Finishing in Style

The New York Red Bulls’ last game in 2009, which happened to be the last soccer game ever to be played at Giants Stadium, marks the end of an era.  The franchise also hopes that this game fully represented a symbolic break from the past, as it never won a trophy in the 14 years that this stadium served as home.[1]   Fans will miss the spacious tailgating and parking areas at Giants Stadium, but nothing else.

Both the Red Bulls and their fans tried to make the rainy October 26th finale a memorable farewell.  At the RagingBullNation (RBN) pregame “Roundup,” we gathered around the grill to symbolically exorcise the Meadowlands demons by burning MLS player cards of both external and internal franchise “killers.”  Inside the stadium, RBN Nationals, Diplomats, and friends cheered the team as fervently as ever while the team generated its best offensive production of the season.  Key combinations between Juan Pablo Angel and Mac Kandji, coupled with a stellar performance in goal by Bouna Coundoul, resulted in a 5-0 thrashing of Toronto F.C., knocking our Canadian neighbors out of a playoff spot.

This result also prevented the Red Bulls from tying two league non-desirable season records: those of fewest wins (4) and fewest goals scored (25).  The only ignominious record that remains is the 27 and counting road winless streak in regular season MLS games.  The Red Bulls will have to wait at least one game to try to end that record as the team’s next official league encounter will be at its new home, Red Bull Arena, on March 27th 2010, against the Chicago Fire.

For those of you who have not been to Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, we urge you to pay this gem a visit.  Surely, the awe-inspiring contemporary architecture, combined with your passion for Red Bulls soccer, will compel you to purchase New York Red Bull 2010 season tickets ASAP.  Seeing it via the webcam will not do it justice.  The natural Kentucky Bluegrass is carefully nurtured with a state-of-the-art moisture management, drainage, breathing, and temperature-control system.

No more headaches from trying to discern MLS-regulation field markings from those of other sports.  Yes, my friends, all you will see are soccer-specific markings at Red Bull Arena (RBA), accented by the proximity of seats surrounding the field of play.  If you are still drying out from this season’s “Flood Finale,” take comfort in the fact that RBA will have a unique metal composite fabric roof that will let the warming and cultivating rays of the sun in, but keep the water out of the stands.  The roof will also help amplify support for the home team by its fans. Simply stated, Red Bull Arena will be one of the best soccer venues in North and Central America, if not the best.

Metropolitan New York is very fortunate that Red Bull bought out AEG’s share of this stadium two years ago – on November 16, 2007 – and made fundamental changes to the design.  Red Bull Arena is filling up quickly and at least three sections are already sold out.  Huge congratulations to Erik Stover and the entire Red Bulls Front Office team!

The concern at this point is not the home venue but the team’s play.  A final, terrific game has not erased the fact that 2009 was a disappointing and at times ugly season but it has left fans puzzled as to why Angel and Kandji could not combine this way over any of the prior 33 contests this year.[2]   The Red Bulls need to find a way to have such performances on a consistent basis and build greater player depth.

New York began its 14th season striving to return to MLS Cup but failed to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years.  The Red Bulls played better than its 5 wins, 6 ties and 19 league losses would indicate, and under Richie Williams the team’s record was actually 3 wins, 2 ties and 3 losses (and yes Richie should strongly be considered for/offered the head coaching position).  To be sure, the team seemed haunted at times by bad calls and bad breaks; for instance, a phantom PK call against San Jose recently resulted in a loss instead of a tie.  However, the main reasons for the team’s poor record this year seemed to be:

• too many games that coupled poor finishing and defensive lapses;

• mental mistakes most prevalent in the minutes close to the beginning and endings of the two halves; and

• the failure of player acquisitions.

Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel seems to have lost a step and was unable to convert at least a half dozen goal scoring opportunities the way he had done in his first two MLS seasons.  However, Juan Pablo was still one of most effective forwards in the league and he had a hand in over half of the team’s goals.  Congratulations to Juan Pablo on becoming the all-time leading scorer in franchise history this year!  Senegalese forward Mac Kandji showed in several games his raw potential and power, but he needed to combine more effectively with his teammates in most of the games.  Not having a true playmaker has also hurt the team.

The lapses and mistakes are too numerous to list out but characteristic of this year, during what was arguably the team’s most important game, the usually dependable Kevin Goldthwaite turned the ball over just before the end of the first half which led to the second T-Connection goal and helped oust the Red Bulls from the CONCACAF Champions League competition, effectively limiting the remainder of the team’s season to playing with pride which, to the team’s credit, it did.

Perhaps no game was more painful and impactful than the 3-2 loss to D.C. United at home earlier in the season, a game in which New York battled back to have a 2-1 lead in the 90th minute; inexplicably, Salvadoran left back Alfredo Pacheco twice let the man he was marking get to a ball between himself and the goal and Jon Conway, off his line, was unable to get to the balls first or make saves.

However the primary reason for the team’s dismal performance was the poor track record in player decisions over the past two years by Jeff Agoos and Juan Carlos Osorio.

On the bright side, New York has been doing better in selecting players at the draft, including US midfielders and defenders Jeremy Hall and Nick Zimmerman this past year.  However, the Red Bulls have also wasted two high draft picks on central defenders, Eric Brunner (in 2008) and (Baba)jide Ogunbiyi (in 2009), who would not sign with the club based on contract terms.

I don’t know what the allocation fee for Bouna Coundoul was but this Senegalese goalkeeper appears to be the team’s best signing in 2009. Costa Rican right back Carlos Johnson, franchise leading center back Mike Petke, and Spanish midfielder Albert Celades were often strong; but had some moments where they struggled as well.  Too little was seen of Austrian midfielder Ernst Oebster and Argentine defender Walter Garcia to know how they will do.

Typically, the acquired players struggled and these included Venezuelan center back, Gabriel Chichero; El Salvadoran defender, Alfredo Pacheco; defender Leo Krupnik, who was born in the Ukraine; Argentine midfielder, Juan Pietravallo; Venezuelan midfielder, Jorge Rojas; Ghanaian forward, Dominic Oduro; and Bermuda midfielder, Khano Smith. The “speed kills” experiment only hurt the Red Bulls, with Oduro and Smith not catching on.  Jamaican midfielder Dane Richards sometimes seemingly tried to do too much and struggled more than the year before.  Also, Cameroon midfielder, Matthew Mbuta, found it difficult to get playing time.

The Red Bulls felt the loss of non-returning players, especially Dave van den Bergh.  This is probably true for not only field play but Dave had a great reputation for the important intangibles as well, like work ethic and locker room presence.  Unfortunately, the Red Bulls traded Dave van den Bergh to F.C. Dallas this off-season for too little in exchange.  Yes, there were family concerns at issue, but it is unacceptable to have received anything less than fair value in this trade in light of how van den Bergh played in 2008.  Van den Bergh, who was third in the league this year in assists with 11, was sorely missed by the Red Bulls.  Let us not forget Chris Leitch, who was traded for allocation money and an international slot.  He had 7 assists with the San Jose Earthquakes.  For more on this topic, please read Frank Giase’s “Red Bulls season was doomed by a series of poor personnel decisions.”

On a positive note, John Wolyniec won the 4th annual “Heart of the Bull” Award; South African midfielder and defender, Danleigh Borman; Mike Petke; and midfielder, Seth Stammler were nominated as well.  John joins Marvell Wynne, Joe Vide and Seth Stammler as recipients of this award.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Heart of the Bull, it is awarded to the player who makes the most positive contributions to the New York Red Bulls first team and to interacting with the core fan base.

As well as John has played, I’m not sure he will be protected in the upcoming Expansion Draft.  As a designated Generation Addition player, Jeremy Hall will be exempt.  I’m assuming that Giorgi Chirgadze will fit into this category as well.  I believe New York will be able to protect 11 more players and I think these will include: Juan Pablo Angel; Danleigh Borman; New Zealand defender, Andrew Boyens; Bouna Coundoul; Kevin Goldthwaite; Carlos Johnson; Macoumba Kandji; Ernest Oebster; Mike Petke; Dane Richards; and Seth Stammler.  If Ernest is not coming back, then the team would protect Walter Garcia, if they have to protect three Senior Internationals.  If not, then either Danny Cepero, Sinisa Ubiparapovic or Luke Sassano would also be protected.

This off-season, I will write an article that addresses MLS’ new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), as well as any changes to the New York Red Bulls including hopefully an additional central midfielder to work alongside Seth.  The CBA, which governs player contracts, expires this year and so a new one has to be established.  This is very important for two reasons: 1) MLS cannot afford an interruption of any kind; a lockout/strike would be disastrous; 2) the new salary cap and other key features of the new CBA will dictate how the league is perceived and which players will join the league.

MLS should strive to increase the salary cap by $3 million to $5.1 million and increase the roster size by at least six players to 30.  This would help make a huge difference to the quality of the league and MLS’ ability to compete in international tournaments.  The league should get to a point where it can offer some players in Europe and South America around $300,000 per season without putting a strain on the team’s depth and overall roster quality, because too few players represent too large a percentage of the team’s salary cap.  I also hope the Reserve League is resurrected, even if it means that each team’s reserve games are played only against those teams in their conference and against local USL teams.

It is time for New York to select a Sporting Director, who will draft as well as New England, acquire MLS talent as well as the Houston Dynamo, and sign overseas talent as well as DC United has historically done and the way the Seattle Sounders did in 2009.  The Red Bulls need a strong start to 2010 and this must begin with making the right decisions on players!

———-

[1] outside of the 2004 pre-season La Manga Cup in Murcia, Spain.

[2] including the US Open Cup and CONCACAF’s Champions League

Posted by: chief

Heightened Expectations: A 2009 New York Red Bulls Season Preview

Key Losses: Dave van den Bergh, Diego Jimenez, Jeff Parke and Chris Leitch
Key Additions: Mike Petke, Dominic Oduro, Khano Smith and Jeremy Hall

New York begins its 14th season striving to return to MLS Cup but this time to win that final match.  While some fans and pundits will not make too much of the results from the Red Bulls’ first two games in March (away against the expansion Seattle Sounders FC on March 19th followed by the home opener versus archrival, New England Revolution, on March 28th), with the playoffs and long-awaited move to a state-of-the-art, grass field, soccer specific stadium just around the corner, all eyes will be focused on how the Red Bulls are performing come this October.  Will 2009 be the year New York finally wins some silverware or will the team really make a splash and win the treble?[1]  Here are some key questions and related commentary from me for the 2009 season.

1. Can Juan Carlos Osorio work some more magic?

In 2008, Juan Carlos Osorio and the team turned around a season like no other New York coach and squad have done, going from a highly possible outlook of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2002 to playing in the MLS Cup final, which noNew York team had previously achieved.  This is partly due to Juan Carlos seemingly getting better production out of some of his players – like Kevin Goldthwaite, Carlos Mendes, and Chris Leitch – than his predecessors managed.  Goldthwaite will probably make further adjustments this season as he expects some time at centerback.  With Juan Carlos further able to reshape the Red Bulls with players he has selected this off-season, there are heightened expectations that the club will be very competitive in advancing to the MLS Cup final again (if not winning it this time around) despite a very average regular season record last year.  New York-fan favorite and franchise leader in games played Mike Petke returns and has been joined by fast forwards/midfielders Dominic Oduro and Khano Smith as well as rookies Jeremy Hall, Jack Traynor and Nick Zimmerman.  Still, other players are under trial.
 
2. How far can the Red Bulls advance in the CONCACAF Champions League?

With its great playoff run in 2008, New York qualified to play in the Champions League’s two-leg Preliminary Round series in late July/early August with the winner qualifying for the Group Stage.  There are expectations that New York will advance in the CONCACAF competition so that the much anticipated first game at Red Bull Arena would be against a Champions League opponent in the Group Stage.  One of the league’s best initiatives has been increased international play with Superliga and with the CONCACAF Champions League replacing the CONCACAF Champions Cup.  These international competitions add excitement.
 
3. How much will the reduced roster size and elimination of the reserve league hurt the Red Bulls?

MLS had already dampened club incentives to develop players through the unnecessary restrictions placed on signing its own academy players.  As if not enough damage was done to player development already, the league has also reduced the roster size from 28 to 24 which, coupled with the additional games faced by participating in the CONCACAF Champions League and hopefully advancing further in the U.S. Open Cup, places more pressure that everyone on the roster is “match fit” and can contribute seamlessly against any opponent the team faces.

With the reduced roster size, the league also eliminated the reserve league which served as the only formal mechanism for game experience for those who do not benefit from first team action and to enable coaches to see who might be ready for the “next level.”  Under these circumstances, player roster selection and execution of the team’s training plan become increasingly important.  Some hard choices will have to be made and some talented players will have to be left off of the roster such as two of the team’s four goalkeepers in camp (Patterson-Sewell having already returned to Australia).  The team now has to arrange friendly matches for those players not regularly playing, however and whenever it can, and with less overall squad depth even though the number of non-league matches has increased for the team.

4. How much will the Red Bulls miss Dave van den Bergh? 

It’s ironic that Dave van den Bergh was one of the first players rumored to have been put on the trade block in 2008 by Juan Carlos Osorio and that the coach did not think the Dutchman would be a good fit in how he wanted his team to play.  Last year, Dave came up big for his coach game after game and was neck-and-neck with Juan Pablo Angel as the team’s MVP last year.  In addition to game changing plays, assists and goals, Dave showed great versatility playing center midfielder and left back in addition to left midfielder.  Moreover, Dave had a great reputation for the important intangibles such as work ethic and locker room presence.

For personal reasons, Dave sought a trade to Dallas which the Red Bulls obliged for seemingly too little in exchange.  This is not a knock on Dominic Oduro who New York acquired in the trade; Dave’s shoes would be difficult to fill for most MLS players.  Consistent, positively impactful players are hard to find in MLS and Dave was one such player last year and arguably part of a league-wide “Best Starting XI.”  Dave sometimes struggled to cover the wing, but when has Khano Smith done a better job than Dave at this?

Hopefully, some combination of Dominic, Khano, Danleigh Borman and the 2010 draft pick makes it easy to forget the Dutchman; then much credit will be due to both the Red Bulls and these players.  If Dane Richards can play more games like the playoff game in Houston then van den Bergh’s departure will also be easier to absorb.

5. Which key Red Bull players will disappoint, if any?  In Rojas We Trust?

No player means more to New York than Juan Pablo Angel.  We could write a lot about what he contributes, but suffice it to say that Juan Pablo needs to stay healthy and to get service for the club to be successful this year.  Juan Carlos Osorio’s two biggest acquisitions that need to prove themselves – after hot and cold performances last year – are Juan Pietravallo and Jorge Rojas.

Juan Pietravallo eats up a sizeable portion of the team’s salary cap.   A mid-season acquisition in 2008, Juan started slow when he didn’t seem able to make accurate passes.  He then increasingly played better and was able to provide some good bite in the defensive midfield role with effective ball control.  Unfortunately, Juan then began to play recklessly with poorly timed tackles that gave opponents free kick scoring opportunities and forcing the Red Bulls to play a man down on an occasion; coupled with several other plays that were reckless and close to an ejection.  For the money Juan earns, he has to play better and be more consistent; anything but strong, starting performances will be a disappointment.  I’ve not seen Juan on any projected starters list and that is a bad beginning sign.
 
Jorge Rojas is expected to earn starts as well and produce in the playmaking role; the Red Bulls have decided against going after another player to compete for playmaker and really could only turn to Sinisa Ubiparapovic if Jorge begins to falter or gets injured.  While Jorge definitely showed moments of great play in 2008, he also was invisible in large stretches of some of the most important games in which he played or even worse failed to get or keep possession of the ball, seemingly a step too slow.  It’s possible that the Red Bulls could turn to Jeremy Hall but that would be a lot to thrust on the rookie and it’s more likely that Jeremy’s responsibilities would probably be behind Jorge, covering more ground and playing either box to box or even as a right back platooning with Luke Sassano, Nick Zimmerman and potentially Carlos Johnson if he joins the club.

Lastly, fan favorite Mike Petke is also being thrust into the limelight as he is probably going to start (at least until decisions are made on trialists) as the lone centerback in a 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, 3-1-4-2 or alongside Andrew Boyens or Kevin Goldthwaite in a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.  Is Mike ready for this challenge at this stage in his career?  I’m sure he would say that he is.

6. Red Bull ‘rithmetic: Who will the Red Bulls add and subtract during the year?

New York is looking to sign two defenders in the next couple of weeks.  Will it be Costa Rican Carlos Johnson and Spaniard Albert Celades or will Argentineans Gabriel Quirulef, Nicolas Villafane, Salvadoran left back Alfredo Pacheco, Trinidadian Aklie Edwards, Mexican Jaime Duran or Honduran Emilio Izaguirre that join the team?  I’m already assuming that Oscar Echeverry will not be offered a roster spot and the team will keep John Wolyniec as the fourth forward.  Also, I think that just Danny Cepero and Jon Conway will be the team’s goalkeepers.  I’d like not to lose anyone else but the team might have to release someone like fan favorite and solid contributor Carlos Mendes unless second round draft pick, Babajide Ogunbiyi, does not sign with the team.

7. How much will New York benefit from speed?
 
Can you imagine what the Red Bulls would be like if Bruce Arena had not traded Marvell Wynne?  Even without the USMNT defender, New York has some serious pace with Dane Richards, Dominic Oduro, Khano Smith, Mac Kandji and Matthew Mbuta leading the charge and Jeremy Hall and Danleigh Borman probably not far behind.  Hopefully, the Red Bulls can put this speed to use and couple it with another type of speed – the fast thinking – that Juan Pablo Angel and Jorge Rojas possess along with accurate passing.

8. What will be the Red Bulls challenge area in 2009?

In 2007, the Red Bulls played poorly against the top four MLS teams.  In 2008, they played poorly on the road for most of the year (although they turned this around in the playoffs).  What will be the team’s challenge area in 2009?

9. Which young players will make an impact in 2009?

Will Luke Sassano, Danleigh Borman, Danny Cepero, Mac Kandji and Matthew Mbuta continue with their solid play from 2008 and will Jeremy Hall, Jack Traynor and Nick Zimmerman be able to contribute to the first team?  With help needed in central defense, will second round draft pick Jide Ogunbiyi sign with the team?  I believe he will not sign for anything less than a senior contract; and with the team looking to sign veteran defenders, it looks less and less likely that this will happen.

10. Who will win the 4th annual “Heart of the Bull” Award?

For those of you unfamiliar with the Heart of the Bull, it is awarded to the player who makes the most positive contributions to the New York Red Bulls first team and to interacting with the fan base/season ticket holders.  Will Seth Stammler become the first player to repeat as a Heart of the Bull recipient, or will another player step up to win the award?  Until his injury, Seth produced steady defensive midfield play coupled with being an anchor for fans – interacting with the 12th Man, as well as helping raise money and awareness to supporting basic living needs in Haiti.  Other Heart of the Bull finalists from last year included Jon Conway, Dane Richards and Kevin Goldthwaite.  The field is wide open in 2009, and any of the 24 players could win the award.
 
11. What will be the impact of the CBA and RBA?

The CBA or Collective Bargaining Agreement, which governs player contracts, expires in 2009 and so a new one has to be established.  This is very important for two reasons: 1. MLS cannot afford an interruption of any kind; a lockout/strike would be disastrous. 2. the new salary cap and other key features of the new CBA will dictate how the league is perceived.

Right now, with some entry players earning less than $20,000,[2] MLS is viewed as an inferior league.  The minimum a player earns must be higher; also, the league should get to a point where it can offer some European players around $300,000 per season without putting a strain on the team’s balance, because too few players represent too large a percentage of the team’s salary cap which today is around $2.1 million.

The league should strive to increase the salary cap by $3 million to $5.1 million and increase the roster size by at least six players to 30.  This would make a huge difference to the quality of the league and MLS’ ability to compete in international tournaments.  However, money is not a panacea and the league would do well to learn from USL, given how well their teams have done in this year’s CONCACAF Champions League.

For over a decade, New York fans have waited patiently for a soccer specific stadium.  RBA or Red Bull Arena, will open sometime in early 2010.  While opening day can not come soon enough, Red Bull fans are fortunate to have an owner who is making the stadium focus about soccer; alternative stadium uses are completely secondary.  For that fact alone, it’s been worth the wait.  Opening day in the new stadium will be quite an event and hopefully it will include participation by key players in this franchise’s history.[3]

The benefits of this New York franchise ownership group do not stop there, but carry over to now include fan interaction as well.  Managing director Erik Stover and Coach Juan Carlos Osorio have been tremendous in answering fans’ questions in a number of forums such as Red Bulls Reader, an ESC drive and Soccer by Ives.  I encourage everyone to join the New York Red Bulls bandwagon now before it’s too late; in today’s economy, one will not find a better value for your entertainment dollar than by becoming a Red Bulls season ticketholder in the RagingBullNation fan club section.

Here’s wishing the Red Bulls a great start to the 2009 season!

TNT
 
ENDNOTES:

[1] Even if New York just wins the U.S. Open Cup, this would have the added benefit of qualifying New York for the 2010 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round. 

[2] The minimum player salary has increased from $13,000 to $20,000 for the 2009 season. 

[3] E.g., Gio Savarese, Roberto Donadoni, Tab Ramos, Clint Mathis, Tim Howard, Eddie Pope, Amado Guevera and Jozy Altidore along with current players.  One person who may not be invited is Patrick McCabe who is the player agent representing two players drafted by the Red Bulls the past couple of years that have yet to sign a contract with the team.

Posted by: chief

Thanks for the Ride: A 2008 Season Retrospective of the New York Red Bulls

In anticipation of the excitement of a potential repeat appearance in the MLS Cup Final, our very own “TNT” offers this thoughtful restrospective to get us back in the mood . . .

Before we preview the Red Bulls’ 2009 season, it’s important to reflect back on 2008 which was a roller coaster ride of highs and lows not unlike each of the preceding dozen years of this MLS franchise.  Distinct from past seasons, however, New York capped off 2008 with a gutsy, improbable playoff run that led to the team’s first ever participation in MLS Cup.  While the Red Bulls lost 3-1 in the final to the Columbus Crew, who were led by center attacking midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto, it was still a great season for New York.  Overall, the Red Bull fans who kept the faith were rewarded with some
memorable performances.  Congrats to the entire team on their 2008 efforts, especially to Juan Pablo Angel, Dave van den Bergh, Seth Stammler and Juan Carlos Osorio!!!

Late in the 2008 season, a playoff spot – let alone a top five MLS finish to guarantee qualification in either the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League or the SuperLiga tournament – looked increasingly unlikely.  On August 9th, the Red Bulls were tied with the Kansas City Wizards for last place in the Eastern Conference.  Three days prior, New York had played FC Barcelona in an exhibition match and suffered a 6-2 whipping.  “It’s funny, but I really think the Barcelona game helped us (sic),” Mike Magee said. “We saw how it’s played at the highest level, and it brought us together. [1]”  New York proceeded to
reel off three straight wins, starting with a 4-1 victory over DC United followed by two shutouts: 2-0 against Toronto FC and 3-0 against the then two-time defending MLS Cup Champion Houston Dynamo.  While New York had managed good wins at home (e.g., Chivas and FC Dallas) and impressive ties on the road (e.g., New England) earlier in the season, this impressive three game stretch in August was critical to saving the Red Bulls 2008 season.

But it was not always rosy.  Among the lows were injuries to key players, player transactions, league suspensions and poor performances at other critical points in the season.

Juan Pablo started the season injured.  He played less than half of the first part of the season and was visibly hampered when he did play then.  Claudio Reyna did not make the positive impact expected of a Designated Player; in his final season, he played only in parts of six games and his final game before retiring was a 5-1 loss to Chicago at home in May.  Injuries also sidelined Dave van den Bergh, Seth Stammler, Dane Richards, Oscar Echeverry and Hunter Freeman at some point during the season.

With a couple of games left in the season, the club lost starters Jeff Parke and Jon Conway for purportedly ingesting something called Jungle Warfare which contains a league banned substance.[2]   Conway and Parke had been solid and their absences suddenly thrust young Danny Cepero and Diego Jimenez, loaned midway through the season by UAG Tecos, into the spotlight; in light of these circumstances, both Danny and Diego performed admirably during this crucial period.

Play by three other of Juan Carlos’ new arrivals – Venezuelan MNT left/center midfielder Jorge Rojas, Argentinean defensive midfielder Juan Pietravallo, and Venezuelan MNT centerback Gabriel Cichero –- was perplexing as it ranged from very favorable to effective and even to very costly (e.g., turnovers, poor marking, inopportune fouls, etc.).  When New York really needed to win in late September and October – but even a tie would have considerably helped them out – the Red Bulls lost 5-4 to Colorado at home, 3-1 to Toronto at home and 5-2 to Chicago away in the last game of the season.  The play by these three amigos in these three losses was awfully disappointing and left fans woeful.  In the end, New York needed the Columbus Crew to tie or beat D.C. United on the final day of the regular season in order to qualify for the playoffs.

Under these conditions, no pundit saw how the Red Bulls could get past the Dynamo in the first round of the playoffs but New York not only did just that but did it in style with a solid 1-1 tie at home followed by a second 3-0 shutout against Houston, this time on the road.  It was a fantastic overall team effort with Dane Richards, having the best game of his MLS career in the final and deciding match and scoring a goal and setting up the other two.  Then, New York took a 1-0 lead over Real Salt Lake on a van den Bergh goal and managed to hold onto it to make it to MLS Cup.

There were many heroes in 2008.  When Juan Pablo’s health improved, he exploded with a dozen goals, despite being double and sometimes tripled-teamed, to finish the regular season with 14 – fourth best in the league – and team MVP honors.

Dave van den Bergh and Seth Stammler were also among the more valuable players with both having a handful of stellar game performances.  In training camp, Dave van den Bergh was one of the first names surfaced of players on the trading block, however, he proved himself all season long and during the playoffs at a variety of positions, carried the team when Juan Pablo was injured and finished second on the team in both goals and assists.  Seth was very effective in the midfield, played part of the season through a painful injury (before having surgery) and took home the 2008 “Heart of the Bull” Award for his overall performance on the field and interaction with the New York Red Bulls’ supporters.  Dane Richards overcame two injuries and led the team in assists.

John Wolyniec put forth his usual tireless effort but had difficulty scoring and setting up teammates until the playoffs where he had 2 goals, an assist and other contributions.  Earlier in the year, the Red Bulls traded away one of their primary offensive threats and promising young star Jozy Altidore, to Villareal.  The departure of Jozy was inevitable and the Red Bulls were wise to get significant compensation for him.

Defenders Kevin Goldthwaite, who led the field players in minutes played, Chris Leitch and Carlos Mendes performed significantly better under Juan Carlos Osorio than under prior coaches.  A number of young players, namely Andrew Boyens, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparapovic, Mac Kandji, Mike Magee, Matthew Mbuta and Danleigh Borman had important contributions during the 2008 season.

Special to note is how they came together as a team with the following twelve players standing out in the playoff run: Juan Pablo Angel, Dave van den Bergh, Dane Richards, Andrew Boyens, Danny Cepero, Kevin Goldthwaite, Diego Jimenez, Chris Leitch, Carlos Mendes, Luke Sassano, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and John Wolyniec.  It was a season to remember.  Thank you New York Red Bulls!!!

[1]  Red Bulls Turn Into Tough Team, The New York Times, Jack Bell, September 17, 2008
[2] What I learned at the Supporters Summit, The Kin of Fish blog, November 22, 2008
 
 TNT

Posted by: chief

Going for Gold . . . Someday

The 2008 US Men’s Olympic team came “oh so” close to reaching the quarterfinals by passing some of the most difficult tests over the course of the three games in the group stage. It is because of these accomplishments and the fact that the team did not ultimately advance, that it is much more difficult and painful to accept falling short.

Falling short was primarily the result of a few moments of lack of discipline, game situation mental errors, bad luck and inches. In the 2002 World Cup, luck went the USMNT’s way in group play as it didn’t get the draw against Poland that was needed however Portugal didn’t score a goal against South Korea but instead allowed one; if Portugal had tied South Korea, Portugal would have advanced and not the US.  In the 2008 Olympics, ultimately the ball did not bounce in the US’ favor; the Netherlands were gifted a soft PK call against Japan and converted it and the quarterfinal berth.

In the minds of many in “Sam’s Army” is that the US Olympic team’s game against Nigeria should have been only about first place/avoiding Argentina and not survival; and the US should not have needed any points from this game but only to rest some or all of its players with yellow cards.

Because the Olympic team was so close to advancing past the group stage, some fans are asking if a few changes could have made a difference. What if a card was not received, foul not committed or jump not made? Should Donovan have come to China instead of McBride and potentially have missed a qualifier (particularly in light of the lack of service available to McBride based on the other players selected for the Olympic team)?  Why didn’t Altidore, Davies and Szetela get more playing time? Why wasn’t a third sub used in the Netherlands game and/or Adu left in? What would have happened if Spector was healthy? Why wasn’t there at least one other left-sided option on the roster?  How can fans support Feilhaber’s efforts to enjoy another on-the-field glory moment like in the Gold Cup victory over Mexico?

But when I step back from these “what if” questions to think about the 2008 Olympic tournament, it’s the most excited I’ve been about the future of the USMNT since the U20 games against Poland, Brazil, Uruguay and Austria last summer.  Even in comparison to the U20 World Cup, I don’t think I’ve seen a young US squad pass and possess the ball with as much skill and gumption as this Olympic team did for approximately 60 minutes against the Netherlands. The degree of attractive attacking soccer was encouraging especially against the Dutch. Also, how could one not love the heart and effort the US Olympic team displayed the entire time a man down in the game against Nigeria?

As Ives Galarcep conveyed on “Soccer by Ives,” the US Men’s Olympic team showed signs of being good enough to advance and being skilled enough to play with most teams in the tournament, but in the end it was a squandered opportunity. Hopefully, these great players will continue to improve their skills (e.g., finishing, speed of play/control, shape), learn from their mistakes in judgment and play with a greater level of consistency and composure for the 90+ minutes required. The players should know that US fans are behind every one of them 100%!

Congratulations are due to all the players and Coach Nowak for a great performance in the Olympic tournament. Adu, Jozy, Bradley, Edu and Guzan are part of the core young group of players that will be helping lead the USMNT in the future; and Kljestan, Davies, Holden, Feilhaber, Parkhurst, Wynne (a former MetroStar/Red Bull) and Szetela will surely get their opportunities to make their marks. Orozco and Rogers made some positive contributions in the Olympics as well. All of these players have work to do but they all showed promise and potential.

We will see if Coach Bob Bradley makes the decision today for that “next step” process to begin immediately for any of them as part of the next round of 2010 World Cup qualification efforts.

TNT

Posted by: chief

Time Flies When You Are [Not Always] Having Fun

It’s already mid-season for the 2008 New York Red Bulls.  There are opposite ways of viewing the team’s performance: “glass half-empty” or “half-full.”  Michael Lewis, editor of BigAppleSoccer.com contends “For the Red Bulls, it’s not a matter of the glass being half full or empty.  It’s filled only halfway.”

HALF-EMPTY

The Red Bulls are in sixth place of the Eastern Conference ahead of only Kansas City which has a game in hand and who New York plays to start the second half of the season.  Moreover, the Red Bulls have the second worst goal differential (-7) in MLS ahead of only expansion San Jose.  The playoffs, and even more so, a top four MLS finish to qualify for the 2009 SuperLiga tournament, look increasingly unlikely.

Due to injuries, both designated players, Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna, have been unable to substantially contribute this season.  Injuries have also sidelined Dane Richards, Hunter Freeman, Seth Stammler and Oscar Echeverry, each for several games.

Juan Pablo has played in less than half of the total games.  In the games he has played, he has been visibly hampered most of the time.  Consequently, Juan Pablo has scored only two goals thus far this season.  The Red Bulls traded away their only other offensive threat and promising young star Jozy Altidore, to Villareal.  Oscar Echeverry does not have a goal or an assist in a MLS regular season game yet and the other backup forward
John Wolyniec has not found the net either.

Claudio has played in parts of six games and he has not made the positive impact expected of a designated player.  Although Claudio did play in a charity match recently, his most recent club contributions were in a 5-1 loss to Chicago in May.

First round pick Eric Brunner was also asked to play for less money than originally offered and has since left the club to play for “second division” squad, Miami FC Blues; Andrew Boyens, the player who joined New York that led to Brunner being downgraded and ultimately leaving, has been inconsistent.

The Red Bulls have not scored more than two goals since May 10th, and this past week were unceremoniously booted from the US Open Cup by mid-table “3rd division” squad, Crystal Palace Baltimore, followed by a 4-0 loss to Colorado.  Ives Galarcep referred to this past week as potentially the “worst week in the history of the club.”

HALF-FULL

I prefer the more positive outlook.  Aside from three blowout losses and occasional mental mistakes, New York has often played well this MLS regular season.  The team’s “.500” record at 5-5-5 is a mere continuation of last year’s record (12-11-7), which can be viewed as a minor accomplishment in light of the above mentioned injuries to key players.  Moreover, even with these key players out of the lineup, New York has managed recent good wins at home (e.g., Chivas and FC Dallas) and impressive ties on the road (e.g., New England).  What more can fans expect outside of keeping some losses a little closer?

Kevin Goldthwaite is playing better than last year and a number of key young players, namely Sinisa Ubiparapovic, Luke Sassano and Danleigh Borman, have had positive impacts on New York’s play.  Carlos Mendes has found a productive new home as a defensive midfielder.

Jon Conway has been solid this year, making several key saves and only a couple questionable decisions.  Dave van den Bergh and Seth Stammler have also been among the most valuable players.  They have been stellar in games, especially when they have avoided acquiring early and/or bad cards.  Dane Richards has been a threat and set up a few key goals.

The departure of Jozy was inevitable and the Red Bulls were wise to get significant compensation for him.  Now Juan Carlos Osorio is poised to bring in some of the players he has targeted: Venezuelan left/center midfielder Jorge Rojas, Argentinean defensive midfielder Juan Pietravallo, and Mexican left defender Diego Jimenez are expected to join the club at the beginning of the summer transfer window and perhaps another defender (e.g., Gabriel Cichero?) and forward (e.g., Georgie Wilson Welcome?) will be here shortly thereafter.  Juan Carlos deserves the opportunity to bring in his own players and this process is just starting.

Michael Lewis pointed out that the Red Bulls are 1-2-4 against Eastern teams this season and that seven of the last 12 matches will be against division opponents.  There is still time left but New York will need to have a strong season end to make up ground and the playoffs.  Progress continues to be made on Red Bull Park with its opening expected sometime next year.  Several focus groups are planned to make the stadium the best soccer experience possible.

Keep the faith, New York fans… Keep the faith!!!

Posted by: chief