RED BULLS HOST CREW THURSDAY: The Red Bulls look to halt a two match losing streak when they host the Columbus Crew on Thursday, May 20 at 8:00 PM ET (TV: ESPN2, Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM). The match will pit the Eastern Conference’s top two teams thus far in the 2010 season. New York enters the match with 15 points and a record of 5-3-0, while the unbeaten Crew is right on the Red Bulls’ heels, having amassed 14 points through a 4-0-2 record.
The Crew is coming off a hard fought 1-0 victory last Saturday over Chivas USA. The Crew rescued all three points late in the match when Columbus defender Chad Marshall was taken down in the box. Crew forward Guillermo Barros Schelotto buried the ensuing penalty kick in the 90th minute to give Columbus the victory. Columbus keeper Will Hesmer made numerous key saves throughout the match to preserve the clean sheet, his 3rd of the season.
However, the Crew will be a bit shorthanded against New York on Thursday, as two key players will be missing from the squad. Marshall, along with midfielder/forward Robbie Rogers, are currently with the United States National Team at the team’s pre-World Cup camp in Princeton, NJ, and are unavailable for selection.
The New York-Columbus matchup dates all the way back to the inaugural Major League Soccer season of 1996. The Red Bulls hold a slight lead in the all-time series between the clubs, with a record of 22-21-5. This will be the Crew’s first visit to Red Bull Arena, but all-time against Columbus at home, New York is 13-8-3, and has outscored Columbus by 11 goals. Last season, each team held serve at home against the other by 1-0 scores. At Crew Stadium, Marshall headed home the game’s only goal on June 27, and at Giants Stadium, Dane Richards struck for the Red Bulls on Aug. 30.
RED BULLS WELCOME IN JUVENTUS: Red Bull Arena welcomes its first European club team when Italian giants Juventus FC come to town for a friendly against the Red Bulls on Sunday, May 23 at 1:00 PM.
Juventus wrapped up its 2009/2010 Serie A season last weekend, and finished seventh in the league. Joining the squad for its trip to Red Bull Arena will be longtime Juventus star and former Italian international Alessandro Del Piero, as well as Brazilian midfielder Diego, French forward David Trezeguet, Brazilian forward Amauri, and Malian international midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.
Tickets to the match are still available and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
RED BULLS FALL TO SOUNDERS: The Red Bulls were defeated last Saturday by Seattle Sounders FC by a 1-0 score. Substitute Fredy Montero scored late for the visitors, chesting down a pass from Brad Evans before taking a touch and sliding the ball underneath New York keeper Bouna Coundoul for the match winner in the 85th minute. The loss was the Red Bulls’ first ever at Red Bull Arena, and their second loss in a row overall in the Major League Soccer regular season.
The Red Bulls’ best chance in the first half came when midfielder Joel Lindpere did well to earn a free kick from just outside the Sounders box. Juan Pablo Angel took a shot at goal from the dead ball, but the attempt sailed just high of the net.
The Sounders nearly took the lead in the 53rd minute. A through pass sprung Seattle’s Sanna Nyassi clear on goal. Coundoul raced off his line to try and make a play on the ball, but Nyassi cleverly touched the ball around the keeper. Nyassi slid the ball toward the open net, and it seemed certain that the Sounders had scored. But New York defender Danleigh Borman sprinted back toward the net and made a sliding clearance just before the ball crossed the line.
The Sounders made Montero’s 85th minute tally hold up, withstanding five minutes of second half stoppage time to hold on for the victory.
LAST WEEK:
Red Bulls 3, New England Revolution 0 on May 12 at Red Bull Arena – Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-In game
Red Bulls 0, Seattle Sounders FC 1 on May 15 at Red Bull Arena
THIS WEEK:
Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew on May 20 at Red Bull Arena at 8:00 PM (TV: ESPN2; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM)
Turkey vs. Czech Republic on May 22 at Red Bull Arena at 1:00 PM
Red Bulls vs. Juventus (Italy) – Friendly on May 23 at Red Bull Arena at 1:00 PM
NEXT WEEK:
Red Bulls vs. Colorado Rapids on May 26 at Red Bull Arena at 8:00 PM – Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-In game
Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution on May 29 at Gillette Stadium at 8:00 PM (TV: MSG, Telefutura; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)
2010 MLS STANDINGS
INCLUDES GAMES OF SATURDAY, May 15, 2010
RED BULLS MOVE ON IN OPEN CUP: The Red Bulls advanced in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-0 victory over the visiting New England Revolution on May 12. With the victory, the Red Bulls will host the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, May 26 in the final MLS play-in match of the 2010 tournament. The winner of the match will advance to the tournament proper.
The Red Bulls got on the board in the first half through John Wolyniec. Red Bulls midfielder Brian Nielsen slotted a pass through the New England defense and led Conor Chinn on goal. Chinn’s shot was stopped by New England keeper Bob Shuttleworth, and the rebound fell to Wolyniec. Wolyniec’s first shot was blocked, but he regained possession and finally finished into the vacant net.
The Red Bulls took over the game in the second half with two goals just two minutes apart. In the 62nd minute, New York earned a free kick just outside the Revolution penalty area, to the left of the box. On the free kick, Nielsen laid the ball off to Sinisa Ubiparipovic, who fired a low shot into the side netting at the far post for the club’s second goal of the match. Ubiparipovic was again involved in a goal, as just two minutes later, his long range shot was stopped by Shuttleworth, but Wolyniec was there to pounce on the rebound and finish his second goal of the match, and the final tally of New York’s commanding 3-0 victory.
RED BULL ARENA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY SATURDAY: Red Bull Arena will host an international friendly match between the nations of Turkey and the Czech Republic on Saturday, May 22 at 12:30 PM.
The match is the first between the two countries since their wild contest at the UEFA Euro 2008 competition when they met in the group stage. Both teams needed to win to qualify for the tournament quarterfinal, and it looked as though the Czech’s had secured their place, leading the match 2-0 late in the second half. However, Turkey scored three times in the final 15 minutes, including two dramatic strikes by forward Nihat Kahveci, and came away with the victory. Turkey finished fourth overall in the tournament.
RED BULLS RAISE FUNDS FOR, HONOR VIDE: The Red Bulls hosted various fundraising efforts for former Red Bulls midfielder Joe Vide, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, at the match on May 15 against Seattle Sounders FC at Red Bull Arena. During the 14th minute of the match, Red Bulls fans help up signs reading “Vide 14”, showing their support for the former Red Bull. Various signed items were auctioned off as well, with all proceeds going to Vide’s foundation.
PETKE CLOSING IN ON 300: With his start last Saturday against Seattle Sounders FC, Red Bulls defender Mike Petke made his 299th appearance in Major League Soccer. The Bohemia, NY native is first on the Red Bulls’ franchise all-time games played list, having made 161 appearances.
With his next appearance, Petke will join the list of players who have appeared in 300 MLS regular season matches, being the 11th field player to reach 300 games.
GAMES PLAYED (Regular Season – Field Players)
PLAYER, TEAM, GP
1. Steve Ralston, NE, 378
2. Jaime Moreno, DC, 327
3. Chris Klein, LA, 325
4. Jeff Cunningham, DAL, 324
5. Jesse Marsch, CHV, 321
6. Chris Henderson, NY, 317
7. Jay Heaps, NE, 314
8. Carey Talley, DC, 307
9. Cobi Jones, LA, 306
10. Jason Kreis, RSL, 305
11. Mike Petke, NY. 299
- Still Active
BOYENS HEADS TO WORLD CUP: New York Red Bulls defender Andrew Boyens was named to the New Zealand World Cup squad for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
“We are excited for Andy, as he will be able to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Red Bull New York Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He is a top professional and we wish him the best of luck in South Africa.”
“It’s a great honor to represent my country in South Africa,” Boyens said. “I am thrilled to qualify for the final squad and confident that we can perform well in the World Cup.”
Boyens, 26, will leave the Red Bulls starting May 17, as the New Zealand squad assembles in Auckland, New Zealand on May 19. The defender will miss at least four MLS regular season matches; the Red Bulls’ match against the Columbus Crew on May 20 at Red Bull Arena, the Red Bulls’ match at New England on May 29, and the Red Bulls’ matches against the Houston Dynamo and Chivas USA on June 2 and 5 at Red Bull Arena.
The All-Whites will travel to Melbourne, Australia for a match against Australia on May 22. Following the match, the team will travel to Austria for a pre-World Cup camp and will play matches against Serbia and Slovenia. They will arrive in South Africa on June 6 and will participate in Group F with defending champion Italy, Paraguay, and Slovakia. New Zealand’s first match of the tournament is on June 15 against Slovakia, and it faces Paraguay on June 20, before their final group stage match against Italy on June 24. The tournament runs through July 11. Boyens has 12 caps for the New Zealand national team, and competed in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, starting against Italy and Spain.
Boyens has been among the 18-man matchday roster for each of the first seven regular season matches in the 2010 season for coach Hans Backe, but has yet to appear. Boyens has made two starts in the U.S. Open Cup.
ALBRIGHT ONE AWAY FROM 200: Red Bulls defender Chris Albright is one appearance away from making his 200th career MLS appearance. Albright, who has yet to play this season due to knee surgery and was subsequently put on the disabled list, is available for selection this week.
WOLYNIEC ADDS TWO TO TALLY: With his two goal performance last Wednesday against the New England Revolution in the U.S. Open Cup, John Wolyniec added his 33rd and 34th career goals for the club in all competitions. He currently ranks fifth all time on the franchises’ lists in both MLS Regular Season goals scored, and goals in all competitions.
GOALS (Regular Season)
PLAYER, GP, GOALS
1. Juan Pablo Angel, 80, 49
2. Giovanni Savarese, 85, 41
3. Clint Mathis, 93, 39
4. Amado Guevara, 103, 32
5. John Wolyniec, 139, 26
GOALS (All Competitions)
PLAYER, GP, GOALS
1. Juan Pablo Angel, 87, 52
2. Clint Mathis, 110, 45
3. Giovanni Savarese. 97, 44
4. Amado Guevara, 117, 38
5. John Wolyniec, 161, 34
Game Winning Goals
PLAYER, GP, GWG
1. Juan Pablo Angel, 80, 11
T-2. Clint Mathis. 93, 10
T-2. John Wolyniec, 139, 10
4. Amado Guevara, 103, 9
5. Giovanni Savarese, 85, 8
HOME WIN STREAK ENDS: The Red Bulls’ unbeaten streak at home was snapped on May 15 with the loss to Seattle Sounders FC. Including the inaugural match at Red Bull Arena against Santos FC, the Red Bulls’ record at their new home is now 6-1-0 in all competitions.
RED BULLS TEAM UP WITH NYPD FOR PERU TRIP: In the framework of the 'Soccer for children - Breaking Borders' program implemented by the New York Red Bulls in collaboration with the Police Department of New York City, a delegation from both entities will travel to Lima, Peru in the coming days in order to perform an annual soccer clinic and lead to economically disadvantaged children from different schools. The delegation will provide 150 soccer balls and sports clothing for over 1500 children. This grant will attempt to send, through the delegation of goodwill, a positive message to reflect that by way of sport, one can get a better life and that nothing is impossible with the joint efforts of both countries.
New York Red Bulls Senior Director of Communications and Hispanic Affairs Ernesto Motta, who will represent the Red Bulls in the delegation, said: "I am very excited about this project which began some time ago together with other leaders of football in the city of New York. This program has had great success in the past as we have travelled to countries like Ecuador and Colombia, which we visited last year. Our goal is to visit countries in South and Central America, conduct soccer clinics for needy children and hope that our modest donation may bring a positive message and is something very positive in their lives.”
Avianca's participation has been essential for the transport of the donations that have been made not only in Colombia, but in Peru this year. In selflessness and with great spirit of collaboration, its executives have always answered the call and have become mainstays of this campaign, which is expected to repeat year after year with the same success.
"After hearing about the program, created by the New York Red Bulls with the collaboration of the New York Police Department, Avianca joined this program, supporting their visit to Colombia, more specifically the ‘coffee belt’. We now continue with the journey that this group takes in Peru, and in conjunction with the organizers, we are finalizing details for the visit to the city of Cartagena, Colombia in 2011. Worthy campaigns are ones that should be supported unreservedly and that's why we joined in, providing Avianca luggage transport and logistics group connections when required,” said Jaime Londoño, Airport Director Avianca Bogota.
This trip will take place from May 18 through May 26, visiting the Peruvian capital of Lima and its surroundings. The delegation will have the opportunity to visit schools and orphanages in poor to implement the grants.
This major event also has the support of the Embassy of the United States of America in Lima, Peru, which has designated the locations most in need.
The soccer team of the Police of the City of New York will play several friendly matches to promote closer ties with their counterparts in Peru, and have received the idea with great enthusiasm, working hard to ensure that this campaign is successful.
"Once again we are excited to be part of this delegation and sharing with the Red Bulls this new experience to deliver a major donation. With great pride on behalf of our Police Department of the City of New York, we will do everything in our power to ensure that the children of Peru fully enjoy the clinics and the moments we are able to spend with them. It's nice to play in other countries representing our department, but more so giving them soccer balls and sports clothing for those in need, which makes our hearts full," said NYPD Lt. Ronald Mejia.
For more information, please contact the New York Red Bulls Spanish Communications Department at 201.583.7028.
RED BULL ACADEMY HOLDING TRYOUTS: The New York Red Bulls Academy is now accepting applications for the 2010 tryouts which will be held in May/June.
The Red Bulls Academy will be looking for the top players in the Tri State area in the following birth years:
· 1997
· 1996
· 1995/1994
· 1993/1992
The New York Red Bulls are the only club in the Tri-State area affiliated with an MLS team. Throughout the year select players will also be invited to train with the professional team. Juan Agudelo and Giorgi Chirgadze have recently graduated straight from the Red Bulls Academy and signed professional contracts with the Red Bulls first team.
The Academy is a no cost program. Each player is fully funded by the Red Bulls. This includes:
· All coaching fees
· Practice and game day gear
· Travel (air fares, buses, etc.)
· Accommodations
· Food
· International Trips
· Season Ticket at Red Bull Arena
The Red Bull Academy currently has three players in the prestigious US U-17 MNT Residency Program in Bradenton, FL. Goalkeeper Keith Cardona and Agudelo recently graduated Residency after the 2009 U-17 FIFA World Cup in Nigeria. In addition, 14 other members of the Academy have made up the U.S. U-14, U-15 and U-18 National Teams during 2009/2010.
To register for a tryout or for more information on the Red Bulls Academy visit www.redbullsacademy.com/academy.
SOLO FUTBOL AIRS SUNDAY: Red Bulls WADO 1280 AM and 92.7 FM announcers Ernesto Motta and Robert Sierra host their weekly call-in radio show, Solo Futbol, on Sunday night from 8-11 PM on WADO 1280 AM. Motta, Sierra and their panel of experts and guests analyze the Beautiful Game and the New York Red Bulls.
