MLS Season Preview: Red Bull New York

By: Bob | March 30th, 2007

That scent you smell in the air is the 2007 MLS season cooking. It is going to be a tasty one and our bloggers are whetting our appetites by previewing each team. Today we take a look at Red Bull New York. Crack open an energy drink, pour in some vodka and follow the words of Martha, the genius behind the Red Bull New York Offside blog and the Italy Offside. Her season preview is after the jump.

Nuts and Bolts

After squeaking into the playoffs last season (thanks to a hat-trick by the dear departed Amado Guevara in the must-win season finale), RBNY were dumped out by DC United in the first round. And, really, that was pretty much par for the course as far as recent club history is concerned: Despite finishing first in the East way back in 2000 and reaching the finals of the Open Cup a few years later, RBNY — through all their iterations of ownership and names — have traditionally been a disappointing franchise. (I swear I read earlier this week that they have the fewest wins of all the 10 clubs that launched MLS. I hope I saw that in a fevered dream, but I have a feeling it was actually on the Internet. Talk about depressing.)

Hope, however, springs eternal, and the PR spin from ownership has been nothing but enthusiastic during this preseason (shocking, I know). Plus, the great (just ask him) Bruce Arena will be in charge of the team for the whole season this year and, though I’m dubious, the players are making positive noises about his influence — perhaps the promised turnaround is on the horizon. Perhaps.

The star

There’s this new midfielder named Claudio — maybe you’ve heard of him? I think he’s been the US National team captain for the last 100 years or so, in addition to captaining several major European clubs. Yes, that’s right: Captain America (AKA Claudio Reyna, for those of you who have been living under a rock) is home, and everyone — including evil, angry cynics such as myself — is incredibly excited about his presence. Assuming he can stay healthy (fingers crossed), Reyna will immediately bring solidity and intelligence to the Red Bull midfield, and his ability to hold the ball and make good decisions is already affecting his teammates.

The newcomers

There’s been a ton of turnover in RBNY since last season, so there are a whole lotta newcomers in the team. Apart from Reyna, the most exciting newbie is probably rookie midfielder Dane Richards. A Jamaican international, Richards has impressed in camp with his outrageous pace and nose for goal, and he’s expected to figure prominently off the bench this season.

Another major new arrival is Dutch goalkeeper Roland Waterreus, who was brought in to provide some high-level experience at the back (what with Tony Meola finally being dumped and all). The Walrus has won praise during the pre-season for his assertiveness at the back, so hopefully he’ll bring some organization and confidence to the defense this year.

Another aging Dutchman, midfielder Dave van den Bergh, was brought in this winter via a trade with Kansas City. Though van den Bergh didn’t impress during his brief stay in KC, he’s been great in the pre-season, and has been described by the great Ives Galarcep as possibly “the steal of the off-season.” Plus, the guy played in the Champions League final when he was with Ajax, which should get him major bonus points just for career coolness.

And there is also the late addition of Clint Mathis to take us all back to the early 2000s.

Keep an eye on

Marvell Wynne improved by leaps and bounds during his rookie season last year, and he appears to have worked hard in the off-season as well. The defender is obviously miles more confident than he was last season, and his crossing is reportedly much improved, so much so that he’s now being seriously discussed for a USMNT spot in the near(ish) future. He’s insanely speedy, and the thought of him paired with Richards on the right is enough to get even the most pessimistic of fans a little excited.

While midfielder Dema Kovalenko is in no way an unknown, his lack of scoring last year disappointed some of the RBNY faithful. This year, playing a more defensive role with Renya in front of him, Kovalenko will be perfectly placed to do the thankless, tone-setting grunt work that will be so important to the team. He’ll bring a much-needed toughness to our midfield, while also protecting Reyna and the outside mids when they push forward. (Ok, yes. I really like him and am mostly just hoping this will happen. Sue me.)

Despite being all of 17 years old, Jozy Altidore will be expected to shoulder much of the scoring load for RBNY this season, playing at the top of a 4-5-1 formation. Jozy burst onto the scene late last season and, early pre-season concerns about his attitude and fitness aside, seems ready and willing to step up and play a major role.

We’ll win the league if…

A miracle occurs? It’s hard to imagine this being possible under any circumstances, but Reyna will have to turn the midfield into a machine, Jozy will need to turn into a monster up top, and the rumors about Juan Pablo Angel will need to be true. How’s that for a start?

We’ll be in trouble if…

The wear and tear of playing on turf cause Reyna to break down. If we’re without him even for a few games in a row, I think we’re in trouble. Also, if Altidore turns out not to be ready for the responsibility being placed upon him and Mike Magee fails to recover fully from his surgery, we’re screwed.

The Beckham Factor

New York sports fans are notoriously demanding — always wanting the biggest name signings, the best teams, and the highest profile coaches. So the Beckham signing has just made everyone more New York — the team’s failure to sign a massive name during the break (Figo and Zidane were both rumored, the latter most seriously) simply reinforced many fans’ belief that Red Bull have no idea what they’re doing, and care more about selling drinks than improving the team. Only time will tell if they’re right or not.

You might not know

1)Despite the overall depressing record in MLS, the Red Bulls are the only MLS team to win a trophy outside North American: The 2004 La Manga Cup trophy. Hey, we take what we can get.

2)At this very moment at the site of the future Red Bull Park, there are five bulldozers driving around. And a trailer! Parked in the mud! Can you stand the excitement?

3)Once upon a time, the very much not-washed-up Italy manager Roberto Donadoni starred for the Metrostars, and his play here was so good he actually regained his place in the Italian national team because of it. Not only that, but when he left MLS, he went back AC Milan and helped them win the Scudetto. (Really, he’s still looking awfully good. I bet once he gets dumped by the Azzurri, he could come over and help us out a lot on the scoring front.)

You can follow the drama that is Red Bull New York all season long on the Red Bull New York Offside.

Look cooler than anyone else you know by dressing in nothing but Red Bull New York Soccer Gear.

Next preview: DC United