RED BULL ARENA HOSTS 2011 AT&T MLS ALL-STAR GAME WEDNESDAY: The 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game takes place at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, when the MLS All-Stars take on the reigning Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United in a rematch of the 2010 MLS All-Star Game. The sold out match kicks off at 8:30 PM ET and will be broadcast live nationally by ESPN2.
Three Red Bulls were voted by fans to the MLS All-Star First XI: forward Thierry Henry and defenders Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream. Additionally, forward Juan Agudelo was added to the roster by Commissioner Don Garber as one of his two Commissioner’s Picks. The MLS All-Star squad will be led by Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe.
English Premier League Champions Manchester United returns as MLS’ All-Star opponent for the second year in a row. Manchester United is coming off a season which saw them capture the 2011 English Premier League title and reach the final of the UEFA Champions League. They are led by manager Sir Alex Ferguson and boast some of the world’s top players, including strikers Wayne Rooney and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, and defenders Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.
RED BULLS PARTICIPATE IN EMIRATES CUP SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: The Red Bulls face off against two top European sides this weekend when they participate in the Emirates Cup at the Emirates Stadium in London, England. On Saturday, New York competes against French side Paris Saint-Germain at 9:00 AM ET (TV: MSG). On Sunday, Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls face the club where he is the all-time leading goal scorer, Arsenal FC, in the final game of the showcase tournament at 11:20 AM ET (TV: Fox Soccer Channel).
Paris Saint-Germain finished in fourth place in France’s Ligue 1 in 2010-11, with a record of 15-8-15. By virtue of their fourth place finish, the club qualifed for the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League. Last season, Brazilian midfielder Nene led the club in goals in league play, notching 14. The team is managed by former club defender Antoine Kombouare.
In the 2010-11 Barclays Premier League, Arsenal finished fourth in the table on a record of 19-8-11. The club is managed by Arsene Wenger and is led on the field by Dutch International forward Robin Van Persie and World Cup Champion and Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Last season, Van Persie was the club’s top goal scorer in league play with 18 goals. Henry played for Arsenal from 1999-2007, scoring 226 goals during his tenure. He was the top goal scorer in the Premier League a record four times (2002, 2004-06), and led the Gunners to the league title in 2002 and 2004.
HENRY SCORES LATE TO GIVE RED BULLS 2-2 TIE WITH FC DALLAS: Thierry Henry’s league-leading 11th goal of the season in the 85th minute helped the Red Bulls earn a 2-2 tie with FC Dallas on Saturday at Red Bull Arena. Juan Agudelo opened the scoring for New York, which came back a man down after FC Dallas’ Marvin Chavez scored twice to temporarily give the visitors the lead. With the draw, New York improved to 6-5-12, 30 points on the season.
In the fifth minute, the Red Bulls used some nifty passing to create their first chance on goal. Mehdi Ballouchy found Henry outside of the box, and the Frenchman touched a pass in the path of Agudelo at the 18 yard line. The U.S. International cut in and took a right-footed shot, but Kevin Hartman was able to get down and make the stop.
The teams continued to feel each other out through the bulk of the first half. The Red Bulls had another scoring opportunity in the 26th minute after a good spell of possession. Agudelo played a ball out to Jan Gunnar Solli down the right side, and the Norwegian sent a cross into the box that just evaded Dane Richards’ run.
New York broke the deadlock in the 39th minute. Henry fed Agudelo, who one-touched the ball to Richards outside the right edge of the box. Richards took a few touches and played a cross into the middle of the box. Agudelo got a touch to the pass, looping it high into the air and over Hartman for his fifth goal of the season.
FC Dallas responded well at the start of the half, leveling the match less than five minutes after the restart. With his back to goal from the top of the box, second half substitute Bruno Guarda played a short pass to Ricardo Villar, who advanced the ball with one touch to Chavez. Chavez let go a shot from about 10 yards out as the ball deflected off of defender Tim Ream and over goalkeeper Frank Rost into the net.
Chavez’s goal seemed to open the match up, with both teams creating excellent chances in the following moments. First, Chavez nearly notched his second of the night from point blank range, but Rost made a sliding save and knocked the ball to safety. A minute later, Henry intercepted a pass from the Dallas defense and found Richards, who took a long range shot that beat Hartman but bounded off the left goal post.
Dallas took the lead in the 78th minute on Chavez’s second goal of the night and third of the season. Jair Benitez had the ball on the left side of midfield, and sent a high cross into the penalty area. The ball found the foot of George John, who redirected it across the box to Chavez. Chavez took a one-timed effort that beat Rost low to the left side.
Chavez’s second goal looked like it might hold up as the game winner, but Henry tied the match in the 85th minute on his league-leading 11th goal of the season. With the Red Bulls down a man after Richards was shown his second yellow card of the night in the 80th minute, Dax McCarty looped a ball to Henry at the top left corner of the box. With a defender on him, Henry created space by cutting the ball to his left foot, and from outside the box, beat Hartman with a curling strike.
RED BULLS-GALAXY MATCH ON AUG. 28 AT RED BULL ARENA SOLD OUT: The defending Eastern Conference Champion New York Red Bulls announced that their MLS regular season match against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Aug. 28 at Red Bull Arena at 7:00 PM ET (TV: ESPN2) is sold out.
“We are thrilled to announce a sell out for this game over a month before match day,” said Chris Heck, Red Bulls President, Business Operations. “The MLS rivalry between New York and Los Angeles has grown year over year and we expect to see another great match at Red Bull Arena. There are also other exciting games we are hosting during the final stretch of the regular season as we make our run to the playoffs, starting with the August 13 match against Chicago.”
Ticket plans for the second half of the Red Bulls’ MLS home schedule, including New York’s Eastern Conference showdown against the Chicago Fire on Aug. 13 at 7:30 PM at Red Bull Arena, are on sale now by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com. This is the second-consecutive season that the Red Bulls-Galaxy fixture at Red Bull Arena has sold out.
HENRY WIDENS MLS GOAL SCORING LEAD: Thierry Henry’s 85th minute goal on Satuday against FC Dallas extended the Frenchman’s lead in the 2011 MLS Golden Boot Race. The 2011 MLS All-Star leads the league with 11 goals.
2011 MLS GOALS LEADERS
Player (Team), Goals
1. Thierry Henry (NY), 11
T-2. Landon Donovan (LA), 9
T-2. Brek Shea (FCD), 9
T-4. Charlie Davies (DC), 8
T-4. Chris Wondolowski (SJ), 8
MCCARTY NOTCHES FIRST ASSIST AS A RED BULL: Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty registered his first assist for the club on Saturday in New York’s 2-2 draw with FC Dallas. The former D.C. United and FC Dallas player set up Thierry Henry’s game-tying goal just five minutes from full time. McCarty has played in six games as a Red Bull, starting all of them.
AGUDELO SCORES FIFTH: New York forward Juan Agudelo opened the scoring on Saturday in the Red Bulls’ 2-2 tie with FC Dallas. Agudelo took a Dane Richards cross and looped a first-time strike over the reach of keeper Kevin Hartman. Agudelo is third on the team in goals behind leader Thierry Henry and fellow forward Luke Rodgers.
RED BULLS TO HOLD OPEN PRACTICE IN NYC AUGUST 9: The Red Bulls announced that the team will hold an open practice in New York City as part of the club’s initiative to give fans a unique experience and access to the team. The practice will take place Tuesday, August 9 at Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park in Manhattan from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
The practice, which is designed to give fans an up-close and personal look into the players’ training and preparation, will be held in Manhattan’s historic Chelsea section, along the Hudson River on the West Side. General admission for the practice is free and tickets are not required.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to practice in New York City and give our fans a chance to see our team’s training and preparation,” said Red Bulls Sporting Director Erik Soler. “Hudson River Park is a fantastic venue and we are excited to have a chance to train there.”
Please visit www.newyorkredbulls.com/openpractice for more information.
“Hudson River Park is thrilled to partner and host the New York Red Bulls Open Practice on August 9,” said David Katz, Vice President of Marketing and Events for Hudson River Park Trust. “Being a chief proponent and provider of public recreational field space in Manhattan, the ability for the community at large to experience top-flight athletes in action on our fields furthers the overall mission of the park.”
WHAT: New York Red Bulls open practice
WHEN: Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
WHERE: Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park
West 23rd Street and 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
For more information on the Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park, please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org
TICKETS FOR SECOND HALF OF RED BULLS SEASON ON SALE: Individual game tickets to the final portion of the New York Red Bulls’ 2011 MLS regular season at Red Bull Arena are on sale now.
These home games will mark the return of the Red Bulls to Harrison after the team’s historic participation in the prestigious Emirates Cup tournament in London at the end of July. Some of the action includes exciting matchups such as the Los Angeles Galaxy, CONCACAF Champions League Finalists Real Salt Lake and Eastern Conference foes Philadelphia Union.
The matches that are on sale are:
Date Opponent Time
Saturday, Aug. 13, Chicago Fire, 7:30 PM
Sunday, Aug. 28, Los Angeles Galaxy, 7:00 PM
Saturday, Sep. 10, Vancouver Whitecaps, 7:30 PM
Wednesday, Sep. 21, Real Salt Lake, 8:00 PM
Saturday, Sep. 24, Portland Timbers, 7:30 PM
Thursday, Oct. 20, Philadelphia Union, 8:00 PM
Each game also gives the Red Bulls and their fans an opportunity to give back to the community. Examples of the home game community activation are the Red Bulls 9/11 Tribute Night on Saturday, Sept. 10 when they host the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Breast Cancer Awareness Night on Thursday, Oct. 20th when the team hosts the Philadelphia Union. For a full list of charitable opportunities at every Red Bulls home match, visit //www.newyorkredbulls.com/charitable-schedule.
Tickets can be purchased by logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com or by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER.
