Carolina Challenge Cup: Already, It’s Better Than Last Year (Plus, Another Back)
By: Martha | March 26th, 2007
Last year, RBNY marked their first year in the Carolina Challenge Cup by becoming the first MLS team ever to lose to the host Carolina Battery (yes, they’re a USL team), and finished the tourney with a grant total of zero points. This year in their first game, the Red Bulls survived another scare against the Battery but managed to escape with the full three points, thanks to a 90th minute goal by the great Dema Kovalenko.
What’s troubling is that RBNY played with a largely full-strength squad but were still held at bay for virtually the whole game, thanks to a combination of great goal-keeping and (the story of the pre-season) a failure to finish. Oh, and just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, Reyna had a penalty saved. Nice. But hey, three points is three points, right? RBNY face an actual MLS team on Wednesday, when they take on Toronto (who lost to Houston 2-0 on Saturday) in the event’s next round.
In other news, late last week the Red Bulls acquired former youth international Hunter Freeman from the Colorado Rapids. While Freeman’s relative youth (22), cheap price (a regular 3rd draft pick in 2008 and a 4th Round Supplemental Draft pick in 2009), and productive past have those in the know looking forward to his arrival, it really would be nice if we could bring in a topline centerback or two, rather than cover — no matter how skilled — for our solid wingbacks.
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Tags: Carolina Challenge Cup, Claudio Reyna, Dema Kovalenko, Hunter Freeman, Red Bulls, Results, Team NewsSubscribe
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