As the New York Red Bulls’ third season gets underway - number thirteen for the “Red Metro Bull Stars” - here are some questions and thoughts looking a back a little, but mostly forward. Your feedback is welcome!

Another year, another head coach . . . -SIGH-

Part of being a fan of any sports team is to support the team and its players through thick and thin. This franchise, the New York Red Bulls (NYRB) has tested the fortitude of all who claim to be such supporters, and the coaching turnover only exacerbates this challenge. Each coach needs and deserves the opportunity to shape the 28-member roster to his liking – in essence to rebuild. This requires understanding and patience of all involved in the process, including RagingBullNation (RBN), our loyal NYRB following.

Half of the team’s 2007 season-ending roster has moved on and it’s basically been that way year after year. During the past 6 years, only NYRB Assistant Coach, Des McAleenan, has survived the revolving door of Head Coaches, with Octavio Zambrano, Bob Bradley, Mo Johnston, Richie Williams, Bruce Arena and now Juan Carlos Osorio, all getting their shot at redeeming the legacy of the Tri-State area’s premier MLS franchise. However, that’s a story for another day. After a dozen seasons of turnover and no metal in the trophy case (the winter tournament in Spain doesn’t count), it becomes harder to maintain patience. Like true fans, we (RBN) strive to do so.

At the same time, the changes each year provide an opportunity start with a fresh view. With a committed and tested new Head Coach galvanizing a motivated new roster, which boasts the best 1-2 forward tandem in MLS, there’s no reason why this team cannot win the MLS Cup! Pre-season training heralds a new era of hope and anticipation. Is season #13 our lucky number?

1. Can Coach Juan Carlos Osorio work his magic?
Red Bulls management boldly parted ways with Head Coach Bruce Arena. Some of us, including myself, would have given Bruce another year. Then again, we don’t have insight into how soccer operations were run and the issues with it.

What we do “see” are Bruce’s record and player transactions. They ranged from a supreme high to the perplexing. The team’s record at 12-11-7 was basically “.500,” but it was a roller coaster year starting out fantastic (including setting the MLS record for the longest consecutive shutout minutes to begin an MLS season), then falling flat; and finally the team picking up its game toward the end of the season.

It’s hard to imagine how an acquisition could top that of Juan Pablo Angel. How he did not get selected the MVP for MLS is beyond me. No single player meant more to his club than Juan Pablo Angel did to New York . . . period …. End of story. Acquiring Dave van Den Bergh, Hunter Freeman, Clint Mathis and Francis Doe (the latter two no longer with the club) are other good moves and pleasant surprises under Bruce’s watch.

On the perplexing side of Arena’s 2007 transactions are the decisions to trade Marvell Wynne and Todd Dunivant, two above average outside backs. If there were cap considerations, I’m convinced that alternatives were available instead of trading either of them. The only upside of these transactions is the fact that New York was able to acquire Eric Brunner in the 2008 SuperDraft as a byproduct of the Wynne deal.

The SI goalie experiment did not pan out and we’re still waiting for Claudio “Captain America” Reyna to consistently contribute (more on that shortly).

Lastly, while Chris Leitch, Kevin Goldthwaite, Chris Karcz, Santino Quaranta and Tim Regan are pleasant people and good ambassadors of the sport, they scarcely contributed to First Team wins. Coach Osorio is the new Sheriff in town, and if he can get Chris Leitch or Kevin Goldthwaite to be starters and positive contributors he “will earn his money” as Ives Galarcep recently stated in the Herald News.

Coach Osorio has already worked some magic by meeting with Red Bull supporters and speaking to them candidly and informatively in New York City shortly after the SuperDraft. What a class move and it already tops anything that Bruce did with fans. Way to start off on the right note and here’s hoping that Coach Osorio is able to continue with that magic with his team on the field.

2. Can New York beat and then break into the “Final Four?”
As much as I want New York to win the US Open Cup and especially the MLS Cup, I would even settle for a top four finish so that New York can qualify for and compete in the 2009 SuperLiga tournament. I loved the pace and excitement of that competition’s inaugural season. I hope that Mexican clubs continue to give their all in it and that the SuperLiga competition format thrives.

However, for New York to be among the best four MLS teams, it realistically has to have a decent record against the top four opponents. Last year, against the top four MLS teams – who were DC, Chivas USA, Houston and New England – New York had a record of 2-7-1 including two early season 1-0 wins against DC and Houston. In the seven losses, New York scored only four goals while surrendering 19.

New York’s last regular season “top four” game was a 2-2 tie against New England. Despite defensive mistakes in that game that resulted in two goals, New York played very well and proved that the team could potentially beat New England. Unfortunately, in the playoff series with the Revs, New York had a 0-0 tie followed by a 1-0 loss. The Red Bulls’ record against these clubs is their key challenge area.

3. Will Reyna live up to his billing?
Claudio Reyna’s health was unpredictable all season. When Claudio is healthy, he is definitely one of the better players on the field. In 2007, however, Claudio was not a real impact player, which is what is expected of someone holding a DP slot. For instance, in both games against Chivas USA, Claudio was easily contained. All in all, Claudio’s presence did not translate into better results or playoff performances for the team.

Because of Claudio’s no-trade clause in his contract, the Red Bulls couldn’t even expose him in the expansion draft and instead lost feisty, fan favorite, and 2007 RBN Heart of the Bull Recipient, Joe Vide, who earned less than $13,000. While Joe will earn more this year, it would have been great to have him contribute to the team without unreasonably compromising the salary cap.

Well, there’s no place for Claudio to go except up and that’s apparently what Claudio has been doing this pre-season. The captain is getting rave reviews from the Head Coach and those who are observing him in the pre-season friendlies. Way to go Claudio! Can Mr. Reyna keep that up, injury free, for the 2008 regular season and playoffs? We hope so and he should too for an exclamation point, instead of a question mark, on the ending of his fabulous playing career.

4. Will injuries severely impact the Red Bulls?
The Red Bulls are thin, especially among midfielders and defenders. We all know what an injury to Juan Pablo or Josmer (aka “Jozy”) would mean to the team’s shallow “forward” roster. Injuries have already started to impact the team as it recently lost starting midfielder Dane Richards for three months after a controversial hard tackle during a scrimmage with the Salzburg Red Bull reserves, who as a result are now to be known as the “ugly sister club.”

Somehow, I thought the Salzburg relationship would result in wonderful benefits, but they have failed to materialize, thus far. Earlier in training, the team lost rookie David Roth for the beginning of the season as well. Will Magee finally conquer the injury bug and show decent, consistent fitness? Here’s hoping Dane and Dave recover soon, and that no more serious injuries are incurred.

5. Which key contributors will New York bring onto the roster?
Rumors abound that Coach Osorio will bring in a center attacking midfielder, of which the club is in dire need, by mid-April. We hope that this addition will be an impact player like DeRosario or Gomez. No names yet, although it is expected to be an Argentine or Colombian who has played in Europe. Until that time, it looks as if this role will be filled by Claudio Reyna, Mike Magee, or Sinisa Ubiparapovic.

Coach Osorio is also looking to fill the “left side,” especially with those that can play well in a 3-5-2. The only experienced and decent left-sided player the Red Bulls have is Dave van Den Bergh, and it appears that he lacks the speed that Coach Osorio seeks. I’m not holding my breath for the Fire to accept a reasonable deal for left back Wilman Conde. Perhaps one of these new players will be Venezuelan Ronald Vargas.

New York has already acquired Colombian Forward Oscar Echeverry to push Jozy for the starting spot and to fill in when the youngster is away on USMNT and U-23 duty. We are excited about how Echeverry might contribute.

The Red Bulls could also use someone to challenge Parke and Mendes for the starting center back position. Will Chicago pass on Paraguayan midfielder Lider Marmol so that he can be signed by New York? Who will the Red Bulls bring in this year that will be instrumental in improving the club’s results, specifically doing a better job of providing service to Angel and Altidore; or at the other end of the field, shutting down forwards? Will these additions have to wait until the summer transfer window?

6. Will any “top” players disappoint?
Obviously, we hope the answer to this question is “no.” Expectations are high for those players who earn the most on the team. In 2007, players that disappointed are Markus Schopp, who is no longer with the team; and to a certain extent, Claudio Reyna. As stated previously, fans expect a DP to be an impact player, and many fans feel Reyna fell short of what was expected of him. Hopefully, we will not see a repeat performance as reports are that Reyna is playing well. More importantly, can Reyna help neutralize players like Gallardo, Joseph, Marinelli, Schelotto, DeRosario, Gomez and Blanco? Also, we really need our forwards to continue to deliver.

7. How good is Conway?
The franchise has had a history of cultivating notable keepers from a young Tony Meola, EPL-entrenched Tim Howard, and even Jonny Walker, who had many memorable performances for the MetroStars. Besides being a great person and taking time to interact with fans in the pub, Jon Conway has been a very good goalkeeper. Is Conway good enough to take the defensive unit on his back and propel the team to a MLS Cup victory or a SuperLiga spot?

Conway does not have the support that Pat Onstad and Matt Reis enjoy. Will Conway preserve a point or even gain a win for the Red Bulls in a couple of matches? Will he prevent that goal that will enable the team to at least make it to the second round of the playoffs? We don’t believe Conway will falter, but if he does, Zach Thornton, who has looked solid in pre-season friendlies; and Danny Cepero, who trained in the Netherlands this summer, provide solid options off the bench.

8. Which drafted or young players will step up and make an impact by the end of the season?
With the MLS salary cap structure, contributions by young players are important to the success of any team. In 2006, Alexi and Mo had an excellent draft with both Marvell Wynne and Jozy Altidore improving as the season went along and making key contributions to New York. Last year, Rookie-of-the-Year candidate, Dane Richards, was fantastic as was Joe Vide, who earned our prestigious “Heart of the Bull” accolade.

Will rookies Eric Brunner, Luke Sassano, or Danleigh Borman continue with their excellent pre-season camps and manage to start at least some games this season? Will lower draft pick John Gilkerson or successful trialists Kevin Mesa and Caleb Patterson-Sewel surprise people by immediately contributing? Will locals Mike Palacio, Matt Kassel or Chris Megaloudis manage to make the team and get an opportunity to start?

Perhaps the young player most likely to join the ranks of Altidore and Richards in being a regular contributor is Sinisa Ubiparapovic. Over the past couple of years, Seth Stammler has been “Mr. Utility,” filling in admirably wherever needed and actually leading the team in minutes played last season. Stammler is now expected to start as a defensive midfielder. Will Sinisa Ubiparipovic take over as Mr. Utility?

9. Who will win RagingBullNation’s 2008 Heart of the Bull Award?
Awarded to the New York Red Bull player with the best combination of performance on the field and fan interaction, Joe Vide earned our coveted award in 2007. By mid-season, Vide had played a grand total of 37 minutes, but started 13 of the last 15 regular season games and played with hustle, pride, passion, energy, and effort when the team needed it most. Moreover, Joe made himself available to fans and took the time to talk to young and old. Way to go, Joe! We only wish you were part of this year’s Red Bulls’ 28 player squad!

Will one of the returning finalists from last year win it, which included Jozy Altidore, Dane Richards or Seth Stammler? Will someone else win the heart of the fans and the Heart of the Bull Award? Unsung heroes Jon Conway and John Wolyniec have been among fan favorites, and Hunter Freeman is shy and soft-spoken, but friendly. Juan Pablo Angel would have easily been among the top contenders, but he attended very few post-game Bull’s Corner Pub events. Let’s hope that changes in 2008!

10. What will be the key moment for Red Bull fans/RagingBullNation in 2008?
The front office has started the 2008 season with a fabulous CD gift to season ticket holders of the highlights from last year along with the entire unadulterated footage of the home game against the Los Angeles Galaxy, which was one of the most memorable moments of the 2007 season. We hope that whoever replaces JP Dellacamera for play-by-play TV coverage will add to the fan’s experience of revisiting 2008’s most memorable moments that hopefully culminates in a MLS Cup victory.

11. Will enough progress be made on Red Bull Park this year so that it is ready for most of the 2009 season?
The good news is that Red Bull wants to do the stadium right. So, when it is ready, I suspect (and really hope) that it will set the standard for soccer stadiums in the US and blow away HDC, BMO, Pizza Hut, Toyota, DSG and RSL parks. However, the earliest the stadium will be ready is summer 2009, and there are fears that opening day may slip. Hopefully, fans will be able to see most 2009 home games in Red Bull Park. Will the other games continue to be played at Giants Stadium? The next two seasons have to be very “special” seasons to keep the southern Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania-based fans loyal to the Red Bulls instead of opting to support Philadelphia in 2010.

April 5th is right around the corner. Let’s get ready! Good luck to Juan Carlos Osorio and the Boys of the Bull!

!! TNT !!

Well, I think the MLS community, and perhaps the rest of the world, has heard plenty about the LA Galaxy’s pre-season preparations around the world, as David “Pied Piper” Beckham leads the throngs of media and adoring fans on a global odyssey . . .

Sounds good, eh? A little glamorizing MLS, maybe? I think this is a GOOD thing. However, as Opening Day at Giants Stadium is imminent, what of the NY Red Bulls preparations? Hmmmm . . . . a few re-signings, some waiving of players, oh and being defeated by the Red Bull Salzburg RESERVE squad once, and nearly a second time!?!! This is hardly anything to get excited about heading into the the 2008 season is it?

I was inclined to accuse the RBNY team and coaching staff of “whining,” but getting news that Dane Richards will be out for 3 months may indeed validate their criticisms of the officiating and the Red Bull Salzburg players’ mentality in the first “friendly” encounter.  On a more positive note, congrats for Jon [Make Way For] Conway for earning the No 1 keeper slot, even after last season’s notorious ‘keeper blunder after a ‘Los Mendes backpass.  This was the once instance where we would have opted for the indirect kick for illegal goalkeeper handling, instead of the GWOG . . .

Does JCO or the RBFO have some blockbuster news in store to jazz us up? If not, they boys had better produce on the pitch, and not oscillate unpredictably half way into the season. It is going to take more than record-setting consecutive shutouts to turn heads this time around . . .  The RBFO put this little video clip out recently.

RANDOM THOUGHT . . . Hey!  Anybody know where Arena ended up?  (crickets chirping . . .)

A nice start for the Red Bulls and a good step towards generating some excitement would be winning the Carolina Challenge Cup, in which the MetroStars and Red Bulls have consistently underperformed, even against USL-1 sides (i.e., Charleston Battery).  Beginning in 2004, this tournament seemingly means nothing to the unenlightened observer.  However, in every MLS season following this tournament, the winner has either claimed the MLS Supporters Shield or the MLS Cup.  Hmmmmm . . . .

Thank God for UEFA Champions League and Cup action, which is getting some time on ESPN for live coverage and morning highlights.  The recent announcement of the teams and schedule for SuperLiga 2008 is also fanning the flame of soccer passion.  If you missed last year’s inaugural version, the competition and the quality were very impressive.  Since the Red Bull camp has been pretty quiet as of late, visit the above sites or the most recent installment of Red Bulls Wrap to quench your thirst for soccer adrenaline!

I am not negative, but I would really like to see Red Bull “get involved” with some pre-season hype.  They were all about it in 2006 and 2007 with their ”Mobile Energy Teams,” etc.  It would be nice to have some good ol’ fashioned American hoopla right now. I am still holding DeGrandpre’s charge that they will win an MLS Cup BEFORE we begin playing in Red Bull Park. It might be a good think that this RBP project has not streaked forward . . .

Speaking of building new parks, Nick Sakiewicz, one of the most seasoned MLS executives and former MetroStars GM is at it again. Only this time, he is beginning with a clean slate in Philadelphia, apparently distinct from any association with AEG. It would be great to get a Philadelphia franchise. Of course St Louis is also in the running . . . Hey, MLS! Why not award them BOTH a franchise!?

Regardless, I cannot wait for opening day when I see all of my fellow RBN Nationals, again.  We battle the elements before, during, and after matches.  Then, we return home with lost voices, but the satisfaction of knowing we were there to support our New York Red Bulls at home or away.  Speaking of traveling outside of New Jersey for matches, it seems MLS has adopted a curious policy on the proportion of visiting fans for MLS matches.  This hardly incentivizes commitment to the team on the road, but we will still travel for our Red Bulls!

Well, that is enough for me on this go-around.  Here is a another link about the IFAB decision on the implementation of goal-line technology.  For crying out loud, why not just institute a video referee system, instead of two additional assistant referees on the pitch?  To be debated . . .

What is not debated is that Yours Truly is blogging for The American Outlaws as “TrueBlueYank.”  “The Outlaws” represent a new US Soccer supporters club, along with Sam’s Army.  With WCQ beginning this summer, it is never too soon to don the Red, White, and Blue!!!

Hey!  Those colors are in the Red Bulls’ uniforms.  We are in luck!! 

YIRB

Chief Toro

PS

Yours truly has a an “alter blog ego” for the USMNT . . . “TrueBlueYank!”