a two game homestand starting off the final 5 games of the season, the Bulls are in excellent position to propell themselves into the postseason, especially considering their lowely opponents in TFC and Colorado. Get the job done boys!