The New York Red Bulls acquired Tim Parker from Vancouver Whitecaps FC and he may make a very immediate impact with the club.
Joining the Red Bulls in Mexico ahead of the matchup against Club Tijuana for a Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals game on Tuesday night, Parker could see immediate minutes for his new team.
“I spoke to Tim, he feels fit, ready to go and, obviously, very excited," Head Coach Jesse Marsch said. "We will err on the side of throwing him right into the thick of things right away."
Sporting Director Denis Hamlett said the team has been keeping an eye on Parker for a while now, as the tall center back ticks off many boxes the club looks for in a defender.
“The part we like about Tim is the qualities at center back," Hamlett said. "If you watch the way we play, we put a lot of stress on our center backs and I think that is something that the way we play that a part of it is finding a center back that pairs well with what we have and we think that he is strong, he is a good one-v-one defender and he is an old-school defender that takes pride in defending.
"We were excited for the opportunity to get him," Hamlett said.
The learning curve for Parker will not be too steep, as he has 74 MLS starts under his belt already.
“He understands our league," Hamlett said. "He understands the competition we are playing against in terms of the forwards. We feel that the adjustment will be easier, but the bigger part will be to acclimate him to the way we play and give him clarity when he steps onto the field he can do what he does best which is defend. We are very confident because he has all the attributes of what we look for in a center back."
Marsch said that Parker will get a crash course in the Red Bulls' style of play, with some intense video sessions coming over the first few days with the club.
"We are ready to get him going," Marsch said. "We will have to update him on tactics and how we do things, but we will be ready to use him if necessary.”
