Red bull rants and issues

By: Chris | May 17th, 2007

Ok folks, so while I was away with the flu, we have all been suffering the fallout of growing pains on and off the field. From our shotty midfield service to our poor defensive showing, the performance against Colarado cruelly exposed the lack of depth in our roster. While Bruce has wisely seeded the team with vital experience, subtract one or two increasingly injury prone veterans and you come away with a team which lacks organization and purpose.

And despite their winning record, our boys must be asking themselves what the point of point when no one is watching? With only 7,000 spectators filling a stadium of 60,000, we could field a team of trained seals and no one would notice.

My point is that passion makes for winning football. Just witness the capitulation of Chicago at the hands of a formerly toothless Toronto FC. We may have the best squad in the league, bu what is there to play for without fans to cheer you on? Much of this came be blamed on an office which seems to be run by marketing guru Jeff Agoos and a team of trained field.

Lets hope RBNY comes to their senses and puts some common sense back in to advertising—and im not talking about commercials or radio spots. Its called community outreach and it works because kids drag their parents to games.

According to their website, NYRB’s mobile marketing vehicle makes hundreds of stops at community events each year. So here is an assignment for any readers with kids in local soccer: have you ever seen or heard of this vehicle? Wouldn’t you think this might get kids, whose parents represent RBNY’s targeted fan base, excited about soccer?

Interested in meeting the RBNY players at your event or exhibition? For a mere $250 dollars, the chance can be yours (somehow, I feel this failed to trickle down to the 7,000 at the game last weekend)

Why not send a few players out to host local soccer camps, or exhibitions? A great example of this are the local camps and exhibitions hosted at Asphalt Green. We recently welcomed Joe Vide, who performed juggling and skill tricks with the kids. Granted, the kid’s had no idea who he was, but they saw the uniform, the skill and got the idea. By the end of the day, we he was mobbed by kids for autographs I was later approached by at least 6 to 10 parents who commented on their intention to attend the next RBNY game.

Unfortunately, event if you build it, they seldom come without invitation. The point is that if the team realistically hopes to draw on the area’s strong youth fan base, it will be done thru smart grass roots marketing, not pumping money in to big marketing dollars. Simply because there is no way we can compete for air time in an already crowded sports market.

Alright, end rant, now on to our 3 top RBNY issues if the week:

#1: The Defense:

So where did things go wrong last weekend? Depending on who you ask, it could be anything from organization, to Jeff Agoo’s team of trained seals, but most agree on the need for more experience. Minus Walrus, our backline seems to lack shape and while Jon Conway is an excellent keeper, his distribution and presence just isn’t the same. In the meantime, rumors of an Argentinean defender http://blog.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/, have come out of left field. But based upon several factors, I feel this is more likely to come from inside the league. While he didn’t train WITH this ball, this guy hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with Rich and Pierre (albeit a 1 day stint so far) I will report in as I learn more, but word is Stammler may be on the chopping block as Bruce looks for a trade closer to home.

#2: If it aint broke, don’t fix it:

So what was up with Jozy on the bench? I can understand the logic behind playing the “best” XI, but given our injuries, a pure goalscorer is unlikely to compliment the direct running of Clint Mathis. By contrast, Jozy has proven his ability to hold up the ball and allow the offense to build around him. This departure from earlier plans seems to underscore Bruce’s reliance on veterans—meaning Richards will also see the pine upon Schopp’s return. I can understand the need to shake thing up, but not the parts which were working.

#3: Todd Dunivant:

As the sole NYRB representative on the initial Gold Cup roster, congrats are in order for Mr. Todd Dunivant. Despite our dismal defensive form, this guy has really impressed with his composure and confidence on the ball. Given our dearth of left sided talent, lets hope he is ever present for club and country for years to come.