As I am sitting here in my Virginia Beach loft, I am anxiously awaiting the Dynamo/Crew match on FSC.  Consequently, I am reminded that this season has already started off like no other that I can recall.  Here is why there seems to be a heightened level of anticipation this season, compared with previous ones:

• Unprecedented success for the Red Bulls in the 2008 MLS Playoffs, earning the Western Conference title.
• The Red Bull Arena project really begins to shape up, literally and figuratively, with the inaugural match now slated for Red Bulls Opening Day 2010.
• After beginning their defense of their Western Conference Champions title in a historic MLS First Kick match against the new expansion team, Seattle Sounders FC, the Red Bulls look ahead to their East Conference nemesis, the New England Revolution on Red Bull Opening Day 2009.

 Indeed, for me, the pride and passion of the 2008 campaign has carried over to 2009.  With the success of the Red Bulls preseason, largely spent in Argentina, I was excited that I could swing by the storied Navy-Marine Corp Stadium in quaint Annapolis MD to finally see the 2009 version of my soccer heroes in action.  This RBN National joined about 20 or so ESCers, essentially at field level, and showed our support for the Red Bulls, who were hosted by the USL-2 side, Crystal Palace - Baltimore.

Juan Carlos Osorio was still experimenting a little bit with the formations and personnel in this match.  I was most impressed with the Red Bulls “Freshman Class,” especially the versatile first-round SuperDraft pick, Jeremy Hall from Maryland and the recently signed Nick Zimmerman from James Madison here in Harrisonburg, VA.  It was somewhat of a lackluster performance, but a solid 2-0 result, nonetheless.  We enjoyed ourselves in the stands, and it was good catch up with the some of the “RedMetroBullStars” fan base.  The seed of anticipation was planted, as the next time we would see our Red Bulls would be on March 19 for MLS First Kick against the Seattle Sounders FC . . . tick, tock . . . tick, tock . . .

Fast forward to Qwest Stadium in eclectic Seattle, WA.  Now, we all know the unfortunate outcome of that match.  Honestly, I think I would become nauseous BULLogging about the Red Bulls’ performance on this day.  So, I shall claim a bout with denial, and focus on the positives, which have nothing to do with Red Bull New York.

I should hope that the New York Red Bull organization partners as well with Tri-State trade area as well as the Seattle Sounders FC did with Seattle.  I could not walk anywhere in Seattle without seeing lime green and royal blue jerseys in store windows, cell phone desktop graphics, restaurant/bar signage for food and beverage specials on gameday, and to top it all off . . . no pun intended . . . the Sounders FC flag on top of the Space Needle!?!!!  Too cool!

Apparently, when eating at the Sky City restaurant in the Space Needle, I learned that the Sounders FC had reserved the entire dining room the previous night, much to the dismay of tourists.  With St Patrick’s Day celebrated the evening before, it was a no-brainer to decorate the Space Needle with a lime green flag.  Luckily, we had chosen to eat there the evening after.  After dinner we caught “The Watchmen” in IMAX 3D, and when we exited the theatre, the Space Needle was illuminated in blue/green lights.  I guess it is nice to have an NFL franchise in the same city that shares the color scheme . . .

Now, the in-stadium pregame hype and atmosphere were unbelievable!  If you watched it on TV, you know what I mean.  As a complement to the Sounders FC’s “Scarves Up” campaign, the first and second bowls of Qwest Stadium were sold out in a sea of green and blue fabric and giant Sounders FC logo and jersey banners.  The handful of Red Bull fans who made the trip were scattered around the stadium, so there was no chance of unison chants, not that it would have mattered in a stadium with 32,000+ fans, of which 20,000+ were full-season-ticket holders–an MLS record.  Fortunately, the two of us were surrounded by friendly Seattle fans, and one such fan (a big NFL Seahawks fan) was pimping me about the Beautiful Game.  By the second half, I could hear him saying . . . “I am really getting into this game!”  Honestly, that is what it is all about . . . the BIGGER picture!

Yes, I am still in denial, and I am avoiding any specifics about the match; other than Seattle deserved to win.  However, it is a LOOOONG season, and the Red Bulls have yet to bask in their limelight at home, to which I am very much looking forward.  The Red Bulls will take on New England in Opening Night on March 28th!  We will have our Roadside Roundup in the usual spot, Lot 15B in front of the South Tower entrance to the Bull’s Corner Pub, so please stop by and say “Hello.”  I am looking forward to reuniting with all of our Nationals and Diplomats and meeting new prospective of current soccer fans!

Now, for the wrap up, which is probably the biggest impetus behind the title of this BULLog . . .  RED BULL ARENA!  If you did not take advantage of the stadium tour, you are out of your mind!!!!!  Seeing first-hand is definitely believing . . . even more . . . about the commitment of Red Bull LLC  . . . [Brian Ching just slotted a nice through ball from Wondolowski past Will Hesmer in the 53rd minute] . . . behind this club.  It was a great idea to do this, especially for Q&A.  Suffice to say, this 25,000-seat arena will be THE GEM of MLS stadiums, to which all others will be compared.  Amazingly, this stadium is entirely paid for out-of-pocket by Red Bull . . . NO borrowed funds!?  In retrospect, thank God!  The downside is that this has delayed the construction of the training facility in

The drawback is that the Riverbend District urban redevelopment project, which surrounds Red Bull Arena, is relying on third-party financing.  As such, it is behind schedule.  The upside is that there will be PLENTY of parking . . . LOL!  I do understand that there are several ethnic restaurants and sporting clubs within walking distance of the arean.  The arena will feature all modern groundskeeping and point-of-sale technology.  In fact, not too long after the arena opens, they hope to have a CASHLESS arena!  Imagine that!?  The overarching canopy is perhaps the most striking architectural feature of this magnificent soccer shrine.  The pictures I took do not do it justice.  Be sure to check out the new 3D stadium map, too!

Importantly, with Red Bull Arena slated for completion early next year (in time for Opening Day), the outcome of this season ALMOST pales in comparison to the giant leap forward this club will take once it arrives in its true home, Red Bull Arena.  While we got off on the wrong foot this season in Seattle, I look at that single match as an insignificant blemish as I look to the future for Red Bull New York . . . not only this season, but many seasons after that.  I plan to be a part of it all . . . do you?

 . . . [Schelotto just equalized with a beautiful trap/volley by Pat Onstad in the 81st minute . . .]

Now, let’s tune into the Revolution/’Quakes match on MLS Direct Kick . . . I LOVE MLS!!  See you Opening Day on March 28th!  By the way, do you notice anything FAMILIAR in this Red Bulls Reader YouTube clip??!

YIRB

CT

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.