The warm weather is just starting to hit its stride down here in Central Florida, but as the week nears its conclusion, it’s nearly time to say goodbye (for now, at least). The focus now shifts to the team’s final tune-up of Preseason: Part One, as a matchup with Eastern Conference foes Montreal Impact awaits on Thursday morning.
- TICKETS: Red Bulls Home Opener vs. Toronto FC, Sunday March 6
As usual, there’s been plenty to talk about both on and off the pitch as camp rolls on.
Perrinelle Rehab
Back in November’s playoff meeting with D.C. United, defender Damien Perrinelle was dealt a critical blow in the form of a season ending injury. After landing awkwardly in New York’s 1-0 win at RFK Stadium, the French defender soon learned his fate; a torn ACL meant an abrupt end to a terrific season.
While not in contention to make a return for the season opener on March 6, the centerback has been working diligently in order to return to the club at full strength. The defender has yet to train with the squad, but Perrinelle has instead been engaging in low-impact rehab exercises to ensure the recovery process continues to progress unimpeded.
Training Notes
The team got one last training session in on Wednesday morning ahead of their final scrimmage of their first stint in Florida. Given the match to come, Marsch and his staff elected to train just once on the day.
The session started with some light stretching and agility work before the group was split in two. The larger group was divided into a 10v10 scrimmage while the remaining players formed a third group, joining assistant coaches John Wolyniec and Denis Hamlett for some crossing and finishing work. The groups then rotated as each of the three smaller squads completed the aforementioned drills, as well as competing in the abridged scrimmage.
Homegrown signing Chris Thorsheim stood out on the day as he demonstrated some impressive vision and composure on the ball despite the hectic nature of the scrimmage. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Veron’s stellar preseason continued, as he offered up glimpses of what might be in store for the Red Bulls attack in 2016. The Argentine was active in the final third, causing havoc in the backline with his electric pace.
Impact Preview
The team’s third preseason scrimmage will take place on Thursday morning, as the Red Bulls will face their first MLS competition of the year. The Montreal Impact, who have been residing and training at the same complex as New York, will be the team’s final test before heading back to New Jersey on Friday morning.
In order to maximize the amount of playing time for players from both squads, tomorrow’s scrimmage will unconventionally feature three 45-minute periods.
“We’ll look at a few different guys from the start,” Marsch said after training on Wednesday morning. “The first two 45 minute [periods] we’ll put two strong teams on the field, and then the third group will be a younger group.”
The Montreal matchup offers a different test for this Red Bulls side, as the previous friendlies against collegiate and NASL competition have seemingly been ramping up to Thursday’s clash. With the two sides facing off in Canada just two weeks into the season, there will be plenty of to take away from this friendly.
“The players will obviously put more into because they know it’s more of a real game,” Marsch added. “What’s important is that we end the camp the right way. We feel like the whole ten days has been really good, there’s been a lot of good work that’s been put in.
“We just want to make sure that we end this the right way. Regardless of the outcome of the score, we just want to make sure we have good performances, play the way we want to play and put the game on our terms.”
Fans looking to get their first glimpse of the 2016 New York Red Bulls in action can watch the match live (Thursday, 10:30 a.m.) on NewYorkRedBulls.com.
