RED BULLS VISIT RAPIDS WEDNESDAY: The Red Bulls play the second match in an eight-day span on Wednesday when they visit the reigning MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO. Kickoff is slated for 9:30 PM ET (TV: MSG Plus).
New York earned a point in its last match, a scoreless draw away to Chivas USA on Saturday night. The newest Red Bull, German goalkeeper Frank Rost, earned a clean sheet in his team debut after signing with the club last Wednesday. Rost made one save in the victory which improved the Red Bulls’ record to 6-4-11 with 29 points, good for second place in the Eastern Conference. New York is just two points behind the Philadelphia Union for the top spot in the table.
In defense of their 2010 MLS Cup Championship, the Rapids are currently 6-6-9 through 21 matches, and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference on 27 points. Colorado has lost just once in its past four matches, the lone defeat coming in its last match on Saturday in a thrilling 4-3 affair with Seattle Sounders FC. The Rapids led twice before surrendering three straight goals to the hosts, falling behind by two goals before netting a late strike of their own to round out the scoring. Rapids forward Conor Casey leads the team in scoring in 2011 with six goals, while Jamie Smith is the club’s top assist man with three.
The New York-Colorado matchup dates back to the league’s inaugural season of 1996. All-time against the Rapids, New York is 14-15-5. Earlier this season, the teams played to a 2-2 tie at Red Bull Arena on May 25. A frantic first half saw all four of the match’s goals scored in a six minute span, as the Red Bulls twice tied the game on goals by Thierry Henry and Luke Rodgers. Last season, the Red Bulls earned four out of a possible six points against the eventual champions, drawing 1-1 at Dick’s Sporting Good Park on July 4 before taking a 3-1 decision at Red Bull Arena on Sept. 11.
NEW YORK RETURNS TO RED BULL ARENA SATURDAY TO HOST FC DALLAS: On Saturday, the Red Bulls host the other 2010 MLS Cup Finalist, FC Dallas, at Red Bull Arena at 6:00 PM ET (TV: MSG, Galavision).
FC Dallas sits third in the Western Conference and third overall in Major League Soccer with 35 points on a record of 10-5-5. The Hoops are also in action this Wednesday when they face Toronto FC on the road before coming to Red Bull Arena for Saturday’s clash. In its last match, FC Dallas also played to a scoreless draw, holding D.C. United at home. One of the top defensive sides in Major League Soccer, FC Dallas has surrendered just 19 goals this season, which ties them for the third best mark in the league behind just the Philadelphia Union and Los Angeles Galaxy, and even with the Columbus Crew. The game boasts two of the league’s top goal scorers, as co-league leader Thierry Henry (9) and Brek Shea (8) square off.
Last season, the Red Bulls defeated FC Dallas by a 2-1 score on April 17 at Red Bull Arena. In the return fixture, the teams tied 2-2 in a back and forth affair at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX on Sept. 16. The game marked the club debut of Red Bulls midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy, who scored New York’s first goal of the contest. Former FC Dallas player and current Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty scored against New York in the April 17 encounter.
RED BULLS-RAPIDS CONNECTIONS:
Red Bulls midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy spent part of four seasons with Colorado, beginning in 2007 when he was dealt to the club by Real Salt Lake in midseason. He played in 77 games for the Rapids before being shipped to New York on Sept. 14, 2010 in exchange for forward Macoumba Kandji. As a member of the Rapids, Ballouchy scored seven goals and added 18 assists.
New York goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul began his MLS career with Colorado, playing with the club from 2005 until the Red Bulls acquired him during the 2009 season from the Rapids in exchange for allocation money. During his four plus seasons with the Rapids, Coundoul appeared in 52 games, posting a record of 17-22-12. In the 2007 season, the Senegalese International was Colorado’s top-choice keeper, making 30 starts while keeping nine clean sheets and posting a goals-against-average of 1.08.
Rapids forward Kandji was a member of the Red Bulls over three seasons, beginning in Sept. 2008 when he was signed from the Atlanta Silverbacks (USL), until he was dealt for Ballouchy last season. As a Red Bull, Kandji played in 41 games, starting 30, while scoring six goals and adding seven assists. Kandji has not played this season as he is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in last year’s MLS Cup Final.
Colorado defender Marvell Wynne was drafted by New York with the first selection of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft out of UCLA. He played 29 games for the Red Bulls, appearing in 28 matches in 2006 and one match in 2007 before being traded to Toronto FC for a second round MLS SuperDraft selection and allocation money.
RED BULLS-FC DALLAS CONNECTIONS:
Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty was drafted by FC Dallas with the sixth overall selection in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. He was with the club for five full seasons, over the course of which appearing in 93 games, notching five goals and 17 assists. Last season, he helped FC Dallas reach the MLS Cup Finals, starting all four playoff ties and scoring one goal.
FC Dallas defender/midfielder Daniel Hernandez spent parts of three seasons with New York, having been acquired from the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2000 before being dealt to the New England Revolution in 2000. Over the course of his stint with the club, Hernandez played in 40 regular season matches, scoring one goal and tallying 11 assists.
LAST WEEK:
Red Bulls 0, Chicago Fire 4 at TOYOTA Park on Tuesday, July 12 (U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals)
Red Bulls 0, Chivas USA 0 at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, July 16
THIS WEEK:
Red Bulls at Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday, July 20 at 9:30 PM (TV: MSG Plus)
Red Bulls vs. FC Dallas at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, July 23 at 6:00 PM (TV: MSG/Galavision; Radio: WADO 1280 AM).
NEXT WEEK:
2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game: MLS All-Stars vs. Manchester United at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, July 27 at 8:30 PM (TV: ESPN).
Red Bulls vs. Paris St. Germain at Emirates Stadium on Saturday, July 30 at 9:00 AM (Emirates Cup in London, ENG)
Red Bulls vs. Arsenal FC at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, July 21 at 11:20 AM (Emirates Cup in London, ENG)
RED BULLS EARN POINT IN SCORELESS DRAW AT CHIVAS USA:
The New York Red Bulls played to a 0-0 tie with CD Chivas USA Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. With the draw, the Red Bulls improved to 29 points off a 6-4-11 record. New Red Bulls goalkeeper Frank Rost, who signed with the club Wednesday, earned a shutout in his first MLS start.
The Red Bulls had the first quality scoring chance of the match in the 21st minute. Midfielder Teemu Tainio’s lobbed pass bounced over Chivas defender Michael Lahoud to Joel Lindpere, who took a touch and forced goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to make a sprawling block. Four minutes later, forward and All-Star Game Commissioner’s Pick Juan Agudelo nearly redirected a low Lindpere cross inside the left post but missed wide.
New York took more control of the match later in the interval and was denied an advantage due to the woodwork in the 31st minute. The ball was cleared out of the Chivas box to the right wing to Jan Gunnar Solli. Solli ripped it from nearly 30 yards out with a blast that Kennedy tipped and slammed off the crossbar. Chivas had its best chance of the first half seven minutes after, as Jorge Flores took a Justin Braun feed and also fired his attempt off the crossbar.
Both teams looked to put their names on the scoresheet following the break. Twenty minutes into the second half, Lindpere swung a cross to Agudelo, whose header went straight to Kennedy. Five minutes later, New York’s Thierry Henry raced with the ball towards net and hit a shot that Kennedy could only parry. On the other end, Nick LaBrocca nearly took advantage on a counterattack, curling it high with his left foot from outside of the box.
New York almost found the game-winner in the last 10 minutes of the match. With seven minutes to play, Tainio volleyed a headed clearance into the side netting. Then, in stoppage time, Agudelo could have won the game, placing an attempt in the 18-yard box that rolled past the right upright.
RED BULLS DEAL DA LUZ TO UNITED:
The New York Red Bulls announced Monday that they have traded midfielder Austin da Luz to D.C. United as part of the deal which saw New York acquire an international spot from United last Saturday.
Da Luz played in seven regular season games in 2011, making four starts and notching a goal and an assist. The second-year player was drafted in the first round (14th overall) in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest University. He did not play a regular season match for New York in his rookie year.
NEW YORK SIGNS GERMAN GOALKEEPER FRANK ROST, LOANS SUTTON TO IMPACT:
The New York Red Bulls announced Wednesday, July 13 the signing of goalkeeper Frank Rost. Rost comes to New York after playing in the German Bundesliga for nearly 20 years – most recently starting for Hamburger SV. Rost made his MLS and club debut in the Red Bulls’ 0-0 draw with Chivas USA on Saturday. Rost made one save in preserving the shutout. He was the fourth New York goalkeeper this season to earn a shutout, an MLS record.
“Frank is a very experienced goalkeeper who will provide a strong presence in-between the posts for our club during our quest for a MLS title,” said Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. “We are thrilled that he has decided to join us in the middle of our campaign and look forward to his contributions for the remainder of the season.”
Rost, 38, started his professional career in 1992 with Werder Bremen, where he spent 10 years, first with the reserve team before moving to the senior squad. During his time there, the 6-4 goalkeeper earned 147 senior team appearances. In 2002, Rost moved to Schalke 04, winning a starting spot and playing in 130 matches.
Rost will count as the third Designated Player in the New York Red Bulls current roster.
He was most recently with Hamburger SV, becoming a fixture in the lineup and making 149 appearances. Rost has played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa Cup, playing in 89 matches in the latter – a Germany record. Rost was part of two Bundesliga runner up squads in 1995 and 2005. This past season, Rost featured in 30 games for Hamburger. He is also one of two goalkeepers to score in open play in the Bundesliga.
On Saturday, the Red Bulls announced that they loaned goalkeeper Greg Sutton to NASL side, the Montreal Impact, for the remainder of the year. The loan is subject to Sutton clearing MLS waivers.
Sutton started 10 games in goal for the Red Bulls this season, posting a record of 3-2-5 and a 1.50 goals against average. The Canadian earned two shutouts in 2011. Sutton joined the club prior to last season, being signed on March 11. For his Red Bulls career, Sutton started in 13 regular season matches with a record of 4-3-6 and a 1.23 goals against average.
AGUDELO CHOSEN TO MLS ALL-STAR ROSTER BY COMMISIONER DON GARBER:
With one of his two picks, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber selected New York Red Bulls forward Juan Agudelo as a 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star. The MLS All-Stars will take on reigning English Premier League champions Manchester United on July 27, 2011 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2, Galavisión, TSN2).
Agudelo joins Red Bulls teammates Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream, who were all voted to the MLS First XI on July 10, on the squad led by New York and All-Star head coach Hans Backe. Backe and his staff will select the entire game day roster, which will be announced on MLSsoccer.com this Monday, July 18. Garber picked Sporting Kansas City’s Omar Bravo with his other selection.
Agudelo, 18, burst on to the scene at the end of the 2010 MLS season after signing as a Homegrown Player from the Red Bulls Academy. Since then, he has established himself as one of the most exciting young forwards in the league. A native of Colombia who moved to New Jersey at age eight and joined the Red Bulls Academy in 2007, he was the first graduate of the Academy in the club’s history to make a first-team appearance.
“Juan Agudelo is one of the bright young stars in Major League Soccer and a prime example of the benefits of the MLS Homegrown player initiative and our focus on MLS club academies,” Garber said. “Juan also is one of the most promising young U.S. national team players and competing against one of the best clubs in the world is an important part of his development.”
The first MLS Homegrown player named to an MLS All-Star team, Agudelo has received significant playing time for the Red Bulls this season, scoring four goals in 14 appearances for the league’s highest-scoring team. He has also earned 10 caps with the U.S. National Team and scored two goals since making his international debut in Nov. 17, 2010.
Backe will determine the starters for the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game based on player availability and tactical considerations. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a total of 32 players will be named All-Stars. After the gameday roster is announced, the remaining pool of 32 All-Stars will be selected by a combined vote from all players.
HENRY STILL ATOP MLS IN SCORING:
Despite being held scoreless in the Red Bulls’ last match at Chivas USA, Red Bulls captain and forward Thierry Henry remains tied atop MLS in scoring in 2011 with Los Angeles Galaxy attacker Landon Donovan.
2011 MLS GOALS LEADERS
Player (Team), Goals
T-1. Thierry Henry (NY), 9
T-1. Landon Donovan (LA), 9
T-3. Brek Shea (FCD), 8
T-3. Charlie Davies (DC), 8
5. Andres Mendoza (CLB), 7
MENDES INCHING UP CLUB’S ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED LIST:
Red Bulls defender Carlos Mendes sits in third place on the club’s all-time list in regular season games played. The Mineola, NY native made his 140th appearance on Saturday against Chivas USA.
ALL-TIME NY REGULAR SEASON GAMES PLAYED
Player, Games Played
1. Mike Petke, 169
T-2. Seth Stammler, 142
T-2. John Wolyniec, 142
3. Carlos Mendes, 140
RED BULLS TO HOLD OPEN PRACTICE IN NYC AUGUST 9:
The Red Bulls announced that the team will hold an open practice in New York City as part of the club’s initiative to give fans a unique experience and access to the team. The practice will take place Tuesday, August 9 at Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park in Manhattan from 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
The practice, which is designed to give fans an up-close and personal look into the players’ training and preparation, will be held in Manhattan’s historic Chelsea section, along the Hudson River on the West Side. General admission for the practice is free and tickets are not required.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to practice in New York City and give our fans a chance to see our team’s training and preparation,” said Red Bulls Sporting Director Erik Soler. “Hudson River Park is a fantastic venue and we are excited to have a chance to train there.”
Please visit www.newyorkredbulls.com/openpractice for more information.
“Hudson River Park is thrilled to partner and host the New York Red Bulls Open Practice on August 9,” said David Katz, Vice President of Marketing and Events for Hudson River Park Trust. “Being a chief proponent and provider of public recreational field space in Manhattan, the ability for the community at large to experience top-flight athletes in action on our fields furthers the overall mission of the park.”
WHAT: New York Red Bulls open practice
WHEN: Tuesday, August 9, 2011, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
WHERE: Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park
West 23rd Street and 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
For more information on the Hudson River Park’s Chelsea Waterside Park, please visit www.hudsonriverpark.org.
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 by
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.
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 logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com or by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER.
