RED BULLS HOST TORONTO FC IN MID WEEK CLASH: The Red Bulls look to take over first place in the Eastern Conference on Wednesday when they host Toronto FC in a mid-week affair at Red Bull Arena at 8:00 PM ET (TV: MSG Plus; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM).
The Red Bulls enter the match off their 10th tie of the season, a 2-2 draw at San Jose on Saturday. The match wrapped up a four-game road trip in MLS play. New York looked headed for a loss before Joel Lindpere notched his second goal of the game and fourth of the season in the 85th minute to even the game. The tie moved the Red Bulls’ record to 5-3-10, 25 points, remaining in second place. They currently sit two points behind the East-leading Philadelphia Union.
In its last MLS match, Toronto FC edged Canadian rival, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 1-0 on Wednesday, June 29. The lone goal of the match came in the 54th minute on a penalty conversion by Nick Soolsma. With the victory, Toronto improved to 3-7-9 and 18 points, which is tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference with the Chicago Fire. The Reds also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League after defeating the Whitecaps, 2-1 (3-2 on aggregate), in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship at BMO Field, with Mikael Yourassowsky notching the game-winner in the 61st minute.
All-time, the Red Bulls own a record of 6-4-1 against the Canadian side, including a 5-1-0 mark all-time at home. The Red Bulls have won the last three meetings with Toronto FC by a combined score of 10-1. Last season, the Red Bulls defeated the Reds by a 1-0 score on Aug. 8, 2010 at Red Bull Arena. Just 10 days later, New York upended Toronto 4-1 at BMO Field, with Rafa Marquez scoring his first goal as a Red Bull.
RED BULLS – TORONTO FC CONNECTIONS:
Red Bulls goalkeeper Greg Sutton played for Toronto from 2007-09. During his time there, the Canadian-born shot stopper played in 34 matches, earning a record of 9-16-9. During the 2008 season, he was the first-choice keeper for Toronto, starting 24 games. New York midfielder Carl Robinson also featured for the Reds from 2007-09, amassing 64 appearances, three goals and seven assists.
The Red Bulls drafted Toronto FC midfielder Tony Tchani with the second overall pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Tchani played with New York until he was dealt along with Danleigh Borman to Toronto in exchange for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario this April. As a Red Bull, Tchani played in 29 games, starting 18, while scoring one goal and adding three assists.
New York drafted Borman out of the University of Rhode Island with the seventh overall selection in the 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft. Borman played with the team from 2008-11, playing in 59 games while earning 35 starts. Over his three plus seasons as a Red Bull, Borman scored four goals and added two assists.
NEW YORK TRIES FOR ATLANTIC CUP DOUBLE SATURDAY, HOSTS RIVAL D.C.:
New York hosts longtime rival D.C. United on Saturday at Red Bull Arena at 7:30 PM ET in a match that will determine the Atlantic Cup (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM). New York can clinch its second consecutive cup with a victory or tie.
D.C. enters the match after a 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union on Saturday at RFK Stadium. The game marked the D.C. debut of former Red Bull Dwayne De Rosario. De Rosario assisted on the game’s opening goal by Josh Wolff, before Philadelphia equalized on an own-goal by United rookie Perry Kitchen. The back-and-forth match continued with United again taking the lead on a goal by Andy Najar, before Carlos Ruiz of the Union added the eventual equalizer in the 84th minute.
This will be the second meeting between the teams this season. On April 21 at RFK Stadium, the Red Bulls upended D.C., 4-0, behind a brace from Thierry Henry and goals from Juan Agudelo and Joel Lindpere. The four-goal margin of victory was the largest in the history of the rivalry in favor of New York. Last season, the Red Bulls took home the Atlantic Cup with a 1-0-1 record over United. On May 1, 2010 at RFK Stadium, New York shutout D.C. by a 2-0 score. In the return fixture at Red Bull Arena on July 10, 2010, the teams played to a scoreless draw. All-time, New York has a record of 18-29-7 against United.
RED BULLS – D.C. UNITED CONNECTIONS:
Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty began the 2011 season with D.C. United after being acquired in the offseason from the Portland Timbers. McCarty played in 13 games with United this season, making 11 starts and registering two assists. McCarty made his Red Bulls debut on Saturday, starting and playing all 90 minutes in the team’s 2-2 draw at San Jose.
The Red Bulls acquired McCarty from D.C. United on June 27 in exchange for Dwayne De Rosario. During his short stint with the Red Bulls, De Rosario registered two goals and four assists in 13 games played. The Red Bulls acquired De Rosario on April 1 in a trade with Toronto FC, with the Red Bulls sending midfielder Tony Tchani, defender Danleigh Borman and a first round selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft.
D.C. United midfielder Santino Quaranta was a member of the Red Bulls in 2007. He played a total of 47 minutes in three appearances.
LAST WEEK:
Red Bulls 2, FC New York 1 at Red Bull Arena on Tuesday, June 28 (U.S. Open Cup Third Round)
Red Bulls 2, San Jose Earthquakes 2 at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, July 2
THIS WEEK:
Red Bulls vs. Toronto FC at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, July 6 at 8:00 PM ET (TV: MSG Plus; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM)
Red Bulls vs. D.C. United at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 PM ET (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM).
NEXT WEEK:
Red Bulls at Chicago Fire at TOYOTA Park on Tuesday, July 12 at 8:30 PM ET (U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals)
Red Bulls at Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, July 16 at 10:30 PM ET (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)
LINDPERE DOUBLE PROPELS RED BULLS TO 2-2 DRAW AT SAN JOSE:
New York midfielder Joel Lindpere recorded his first MLS multi-goal game, including a game-tying strike five minutes from full time, as the Red Bulls fought back to earn a 2-2 tie against the San Jose Earthquakes at Stanford Stadium in front of 41,028 spectators Saturday night. The Red Bulls, who now have 25 points and a 5-3-10 record, wrapped up a four-game road MLS swing, and are in second place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind the Philadelphia Union.
WATCH: Full match highlights
The Red Bulls took the lead in the seventh minute. New York midfielder Teemu Tainio swung the ball to Roy Miller on the left wing. Miller gathered possession and found Lindpere, whose initial shot was blocked by the penalty spot. However, the rebound fell neatly to him, as he slid it home for his third goal of the season.
New York dominated the opening stages of the first half and could have doubled its lead, with Tainio’s header from a Carlos Mendes corner kick flick-on just missing wide and forward Juan Agudelo later forcing San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch to push away his 12 yard shot.
Despite being pressured for much of the interval, the Earthquakes tied the game in the 37th minute. San Jose forward Simon Dawkins curled a corner kick into the box that goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul had his hands on, but could not haul in. The ball bounced to Khari Stephenson, who rifled it into the back of the net with his left foot.
The visitors looked to get back in the lead following the intermission. Lindpere nearly got his second, smashing a deflected shot into the side netting after new midfielder Dax McCarty, making his Red Bulls debut, played a quick free kick through to Agudelo, who got the ball to the Estonian. Five minutes later, Agudelo this time was the recipient of a Lindpere feed and struck an attempt high.
On the other end, San Jose almost grabbed the lead in the 67th minute when a long ball was played into the path of a charging Chris Wondolowski. Red Bulls defender Tim Ream was able to get back and knocked his attempted clearance off the right post, before New York guided it to safety.
The Earthquakes went in front in the next minute. Defender Steven Beitashour had space on the right wing and swung in a cross to an open Lenhart, who dove and headed it past Coundoul.
Busch made a pair of big stops to keep the Earthquakes ahead with six minutes to play, denying a Richards attempt after the Red Bull went through on goal, before leaping to save Lindpere’s right-footed drive.
However, the Estonian got the last laugh seconds later on the continuation of that play, scoring his second goal of the game. Following Busch’s save on Lindpere, Mehdi Ballouchy got to the ball and his deflected pass rolled to the Estonian at the top of the 18-yard box. Lindpere took a touch and fired a 20-yard attempt that hit off San Jose defender Bobby Burling’s head and nestled into the net.
Despite training with the team fully and traveling to San Jose Friday, Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry missed Saturday’s match due to flu-like symptoms that developed during the trip.
ROONEY, HERTZOG SCORE AS RED BULLS ADVANCE IN U.S. OPEN CUP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER FC NEW YORK: The New York Red Bulls earned a berth in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating USL Pro side, FC New York, 2-1, on Tuesday night at Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls came back from a one-goal deficit in the second half on tallies by Corey Hertzog and John Rooney. New York will next face MLS Eastern Conference foe, the Chicago Fire - which beat the Rochester Rhinos, 1-0, on the road Tuesday night - at TOYOTA Park in Bridgeview, IL, on July 12. Kickoff is set for 8:30 PM ET.
The Red Bulls went on the attack early and got a good chance at goal just four minutes in. A giveaway by FC New York in the midfield led to a Red Bulls counterattack, spurred on by New York’s Marcos Paullo. The Brazilian-born midfielder ran in towards the penalty area and unleashed a shot from outside the box, but his effort sailed over the bar. Then, in the 13th minute, Red Bulls forward Juan Agudelo fired a half volley effort on a long ball by Tim Ream that went high.
Midway through the first half, the Red Bulls were still pressing for the match’s first goal. Austin da Luz tried his luck from 30 yards out, but his shot was parried and safely recovered by FC New York goalkeeper Steve Diaz. Diaz came up big again in the half’s waning minutes. Agudelo received a ball from Hertzog and weaved his way down the left side of the penalty area, but Diaz did well to deny the U.S. International from close range.
FC New York took the lead on a combination from two substitutes in the 56th minute. Just inside the Red Bulls’ end, Don Smart played the ball to Owen Morrison. Morrison fired a right-footed shot at goal from over 25-yards-out that beat goalkeeper Greg Sutton and rose into to the net’s top left corner.
The Red Bulls responded and tied the game just two minutes later. The FC New York defense failed to clear the ball, and Agudelo rose up and won a header, nodding it into the path of Hertzog. Hertzog dribbled in towards goal on the right side of the penalty area, and took a low, sharp-angle shot that beat Diaz at the near post to even the game.
Seven minutes later, Rooney scored to give the Red Bulls a 2-1 lead. At midfield, Ream picked out Rooney just outside of the penalty area. From there, Rooney let go a right-footed blast to the low left corner that bounded past Diaz’s outstretched arm.
RED BULLS ACQUIRE MIDFIELDER DAX MCCARTY: Red Bull New York announced that it acquired midfielder Dax McCarty from D.C. United in exchange for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario on June 27.
WATCH:Meet Dax McCarty
“Dax is an exciting young player who will immediately add his dynamic style of play to our midfield,” said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “He is an excellent two-way player who will contribute both to our defense and to our attack for seasons to come.”
“To acquire such a promising player, we had to make a difficult decision in trading Dwayne. During his short time in New York, Dwayne has been a consummate professional. We wish him the best of luck in D.C.”
McCarty, 24, has played in 13 games for United, notching 11 starts and two goals. His rights were acquired by D.C. from the Portland Timbers in addition to allocation money on Nov. 24, 2010 in exchange for defender Rodney Wallace and the lower of United’s two fourth round selections in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Portland had drafted McCarty with the first pick in the 2010 Expansion Draft.
Prior to joining D.C., the Winter Park, FL native was an integral part of FC Dallas’ run to the 2010 MLS Cup Final. In 2010, McCarty featured in 21 matches, tallying one goal and two assists while establishing himself as one of the top young midfielders in MLS. He also scored against Real Salt Lake in FC Dallas’ 1-1 tie in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals and appeared in all four postseason games.
McCarty enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2009, recording three goals and six assists in 28 games played. Drafted in the first round of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of the University of North Carolina, McCarty, who had a career-high seven assists in 2007, amassed 93 appearances, 71 starts, five goals and 17 assists over five seasons in the Lone Star State.
On the international level, McCarty has earned five caps for the United States and made his senior team debut on Nov. 14, 2009 against Slovakia. McCarty has also represented his country on the Under-20 level, where he appeared in all five games in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 and was a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team that competed in Beijing. He was in addition a part of the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program.
McCarty played two seasons at North Carolina, being named NSCAA second team All-America and First Team All-ACC in his sophomore year.
LINDPERE BAGS A BRACE: Red Bulls midfielder Joel Lindpere had his first career two-goal game on Saturday in the team’s 2-2 draw at San Jose. Lindpere put the team ahead in the 7th minute, with Roy Miller picking up his third assist of the season and Teemu Tainio also being credited with his second assist of 2011. Then, with the Red Bulls trailing 2-1, Lindpere again found the back of the net in the 85th minute off a feed from Mehdi Ballouchy. The two goals raised Lindpere’s total to four for the season, and was his third goal in the past two games. For his career, Lindpere has seven goals to go along with nine assists in 47 games played as a Red Bull.
ROONEY, HERTZOG SCORE FIRST RBNY GOALS: Red Bulls forward Corey Hertzog and midfielder John Rooney both scored their first career goals for the Red Bulls on June 28 in a 2-1 victory over FC New York in the Third Round of the U.S. Open Cup. With the Red Bulls trailing 1-0, Hertzog pounded home a Juan Agudelo feed in the 58th minute to tie the score. Rooney then gave the Red Bulls the lead for good in the 65th minute with a low long-range shot that was perfectly placed in the bottom corner of the net. Both players were selected by the Red Bulls in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft; Hertzog with the 13th overall selection, and Rooney with the 25th overall pick.
RED BULLS DEBUTS: Defender Teddy Schneider, defender Tyler Lassiter and midfielder Marcos Paullo all made their Red Bulls debuts in the team’s 2-1 victory over FC New York on Tuesday in the Third Round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Marcos Paullo started and played all 90 minutes, while Schneider started the match and played 66 minutes before being replaced by Lassiter. All three players have yet to appear in an MLS match.
HENRY TIED ATOP MLS IN GOALS SCORED: Red Bulls captain and forward Thierry Henry is among four players tied atop MLS’ goal scoring list for 2011. Henry notched his eighth goal of the year on June 19 in the Red Bulls’ 3-3 draw at the Portland Timbers.
2011 MLS GOALS LEADERS
Player (Team), Goals
T-1 Thierry Henry (NY), 8
T-1. Landon Donovan (LA), 8
T-1. Charlie Davies (DC), 8
T-1. Brek Shea (FCD), 8
BACKE RECORD STILL INTACT: By drawing with the San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 on Saturday the Red Bulls remained unbeaten under head coach Hans Backe when they score the first goal of a match. In 2010 and 2011 combined, New York has posted a record of 19-0-8 in games where they opened the scoring.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS FOR 2011 MLS ALL-STAR GAME AT RBA SOLD OUT: Major League Soccer and Red Bull New York announced that individual tickets to the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 27 at Red Bull Arena featuring the MLS All-Stars against Manchester United are sold out to the general public. A limited amount of seats are still available through the All-Star Bulls Eye Plan offered exclusively through the New York Red Bulls by calling 1-877-RBSOCCER or CLICKING HERE. The match will be telecast live on ESPN2, Galavision, and TSN at 8:30 PM ET.
This year’s All-Star Game will mark the third time the metropolitan New York area has hosted the mid-summer showcase; the inaugural MLS All-Star Game in 1996 and the second in 1997 were played at Giants Stadium. The 25,000-seat, state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey has played host to multiple friendlies between the Red Bulls and international clubs, along with select national team matches, but the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game will be the first marquee MLS event at the $200 million dollar venue. The MLS All-Stars will be led by New York 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 FACEBOOK PAGE HOSTS 2011 EMIRATES CUP SWEEPSTAKES: The New York Red Bulls are hosting an online sweepstakes via their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/newyorkredbulls) for a lucky fan to receive a trip to London to catch the Red Bulls compete in the 2011 Emirates Cup from July 30-31 at the Emirates Stadium. The sweepstakes, which fans can enter via the team’s Facebook page, starts today and runs through July 12.
One grand prize winner, who will receive round trip coach airfare for two to London, hotel accommodations, tickets to both matchdays, exclusive access to a Red Bulls training session and a pair of autographed jerseys, will be selected at random from all qualified applicants. There will also be one second place winner and one third place winner (see below for details).
The 2011 Emirates Cup kicks off at 9:00 AM ET on Saturday, July 30 with the Red Bulls facing Paris Saint-Germain followed by Arsenal taking on Boca Juniors at 11:20 AM ET. On Sunday, July 31, Paris Saint-Germain faces Boca Juniors at 9:00 AM ET, while former Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls square off against the hosts at 11:20 AM ET.
For more information or to register, log onto www.facebook.com/newyorkedbulls.
For the official rules of the sweepstakes please visit http://apps.facebook.com/nyrb_emiratescup/rules
Grand Prize
One grand prize winner will receive the following:
- Round trip coach air transportation for two (2) from New York to London, England
- Hotel accommodations for two (2) in London, England, from July 28 through Aug. 1, 2011
- Two (2) tickets to both match days of the 2011 Emirates Cup (July 30 and July 31)
- Access for two (2) to the New York Red Bulls training session on July 29
- Two (2) New York Red Bulls team autographed jerseys
2nd Place Prize
- One (1) team autographed jersey from all four (4) participating teams in the 2011 Emirates Cup
3rd Place Prize
- One (1) team autographed jersey from the New York Red Bulls and Arsenal FC
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 CLICKING HERE or by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER.
