HANOVER, N.J. – With signings and injuries dominating the headlines, plenty of news continues to swirl around the New York Red Bulls.
The depth of the squad will surely be tested, but New York won’t see much of a reprieve through their upcoming schedule. Next up for the Red Bulls, a league match at home against the Montreal Impact before heading down to El Salvador to take on Alianza FC in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.
Here are the latest news and notes from the Red Bulls Training Facility.
Defensive Dilemma
A slew of injuries have sidelined some key Red Bulls with many of those players no longer fit to man the backline. Their absences will force head coach Jesse Marsch to change things up in the interim.
“It’s not easy with all the injuries to key guys,” he told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “But I think our team has dealt with adversity for the year and a half that I’ve been here. We’re not feeling sorry for ourselves, we’re moving forward as a group. Whoever needs to step in will be ready to go, so it’s a great opportunity for different guys to show that they’re ready.”
Defender Gideon Baah was already lost for extended time after suffering a broken tibia, but last Sunday’s match against the LA Galaxy brought about more bad news.
Standout fullback Connor Lade was lost for the season with a torn ACL, while Damien Perrinelle returns to the sidelines with ankle and knee injuries after enduring a hard challenge from Galaxy midfielder Jeff Larentowicz.
“All along the backline we’re going to need guys to be ready to go,” Marsch added. “Chris Duvall is an option at right back and he needs to be considered at centerback as well. Justin Bilyeu has performed well when called upon, and we need Sal [Zizzo] to continue to perform well. It’s not easy right now, but we have that we have the group to get the job done.”
On loan to the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada, recalling defender Karl Ouimette was heavily discussed as an option to patch things up at the back. However, the Red Bulls’ brass decided to honor their season-long loan of the Canadian international.
“With the agreement that we have with Jacksonville, we’d rather not call him up,” Marsch said. “We’re still evaluating it to see where guys are at, but we think it’s important for him to continue to establish himself down there. Bringing him back and forth won’t be good for him, for us, or for Jacksonville. It’s been talked about heavily, but right now we’re going to continue to keep him down there.”
BWP Gets a Rest
Forward Bradley Wright-Phillips completed the triumvirate of injured Red Bulls to leave the game last Sunday night, but unlike Perrinelle and Lade, his prognosis is more positive.
“He’s day-to-day,” Marsch revealed. “We’re hopeful that he’ll be ready for the weekend. I’m not sure exactly what the percentage is, but we’re hopeful. Today was better than yesterday and yesterday was better than the day before. If we keep making that kind of progress then he’ll be in training soon and be ready.”
If BWP were unable to go, Gonazlo Veron would likely be the option to start as the lone forward up top.
Royer, Damari Fitting In
New York’s newest signings took part in training on Wednesday morning, impressing their teammates and the coaching staff.
“Every day they’re getting a little bit more up to speed, a little more fit, and fit into the group more,” Marsch said of Daniel Royer and Omer Damari. “They’re good guys.”
Royer will return home to Austria tonight in order to sort out his visa status, while Damari could play a factor on Saturday night against Montreal.
“We think Omer will be ready for the weekend, so he could be an option,” Marsch continued. “We think we can get his work visa sorted out without leaving the country.”
No Suspension Solace
The aforementioned injury to Perrinelle sees the Frenchman out for 4-6 weeks with ankle and meniscus damage, but Larentowicz will also be missing some time.
The MLS Disciplinary Committee has suspended the Galaxy midfielder for their next match, but Marsch did not seem to find much comfort in the retroactive call.
Peter Walton, the General Manager of the Professional Referee Organization (PRO), also admitted that Sunday’s match official Hilario Grajeda incorrectly denied the Red Bulls two penalty kicks late in the game.
Unsurprisingly, Marsch took little from the admission.
“It does nothing for us."
