RBNY Prepare to Take on the Champs (Where the Hell is JPL When You Need Him?)

RBNY try to put together a little early season winning streak tomorrow night when the MLS champion Houston Dynamo come to town. One problem could be the weather — it’s supposed to be gorgeous tomorrow, and since the natural habitat of a Red Bull is clearly a monsoon, it’s unclear how they’ll cope with clear skies and temperatures in the 60s at game time. Fingers crossed they find a way to battle through.

Barring a magic work permit spell, Angel won’t be around tomorrow, so we’re probably looking at the same starting lineup Bruce used against Dallas, up to and including the possible absence of a certain American designated player. Sigh. I suppose he could make a miraculous recovery, but despite Reyna’s return to training it’s been unclear all week whether he’ll be held out another game just in case. Even the club’s official preview of the game lists him as “questionable,” but whether that’s intended to lull those fools from Houston into a false sense of security or to reflect the reality of the situation is anybody’s guess.

Either way, we can be sure the core of the team that impressed so last weekend (albeit against a tired Dallas squad) will be on the pitch tomorrow night and won’t be lacking for confidence. Jozy and Cletus both have to be feeling fantastic after such a successful 90 minutes together, and despite how hairy things sometimes looked in the second half against Columbus, the Walrus and his backs are yet to be beaten this season, an accomplishment that has to be respected. And respected it is — after a whopping two games, RBNY are flying up the assorted MLS power rankings, topping out at #1 (!) in the CBA’s list (they love us in Canada) and sitting a very respectable fourth (up two from last week) on MLS Underground’s list.

Were I not an utterly crap prognosticator and afraid of jinxing us, I’d let me heart take me out on a limb and say 2-1 RBNY, but since Houston’s attack scares the hell out of me (not to mention when I try to guess the result of a game I’m inevitably pathetically wrong), I won’t risk it. See you at the park — I’ll be the boring one without the scarf or jersey.

Edit: Ives has a lineup, and says Reyna is fit and ready to go. Woo hoo! 

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Category: Claudio Reyna, Red Bulls, Team News