RED BULLS FACE UNION IN OPEN CUP: The New York Red Bulls, who are off to their best-ever start in the club’s 14-year history, will aim to continue their winning ways against new Eastern Conference rival, the Philadelphia Union, when the two teams meet up for the second time in four days in a U.S. Open Cup Preliminary Round Match on Tuesday, April 27 at 8:00 PM. Tickets are available for $15 apiece in the stadium’s 100-Level by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
New York currently sits in first place in the Eastern Conference with 12 points and a 4-1-0 record. The 12 points through five games marks the best beginning for the team since 2007, when the Red Bulls went 3-0-2, earning 11 points. On Saturday, the Red Bulls defeated the Union, 2-1, at Red Bull Arena in their first-ever matchup. Salou Ibrahim scored his first MLS goal in the 50th minute, rising above Union keeper Chris Seitz to head a Jeremy Hall cross into the back of the net. Less than 10 minutes later, Philadelphia forward Alejandro Moreno found space on the right touchline and played a ball across the face of goal to Sebastien Le Toux, who tapped it home for the tying goal. But in the 67th minute, Union defender Michael Orozco handled the ball in the box to set up a penalty kick for the Red Bulls. Captain Juan Pablo Angel converted the spot kick to earn the Red Bulls a 2-1 win.
New York won a coin toss to earn the right to host the rematch. Should the Red Bulls advance, they will host the New England Revolution at Red Bull Arena in the next round on May 12 at 8:00 PM ET. Ticket information will be released for that match at a later date if the Red Bulls advance.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an annual national competition that is open to all amateur and professional soccer teams that are affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest tournament in the U.S., beginning in 1914 when Brooklyn Field Club took home the very first title. MLS teams were first included in the tournament in the inaugural 1996 season. The team’s best finish in the competition came in 2003 with New York losing, 1-0, to the Chicago Fire on Oct. 15 at Giants Stadium. New York dispatched three league opponents on its way to the final with a combined score of nine goals after posting a 4-0 shutout over the Mid Michigan Bucks of the PDL.
New York has fared slightly better against non-league opponents, with a record of 7-6 compared to 7-7 against other Major League Soccer teams. In competition openers, New York has gone 1-1 against MLS sides, beating the San Jose Earthquakes last year in the Red Bulls’ 2-1 victory on April 29. The Red Bulls were eliminated from the tournament when they lost to D.C. United, 5-3, on May 20 at RFK Stadium. New York has reached the quarterfinals six of the seven times it has progressed past its opening match.
NEWARK TROLLEY NOTE: There will be no Newark Trolleys running for the Red Bulls-Union U.S. Open Cup match on April 27 at 8:00 PM,
NEW YORK TAKES ON D.C. UNITED SATURDAY: The Red Bulls will look to extend their regular season winning streak to three on Saturday when they travel to the nation’s capital to battle D.C. United at RFK Stadium at 4:00 PM (TV: MSG, TeleFutura; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM).
New York faces its Atlantic Cup rival in regular season action for the 53rd time. D.C. is looking for its first points of the season, as it has started off 2010 with a 0-4-0 record. United, which did not have a game last weekend, most recently fell to the Chicago Fire, 2-0, at RFK Stadium with midfielder Marco Pappa and forward Brian McBride scoring in the last 10 minutes of the game. United midfielder Santino Quaranta and forward Jaime Moreno, who has recorded 24 goals and 18 assists in 39 appearances against New York, have a goal apiece this season. Like New York, D.C. is also playing in a U.S. Open Cup Preliminary Round match on Wednesday, April 28 at RFK Stadium.
The Red Bulls are 17-29-6 all-time against D.C. United in regular season play. Last year, the Red Bulls dropped both games to D.C. On April 26, despite getting goals from Juan Pablo Angel and Dane Richards, United received two late strikes from Luciano Emilio and Chris Pontius to earn a come-from-behind 3-2 victory at Giants Stadium. In the return match at RFK Stadium, the Red Bulls fell, 2-0, with Quaranta and Moreno putting their names on the scoresheet.
LAST WEEK:
Red Bulls 2, Philadelphia Union 1 on April 24 at Red Bull Arena
THIS WEEK:
Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union on April 27 at Red Bull Arena at 8:00 PM (NO TV) – Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-In Game
Red Bulls at D.C. United on May 1 at RFK Stadium at 4:00 PM (TV: MSG, TeleFutura; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM)
NEXT WEEK:
Red Bulls at San Jose Earthquakes on May 8 at Buck Shaw Stadium at 10:00 PM (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)
2010 MLS STANDINGS
INCLUDES GAMES OF SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010
ANGEL STRIKES AGAIN: Red Bulls all-time leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel scored his 51st career goal and second-straight game winner against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday in the Red Bulls’ 2-1 win on Saturday, tallying a penalty kick in the second half.
GOALS (Regular Season)
PLAYER GP GOALS
1. Juan Pablo Angel 77 48
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, 85, 51
2. Clint Mathis, 110, 45
3. Giovanni Savarese, 97, 44
4. Amado Guevara, 117, 38
5. John Wolyniec, 160, 32
Angel is now the all-time leader in game-winning goals in regular season games.
Game Winning Goals
PLAYER, GP, GWG
1. Juan Pablo Angel, 77, 11
T-2. Clint Mathis, 93, 10
T-2. John Wolyniec, 139, 10
4. Amado Guevara, 103, 9
5. Giovanni Savarese, 85, 8
With his two-goal performance against FC Dallas a week earlier on April 17, Angel is tied with Giovanni Savarese for the club lead in multi-goal games.
MULTI-GOAL GAMES (Regular Season)
PLAYER, GP, GOALS
T-1. Juan Pablo Angel, 77, 10
T-1. Giovanni Savarese, 85, 10
3. Clint Mathis, 93, 6
HOME SWEET HOME: Since opening Red Bull Arena in March, the New York Red Bulls have enjoyed the comforts of their new home in Harrison, NJ and the results have shown on the pitch. New York is 4-0-0 in all competitions at Red Bull Arena after its win over the Philadelphia Union, 2-1, last Saturday.
RED BULLS SIGN NIELSEN: Red Bull New York announced on April 15 that it acquired Danish midfielder Brian Nielsen on loan. Nielsen arrived in New York on Thursday, April 21 and had his first training session with the team the following day. On Saturday, Nielsen started and played 67 minutes in New York’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union.
“Brian is a very promising young player who has pace and can deliver quality service with both feet,” said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “We are thrilled to sign him and he will immediately compete for a spot in our starting lineup.”
Nielsen has played for Denmark at a number of youth national team levels, most recently featuring for the Under-21 squad. Prior to joining the Red Bulls, Nielsen played for Danish side, Vejle Boldkulb, helping his team earn promotion to the Danish Superliga. Since 2005, Nielsen appeared in 92 games for Vejle, scoring 15 goals. The 23-year-old had also played for Danish clubs Hjorten IF and Herlev IF and later was in Akademisk Boldklub’s youth squad.
RBNY TO HOST MAN CITY, SPURS IN WSF: Red Bull New York and the World Series of Football announced that English Premiership giants Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will participate with the New York Red Bulls in the 2010 New York Football Challenge that will take place from July 22-25 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon is tentatively slated as the tournament’s fourth team. Ticket, credential and scheduling information will be announced at a later date.
About Manchester City: Formed in 1880, Manchester City are one of the oldest, most famous and best supported English Premier League soccer clubs. The club's most successful period was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when they won the English League Championship, the FA Cup, the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup. Following a takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group in August 2008, a period of accelerated investment has seen the Club recruit some world class talent, including Carlos Tevez, Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gareth Barry. They are now on the brink of their best ever placing in the Premier League era. City play their games at the City of Manchester Stadium, which was initially built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The stadium has a capacity of 47,350, which is regularly full for City games. So far during the 2009/10 season, their average attendance is over 45,000, the third highest in the EPL. They are coached by Roberto Mancini, who joined the club in December of 2009.
About Tottenham Hotspur: Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs, is a Premier League football club founded in 1882. Tottenham Hotspur is a Club of firsts - becoming the first club to achieve the League and FA Cup Double, winning both competitions in the 1960-61 season; in 1963 they became the first British club to win a major European trophy - the European Cup Winners' Cup. Victory in the 2008 League Cup Final meant that Spurs achieved the feat of winning a trophy in each of the last six decades, a record matched by only one other Premier League club. Tottenham Hotspur features in the top 15 of the Deloitte Football Money League, which ranks football clubs by revenue generated from football operations. The Club currently play their home games at White Hart Lane in North London and recently submitted plans for a new stadium development project that will see them move into a 56,000 capacity world-class stadium. This year the Club also began works on a new state-of-the-art training centre that will be one of the best in Europe. Tottenham Hotspur has a large fan base in the United States with established supporters’ clubs in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. The Club has an official partnership with Major League Soccer team San Jose Earthquakes who are based in California and Spurs played in the United States as recently as 2003 participating in the Capital Cup against MLS side DC United. For more information visit the Club's website www.tottenhamhotspur.com.
About the World Series of Football: The Directors of The World Series of Football (WFS), along with a dedicated group of marketers, have combined to establish the company as one of the leading independent sports event management companies in the world. During the last 10 years, WSF has organized 25 international football tournaments where 41 of the world’s leading club sides from 17 countries have competed. WSF events have an unparalleled reputation for high-quality competition, efficiency of organization and ambience of presentation. WSF maintains a close working relationship with international TV companies and sports media, which helps promote the global coverage of its events.
KANDJI UNDERGOES SURGERY: Red Bull New York announced that forward Macoumba Kandji underwent surgery April 21 to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot. The surgery was performed by Dr. David Levine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Kandji, who suffered the injury in training on Tuesday, April 20, will miss 8-12 weeks.
Kandji started in all four regular season games for New York, scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on April 3. After signing with the Red Bulls on Sept. 15, 2008, Kandji recorded four goals and five assists in 2009.
BULLS TO TAKE ON JUVENTUS MAY 23 AT RBA: Red Bull New York announced that the New York Red Bulls will face renowned Italian club, Juventus FC, on Sunday, May 23 at 1:00 PM ET at Red Bull Arena in an exhibition match. Fans can purchase tickets, which start at $30 apiece, by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER or logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
“Since opening Red Bull Arena, we have been committed to bringing in elite clubs from around the world to play in what we consider to be the best soccer-specific stadium in North America,” said Red Bull New York Managing Director Erik Stover. “With its storied history and multiple championships, Juventus certainly fits in with this vision. They are a prestigious club with a tremendous following around the world and we are excited to host them at our brand new home.”
Information regarding media credentials applications for the match will be released at a later date.
Juventus, based in Turin, Italy, is one of Europe’s most successful clubs. Known for their trademark black and white striped jersey and massive supporter following, Juventus has competed in seven UEFA Champions League finals (winning two), taken home three UEFA Cups, and captured the Italian Serie A title a record 27 times. Currently, Juventus boasts the likes of several Italian standouts including forwards Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri and midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, French striker David Trezeguet and Brazilian midfielder Diego. Juventus also has defender and 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year Fabio Cannavaro, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Italian forward Vicenzo Iaquinta in their ranks. Juventus is coached by long-time Serie A veteran Alberto Zaccheroni.
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, as they start for their upcoming MLS season.
