RED BULLS READER HAS MOVED

Red Bulls Reader has moved to a new blogging platform and also has a new web address. To satisfy your Red Bulls Reader cravings, point your browser to www.redbullsreader.com. This site is up and running and will give you the same access the original site did.

Thank you for your patience during this switch as well as your support!

TWO DOWN; TWO TO GO

Red Bull New York announced today that it has signed midfielders Jorge Rojas and Juan Pietravallo after they received their P-1 visas. Rojas and Pietravallo will be available for selection for the Red Bulls’ match against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday at 6:30 PM ET at Giants Stadium (TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Radio: WADO 1280).

Rojas should step right into the Starting XI and fill the CAM role that has been an issue for the Red Bulls for most of the season. No word on if Pietravallo will also step into a starting role.

Diego Jimenez and Gabriel Cichero have not been officially signed by the club at this point, in regards to MLS approval, etc.

Are you excited about these two players donning the kit for the first time? Do you think their presence will change the dynamic on the field? Will it produce more wins for the club? Will Rojas be the difference maker we all hope he can be? Will you be there on Saturday for their debut? TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE. Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

FOUR ACADEMY PLAYERS NAMED TO USDA U17/18 STARTING XI

The US Soccer Development Academy’s eight Conference Starting XI squads and Coaches of the Year from the Under-17/18 age groups were announced recently during Finals Week at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA. In the U17/18 Mid-Atlantic Divison four Red Bull players were selected to this prestigious group.

"It is a great achievement and honor that we had four players selected to the all conference team in the inaugural season of the Academy,” head coach Paul O’Donnell said. “To have four out of the eleven selected is a testament to the impact that these players and the entire U18 team had on the National Scouts and opposing coaches. The players that were selected were worthy of their selection and were tremendous over the course of the entire season".

The recipients of the awards were voted upon by U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy coaches and National Team scouts.

The Red Bulls total was matched only by the Baltimore Bays, who finished just ahead of the Red Bulls during the regular season, and have advanced to the Finals Week Championship match. The full team is as follows:

U-17/18 Mid-Atlantic Starting XI:
GK: Bill Hamid – D.C. United
D: Thomas Brandt - Baltimore Bays
D: Connor Lade - NYRB
D: Chris Lebo - Baltimore Bays
M: James Wenger - PA Classics
M: Cesar Blacido - NYRB
M: Neil Vranis - Baltimore Bays
M: Matt Kassell - NYRB
F: Chris Argorsor - Baltimore Bays
F: Kyle Bethel - Match Fit Academy
F: Johnny Exantus - NYRB

Coach of the Year: Steve Klein - PA Classics

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RELEASE

US Soccer Annouces Squad For Beijing

Peter Nowak announced the team he will being with him to Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympiad. A familiar name is on the list at forward, as Jozy Altidore (no major surprise there) has been selected. Through conversations with RBR ealier this year, being selected for the team was a dream for Jozy, and all of us here at RBR are extremely happy for him.

READ THE FULL USSOCCER.COM RELEASE HERE

There was some concern when Jozy transfered that Villareal would not allow him to participate, but its seems that is not the case after all.

What do you think of the team's medal chances? There are in a tough group. How will they fare? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

CLAUDIO REYNA RETIRES FROM PRO SOCCER

At an emotional press conference Wednesday at St. Benedict's Prep, Red Bulls captain and Designated Player Claudio Reyna retired from professional soccer. In front of numerous dignitaries, friends, family, media members, and Red Bulls members, the man known as "Captain America" hung up his boots.

Read more about it and see the video of the press conference on the official site .

Reyna met with his teammates prior to the press conference to let them know personally about his decision. RBR caught up with a few players afterwards to get their reaction to the announcement.

Angel on Reyna's retirement:

van den Bergh on the impact of Reyna's experience on the locker room:

Stammler on playing with Reyna:


What are your thoughts on Reyna's retirement? What is his legacy in regards to American soccer? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

A RED BULL STAFFER AND THE SHOWDOWN IN CHINATOWN

Photo from Unprofessional Foul
The Unprofessional Foul blog sat down with RBNY's own Mike Quarino recently to talk about his experience serving as target practice...excuse me, goalkeeper during the Showdown in Chinatown a few weeks ago.

Mike did a great job in the game, and an equally solid job with the interview. CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW

RBR posted about this earlier, with some nice video.

REAL LIFE: SECAUCUS - EPISODE TWO: SKIP TO MY LOU

In our second episode of Real Life: Secaucus, David Roth checks in with Arizona Cardinals placekicker Neil Rackers. Rackers took part in a Red Bulls practice prior to the team's 1-0 win over Chivas de Guadalajara in Glendale, AZ on June 25. Rackers and Roth, both from St. Louis, waxed nostalgia about their hometown. Of course, we have no idea what they’re talking about, but enjoy!

CLAUDIO REYNA TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE TOMORROW

Claudio Reyna and the Red Bulls will hold a press conference Wednesday at St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, NJ at 2:00 pm.

Here are some links relating to the press conference:
Soccer By Ives
Big Apple Soccer
New York Post Extra Time
New York Times Goal Blog

RED BULLS DEFEAT CITY ISLANDERS IN SCRIMMAGE; RBR CATCHES UP WITH CEPERO

The Red Bulls faced the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-2 in a scrimmage on Tuesday afternoon at Giants Stadium. The game was split into three 30-minute periods, giving the Red Bulls’ fresh faces time to see their first “real” action in the red and white.

First Period
--------------------Welcome----------------------Richards---------------------
------------------------------------Rojas---------------------------------------
-----van den Bergh----------------------------------------Freeman-----------
---------------------------Mendes------Stammler-----------------------------
---------Goldthwaite-------------Cichero-------------------Parke----------
-------------------------------------Conway------------------------------------

In terms of fresh faces, striker George Welcome was ‘Welcomed’ to the Bulls’ first unit, in addition to Jorge Rojas at attacking midfield and center back Gabriel Cichero.

The Red Bulls went up 1-0 on a Jeff Parke header off a Dave van den Bergh corner in the 23rd minute. Parke’s header was blasted past Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero, who is currently on loan with the City Islanders.

A nice sequence followed only four minutes later. Rojas found the back of the net after a Goldthwaite volley found his feet. The buildup proceeding that – Richards to van den Bergh on the left flank – is the attacking third presence Juan Carlos Osorio is looking for.

Second Period
-------------------------------------Welcome-------------------------------------
---------------Rojas-----------------Magee--------------------Richards----------
--------------------van den Bergh --------------Stammler---------------------
------------Jimenez-----------Boyens-------Parke----------Leitch------------
--------------------------------------Thornton------------------------------------

The teams were scoreless in the second period, although in the latter half the Red Bulls were able to generate more chances in the second half of the period. John Gilkerson replaced Jimenez, and would stay on in the third.

Third Period
----------------------Borman----------------------Wolyniec---------------------
------------van den Bergh-----------Rojas-----------------Richards------------
----------------------------Magee--------------------Mendes--------------------
----------Gilkerson------------Boyens-------------Parke----------Leitch------
---------------------------------------Thornton------------------------------------

Defender Andrew Boyens saw his first action in the third session, and scored a goal only four minutes in. Danielle Borman took a corner, Mike Magee got his head on it, and Boyens picked up the loose change to give the Red Bulls the 3-0 lead.

Ricky Schramm then replaced Wolyniec at striker and made his presence felt early. David Roth put a ball in over the top, Schramm ran onto it, and hammered it past goalkeeper Brian Pope. 4-0 Red Bulls.

With the game winding down, Harrisburg managed a late tally on a New York defensive miscue. 4-1 is your final.

RBR caught up with Cepero, and discussed his experience thus far in Pennsylvania, coming home to New York and the rumor that there is an intern living in his New York apartment.

RBR: On his experience thus far in Harrisburg…
DC: It’s been pretty incredible, I wasn’t expecting too much. I was just going down there to play soccer. But as it turns out all the guys are great, very welcoming. Coming off the season when they won the championship, it was a little tough at first getting my niche it there, get your spot in there. Once I did, all the guys are great, the coaches, the organization, the GM, they are all very cool guys. They are all very accommodating. They know what I am here to do: get better and get games. They’ve been very good about making that happen. I have no complaints whatsoever.

RBR: On what specifically USL soccer has allowed him to develop…
DC: Especially as a goalkeeper, you can only train so much. To get that game experience where you have to make decisions for a full 90 minutes, that’s the kind of thing that you have to have as you progress to the next level that you need … that mindset of organizing your back lien and keeping the guys in front of you together so you don’t have to make so many saves, making decisions about when to come out, what to say to your defenders, how to guide them through the game and just seeing the game.

RBR: On the fact that he is on “loan” and is still the property of RBNY…
DC: I didn’t want to leave New York. I started to get comfortable with the guys here. But at the same time, to be loaned and to have that rare occasion where you’re still with the New York team, but you have the chance to get some additional experience that was a definite plus. It was the best of both worlds, for Red Bull, getting me some games, and for myself, trying to make that investment and improve different parts of my game.

RBR: On being back to New York…
DC: Weird. I haven’t been back in a few weeks. My parents were here, and were able to come and see me play for a little bit, which is so nice and something that I took for granted when I was here being so close and then I move to Harrisburg for a couple months. Granted it’s not long but still I don’t like to be away from home and not have that lifeline. It’s tough. It’s great to be back and unfortunately it’ll only be for a few hours. It’s good to see them and it’s good to see these guys.

RBR: On returning to Giants Stadium…
DC: It almost felt like I never left. I like being in here and coming out and warming up before the games and the few times we trained out here. It’s a historic stadium, you always get a rush when you come out here, even when it’s empty.

RBR: On the rumor that there is an intern living in his NY apartment…
DC: I don’t know who it is, although I do know about it. I don’t need that much furniture. The more the merrier. They helped me out by finding that apartment so the least I can do is help out.

I'VE GOT A FEVER, AND THE ONLY PERSCRIPTION IS MORE FOOSBALL

FREE BEER!!!! FOOSBALL!!! Did we mention FREE BEER?!?!?

Now that we have your attention...

Tomorrow is the second of the three foosball tournaments that will be held at the Austrian Cultural Forum NYC in conjunction with an art exhibition, "Bread and Soccer: in the arena of art."

All of the events related to this exhibition are FREE and open to the public.

Austrian artist Monika Wührer is seeking soccer fans and foosball fans to participate in a series of free foosball tournaments. Anyone is welcome to participate, and finalists - the strong, the brave - will have the exciting opportunity to play against professional soccer players from the New York Red Bulls. Red Bull First Team players David Roth, Caleb Patterson-Sewell, Michael Palacio, and one additional player will appear at the July 15 tournament.

Events include free Austrian beer, a live DJ, and announcers providing play-by-play of all the action. Trophies made by the artists will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams.

Tournaments have been organized by soccer fan and artist Monika Wührer for the Austrian Cultural Forum, and are held as part of the art exhibition on the global phenomenon of soccer called Bread and Soccer.

Dates: Tuesday July 15th and Thursday, September 4th.
Time: 7-10pm

Location:
Austrian Cultural Forum New York
11 E 52nd St
New York, NY
(just east of 5th ave)

ROJAS GETTING COMFORTABLE IN NEW YORK

Jorge Rojas, who was introduced by the Red Bulls to the media last week, is beginning to get comfortable in his new surrounding. He recently attended a Yankees game and met with fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu prior to the game. The duo exchanged jersey's and Rojas chatted with Abreu to get the Yankee right fielder about coming out to a Red Bulls match. The photo above is courtesy of Rene Rincon, who helped set up the meeting.

Personally speaking, RBR is a Mets fan, so hopefully Rojas can get over the Shea to meet with Johan Santana or Endy Chavez, and get them out to a match.

RED BULLS 1, WIZARDS 2 - POST-GAME

Some post-game reaction from tonight's match. Team flies out tomorrow morning back to NY/NJ area:

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the game:


Midfielder Seth Stammler on Kansas City's goals and on the game:


Forward Juan Pablo Angel on his goal:


Leave your thoughts on the match in the comments section.

RED BULLS-WIZARDS PRE-GAME

We're here at CommunityAmerica Ballpark where your Red Bulls are taking on the Kansas City Wizards. A win would propel the Red Bulls to third place in the Eastern Conference. Here is your Starting XI:

--------------------Angel----------------------Echeverry---------------------

---------------------------------Magee---------------------------------------

-----Stammler-------------------------------------------Sassano--------------

--------------------------------Mendes---------------------------------------

van den Bergh---------Goldthwaite---------Parke---------------------Leitch---

--------------------------------Conway---------------------------------------

Subs: Thornton, Borman, Ubiparipovic, Freeman, Boyens, Wolyniec, Richards

- Angel will be making his first start since June 5 - a 1-0 win over Chivas USA in which he scored the game-winning goal.
- Red Bulls are unbeaten in nine of their last 10 against Kansas City (4-1-5).
- This is the seventh of eight games in which the Red Bulls are on the road.
- Wizards lineup: Hartman, Jewsbury, Conrad, Hohlbein, Harrington, Arnaud, Victorine, Morsink, Lopez, Trujillo, Sealy

As always, leave your pre-game and in-game comments here! And make sure you join Steve Cangialosi and Shep Messing for the game on MSG, which kicks off at 8 PM ET.

MLS ALL-STARS ANNOUNCED

The MLS All-Star First XI was announced today. No Red Bulls were named among the First XI, though there is always the possibility that a player will be added as the 18-man roster is completed.

Here are the all-star selections:
2008 MLS All-Star First XI

Goalkeeper: Matt Reis (New England Revolution)

Defenders: Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)

Midfielders: David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire), Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)

Forwards: Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)

What are your thoughts on the picks? Who is the most glaring omission? Do you think any Red Bulls are deserving of selection? Who will win the match vs. the Hammers? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

ON WINGS WITH AN ANGEL

The team left this morning for Kansas City in preparation for the team's match Thursday night on MSG. RBR is happy to report that Juan Pablo Angel, who returned from injury with 45 minutes against Colorado last week, traveled with the team and is likely to start, which will hopefully help jump start the Red Bull offense, which has been a bit stagnant in his absence.

With only Claudio Reyna and Ricky Schramm on the injury report, it looks like the club is starting to put the injury bug behind them. Thanks goodness for that. Also, the reserve match that was slated to follow the First Team match has been postponed. No makeup date has been announced at this time.

TICKETS FOR THE RED BULLS VS. GALAXY GAME GOING FAST

The Red Bulls have sold over 40,000 tickets for the 2008 Red Bulls-Los Angeles Galaxy game set for Saturday, July 19 at Giants Stadium at 6:30 PM ET. Last year in front of a record 66,237 fans at Giants Stadium, the Red Bulls earned a historic 5-4 win over the Galaxy. Forward Juan Pablo Angel broke a 4-4 deadlock two minutes from full time with his second goal of the match while Galaxy midfielder David Beckham tallied a pair of assists, playing the entire game.

There is still time to get your seat for the match, so call 1-877-RBSOCCER or CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS!!

ON LOAN UPDATE: DANNY CEPERO

Danny, on loan to the Harrisburg City Islanders, has continued his fine season, helping the City Islanders to a 5-1-7 record and 22 points, good for fourth place in USL-2. In his last match, Cepero tallied two saves in a 2-0 win over Real Maryland Monarchs on July 6, extending Harrisburg's unbeaten streak to nine matches (5-0-4).

Danny is among the league leaders in every goalkeeping category, and leads the league with a 0.50 goals against average.

He also ranks third in saves with 53, and tied for third in wins (5) and shutouts (5).

Danny and the City Islanders next play on Friday, July 11 at the Western Mass Pioneers.

Keep up the good work Danny!

THE SECOND HALF STARTS TODAY

The Red Bulls got back to work today in preparation for their match at Kansas City on Thursday. Juan Pablo Angel participated in the full session, as did trialist Diego Jimenez. RBR also spotted Claudio Reyna, continuing to rehab his injured back.

With the first half of the 2008 season behind us, the Red Bulls look forward to the second 15 matches, beginning Thursday at Kansas City. CHECK OUT THE VIEWING PARTY Thursday to support your side.

In a side note:
Jon Conway has stopped 151 shots during his tenure as a Red Bull. That total puts his three behind Jonny Walker (154) for fourth on the franchise’s all-time list. Mike Ammann stands in third place with 199 saves. Conway has stopped 151 shots in 3,573 minutes in net for the Red Bulls. Both totals put Conway over the minimum for consideration on the team’s all-time goals against average (min. 3,500 minutes) and saves percentage (min. 150 saves) lists. Conway now sits atop both lists and is the fifth goalkeeper to reach the minimums.

Goals Against Average
1. Jon Conway – 1.21
2. Jonny Walker – 1.38
3. Tim Howard – 1.46
4. Tony Meola – 1.64
5. Mike Ammann – 1.89

Save Percentage
1. Jon Conway – 75.9%
2. Tony Meola – 72.9%
3. Tim Howard – 72.8%
4. Jonny Walker – 70.6%
5. Mike Ammann – 62.8%

Should Conway play against Kansas City, he will move into a tie for
fourth with Jonny Walker for games played in goal for New York with
42. Tony Meola leads with 125, followed by Tim Howard (85), and
Mike Ammann (46).

RED BULLS 0, RAPIDS 4 - POST-GAME

Some post-game reaction:

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the result:


Defender Hunter Freeman on the game:


Forward Juan Pablo Angel on returning:

RED BULLS-RAPIDS PRE-GAME

A beautiful day/evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as your Red Bulls take on the Colorado Rapids on this July 4. A sellout crowd is expected for tonight’s match. Here is New York’s starting lineup:

----------------------------Echeverry-----------------------------------

Van den Bergh--------Ubiparipovic-----------------------Richards

----------------------Stammler--------Mendes-------------------------

Goldthwaite--------Parke-----------Boyens----------------Freeman

---------------------------------Conway---------------------------------

Subs: Thornton (GK), Leitch, Sassano, Borman, Magee, Wolyniec, Angel

Juan Pablo Angel traveled with the squad Friday and could make his first appearance since the Red Bulls’ 1-0 win over Chivas USA at Giants Stadium on June 5 – a match in which he scored the game-winning goal.

Catch the game live with Steve Cangialosi and Shep Messing on MSG starting at 9:30 PM ET and be sure to leave your comments here!

RED BULLS U-17S DROP FIRST MATCH

Despite a Dylan Mencia goal, the New York Red Bulls Under-17 squad fell to their Chivas USA counterpart, 2-1, in the team’s first game of Soccer United Marketing’s second-annual U-17 Cup.

Chivas took an early lead minutes after the whistle when a Chivas player knocked in a cross from six yards out. However, the Red Bulls quickly leveled the score. Mencia gathered the ball at the top of the 18-yard-box, beat a defender and fired a low shot into the corner past goalkeeper Luis Godinez.

In the second half, the Red Bulls almost doubled their lead when Mencia played the ball to a wide open John Agudelo, but his first touch outside the penalty box did not enable him to get a shot off in the 50th minute.

Chivas USA took the lead 10 minutes later. Defender Cesar Arenas chipped the ball over the top of the Red Bulls’ defense to an on-rushing Roberto Romo, who beat the offsides trap and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Travis Ives. The Red Bulls had a few chances to equalize with Mencia hitting a shot over the bar six minutes from time, but Chivas was able to hold onto the win.

The Red Bulls’ next match in the round-robin tournament is on Saturday, when they take on the Los Angeles Galaxy Under-17s at 5:30 PM MT.

ANGEL RECEIVES ESPY NOMINATION FOR BEST MLS PLAYER

New York Red Bull forward Juan Pablo Angel is among the six nominees for the 2008 ESPY Award for Best MLS Player, ESPN announced recently. Angel joins fellow nominees Luciano Emilio (D.C. United), Matt Reis (New England Revolution), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Chicago Fire) and the 2007 award-winner, Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy) as finalists for the annual award.

The 16th Annual ESPY Awards will take place on Wednesday, July 16, at the new Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, where Justin Timberlake will serve as the show's host. ESPN will televise the awards show on Sunday, July 20, at 9 p.m. ET.

Fans can place their votes for Angel - as well as the nominees in all 37 award categories - at ESPYS.tv or on their mobile phones. Online voting continues through Saturday, July 12, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

In 2007, Angel burst upon the Major League Soccer scene after signing with the Red Bulls as a Designated Player on April 17, 2007 after a successful stint with Aston Villa of the English Premier League. In 24 matches the Colombian striker tallied 19 goals (good for second in MLS) and set new club records for goals in a season, multi-goal games (five), and goals in consecutive games (six from May 19-June 16). A two-time MLS Player of the Month (May and June) and two-time MLS Player of the Week (weeks seven and nine), Angel was a MLS Best XI selection, and was a finalist for MLS MVP and MLS Newcomer of the Year. The leading vote getter for the MLS All-Star Game, he was recognized as the match’s MVP after scoring the game-winning goal against Celtic FC in MLS’ 2-0 win.

ANGEL NOMINATED FOR UNIVISION'S TECATE SPORTS AWARDS ALL-STAR

New York Red Bull forward Juan Pablo Angel is among the Major League Soccer players nominated for the first-ever annual “Tecate Premios Deportes” (Tecate Sports Awards) and announced by Univision, official broadcast partner of MLS.

The “Tecate Premios Deportes” awards will be presented during a celebrity-filled “red carpet” celebration at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, and will be broadcast on the Univision Network on Sunday, July 20.

Comprised of Hispanic athletes in ten different categories, the nominees have been selected for their talent, character and perseverance, as well as their contributions to and impact on the Hispanic community. Angel has been nominated as a forward for the All-Star Team of the Year.

The “Tecate Premios Deportes” nominees were selected by a distinguished panel of current and former professional athletes and sports writers, including famed boxer and Houston Dynamo equity partner Oscar de la Hoya, legendary Mexican soccer goalie Jorge Campos, retired NFL player Tony Casillas, NFL Hall of Fame recipient Anthony Muñoz, former Mexican soccer coach Jesus Bracamontes, and Enrique Borja, legendary Mexican forward and team president of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) Tigres.

The judging criteria for the awards included the athletes’ statistical excellence, participation in a televised professional sport in the United States during 2007, cumulative impact on their team and in the sport, and their reputation as a role model for the Hispanic community.

Sports fans have voted for four of these awards at Univision.com (keyword: Tecate Premios Deportes): Atleta Masculino del Año (Male Athlete of the Year), Atleta Femenina del Año (Female Athlete of the Year), Equipo All Star de Béisbol (Baseball All-Star Team) & Equipo All Star de Fútbol (Soccer All-Star Team). In addition, a live, dedicated mini-site provides exclusive coverage of the event and video highlights of the nominees in their finest sports moments. “Tecate Premios Deportes” is the first-ever awards event of its kind, showcasing a seamless merger of sports and entertainment that will reach countless online fans.

GRACIE TO DEBUT ON MSG AT THE MOVIES ON MONDAY

Set in 1978, GRACIE is an inspirational film about a teenage girl who overcomes the loss of her brother and fights the odds to achieve her dream of playing competitive soccer at a time when girls’ soccer did not exist. Based on true events from the lives of the Shue family (producer and co-star Andrew Shue and Academy Award-nominated actress Elisabeth Shue) the film is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Lemore Syvan (“Sherrybaby”).

Living in South Orange, New Jersey, 15 year old Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder) is the only girl in a family of 3 brothers. Their family life revolves almost entirely around soccer: her father (Dermot Mulroney) and brothers are obsessed with the sport, practicing on their backyard’s makeshift field every day. Tragedy strikes Gracie’s older brother Johnny, star of the local high school soccer team.

Struggling with grief, Gracie decides to fill the void left on her brother’s team by petitioning the school board to allow her to play on the varsity boys team. Gracie, through will and determination, forces her family to come together and help her in her goal.

MSG At The Movies Premieres the critically acclaimed film GRACIE on Monday, July 7th at 8pm.

2008 U17 MLS CUP KICKS OFF THIS WEEKEND

Both the Red Bull First Team and Red Bull Academy players will be in Colorado this weekend, with the First Team taking on the Rapids on Friday at 9:30 ET (COME TO THE VIEWING PARTY), and a combination of U15s and U16s participating in the MLS Academy Cup.

The Red Bulls have been placed in Group D with Real Salt Lake and the LA Galaxy and play their first match on July 4 at 11:15 AM against Chivas USA.

To follow the tournament, CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT HOMEPAGE

RBR wishes the Academy players the best of luck!!

ROJAS AND PIETRAVALLO INTRODUCED TO MEDIA PRIOR TO TRAINING WEDNESDAY

Red Bull New York announced today that it has come to terms with Venezuelan national team midfielder Jorge Rojas and Argentinean midfielder Juan Pietravallo. Per club and League policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the deal is pending league approval and receipt of P-1 visas. Both players were introduced to the media at the Red Bulls’ training facility at Montclair State University Wednesday afternoon.

Rojas, 31, has enjoyed a decorated career in the top leagues in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. He helped Venezuelan First Division side, Caracas FC, to four league titles, was a member of the 2005 Apertura Champion Atletico Nacional side while playing for the Colombian First Division side, and was named the best foreign player in the Ecuadorean First Division while playing with national power Emelec. Prior to joining the Red Bulls, “El Zurdo” played for Venezuelan First Division side, Union Atletico Maracaibo. He has played in over 150 professional matches in some of the top leagues in South America.

The 5-10, 165-pound Venezuelan has also earned 82 caps with his national team, and has served as captain for the side in the past. The second most capped player in Venezuelan history, Rojas featured in two International Friendlies for Venezuala recently, scoring a goal in a 1-1 draw with Honduras on May 30, and helped his national side defeated Brazil, 2-0, on June 6 at Gillette Stadium.

Pietravallo, 26, was previously with Greek Super League side, Veria FC, making three appearances. Earlier in the 2007-08 season, Pietravallo also played for Belgrano de Córdoba of the Argentina Premier Division.

The 5-9, 155-pound Argentinean started out his career for Argentina Premier Division side, Velez Sarsfield in 1999 and made a combined 31 appearances for the club over three seasons. He then moved to Olimpo de Bahia Blanco in the same division before joining Leganes of the Spanish Second Division, where he played in 14 matches. Pietravallo has also enjoyed stints at Argentinean First Division sides Gimnasia (2004), Atletico Rafaela (Argentina 2004-05), Quilmes (Argentina, 2005-06) and Nueva Chicago (2006-07).

Both players will not be available for selection until after the transfer window opens on July 15, so the first match they could potentially be eligible for is the July 19 fixture with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Here is a goal from Jorge from the Honduras match:


Here is some video of Juan:

NEW YORK-CPB POST-MORTEM

Not much to say about this except to move on to Friday for our match at Colorado.

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the result:


Captain Kevin Goldthwaite:


Just a reminder, comments left that have profanity will not be tolerated and will be removed. We're just as disappointed with the loss as all of you are but please stay clean with the language.

RED BULLS OPEN CUP ACTION

This evening, your Red Bulls kick off Lamar Hunt Open Cup play, taking on USL 2nd Division side, Crystal Palace Baltimore, at 7:30 PM. The team traveled down to Annapolis, MD yesterday and watched Boondock Saints and Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 2, on the ride down.

RBR visited Broadneck High School and its FieldTurf field earlier today and saw that it was quite narrow for a soccer pitch. We're going to attempt to do MATCH TRACKER on our official site from the field, but with no hi-speed internet available, it may be difficult. At the very least, we'll provide some sort of running commentary here.

UPDATE:

NY Lineup:
NYRB (4-5-1): Thornton, Gilkerson, Goldthwaite (capt.), Parke, Leitch, Borman, Sassano, Kljestan, Mendes, Magee, Megaloudis

Subs: Patterson-Sewell (GK), Roth, Wolyniec, Freeman, Boyens, Schramm, Ubiparipovic

Juan Pablo Angel, Dane Richards, Dave van den Bergh, Seth Stammler and Oscar Echeverry are among the players who didn't make the trip.

BIG presence by Red Bulls fans (Section 101 banner is up!) who are cheering and singing loudly right next to the field. Should be a wonderful atmosphere! As always, this affirms that we have the best fans in the League!

Field is full of lines! Football lines, lacrosse lines, soccer lines, field hockey lines.... Usher's "Yeah!" is on. Seven minutes till kick....

Kickoff at 7:40 PM

7' Nothing going on so far with both teams feeling each other out.

13' After a good build-up at the top of the box, Magee takes a shot from 20 yards out that goes over the bar.

17' After the ref plays advantage, Larry Mark gets in on the box but Gilkerson knocks it out for a corner.

18' GOAL CPB: Marshall's corner finds the head of Bryan Harkin, who nods it past Zach Thornton. 1-0.

21' Yellow card issued to Larry Mark after a rough challenge on Gilkerson.

23' Larry Mark back passes to his 'keeper, and after the keeper catches it, the ref calls a foul seven yards from goal. Shot by Magee is deflected by the wall and over.

27' Magee heads a Borman free kick but header goes wide right.

30' Gary Brooks gets behind the Red Bulls defense but pulls his shot wide left.

34' Ibrahim Kante for CPB gets a straight red after a nasty tackle on Megaloudis. Red Bulls go a man up.

36' Brooks hits a shot way over the bar.

44' Leitch puts a good cross in that's punched out of play by the goalkeeper.

FOUR MINUTES OF EXTRA TIME.

45' Megaloudis takes a shot from 12 yards out but it was deflected.

46' CPB gets behind the Red Bulls again but Goldthwaite is there to make a tackle and put it out for a corner.

47'+ CPB gets a goal disallowed after Pat Healey was at the penalty spot and put it past Thornton.

47'+ Magee hits a freekick into the box and it's headed wide by Goldthwaite.

HALFTIME: Not a very good half for the Red Bulls, but they are playing a man up for another 45 minutes and anything could happen. CPB has definitely come to compete and got a goal off a good set piece.

Red Bulls make three subs: Ubiparipovic for Kljestan, Wolyniec for Leitch, Boyens for Gilkerson.

49' Ubi almost slips Wolyniec through but a CPB defender is there to make a play.

Lighting in corner of the fields is fairly poor.

56' Megaloudis takes a shot that's deflected to Sassano, who volleys it wide past the right post.

60' Lookingland for Harkin as the first sub for CPB.

American Football clock here so the clock resets back to 0:00 here. Handball on CPB, and Red Bulls have a chance from 28 yards.

62' Magee free kick caught by goalkeeper Matt Nelson. Roth about to come on for New York.

64' Roth on for Borman.

66' Red Bulls put together a good attack and earn a corner after Ubi's cross is deflected for a corner. Goldthwaite is able to get his head on the ensuing corner but it is blocked by a CPB player.

68' More pressure as the Sassano plays the ball across the top of the box to Magee, who one-times it, forcing the keeper to make a diving save. Moments later, Ubi gets space up top but puts his shot at the 'keeper.

70' Red Bulls keep on applying the pressure, earning another corner after an Ubi free kick is knocked away. Ubi's corner kick is caught by the 'keeper.

74' CPB almost doubles their lead when Mbuta gets space on the left wing and takes a shot that deflects off Parke and knocks off the crossbar.

75' GOAL CPB. Paul Robson puts a left footed cross into the box that's headed in by an unmarked Gary Brooks. 2-0 CPB.

78' Parke makes the tackle as the last man on defense on a 2-on-1 CPB breakaway. CPB makes anohter sub: Brooks for Teixeira. Attendance: 1654.

83' Off a counter attack, Teixeira puts a left footed shot over the crossbar.

85' Almost 3-0 when Teixeria is able to muscle his way into the box and Thornton makes the save. Mark on hand for the rebound but puts it wide.

87' Mendes with a shot from the top of the box but it is saved by the keeper.

90' Mbuta off the post on another counter with all the Red Bulls pushed forward. Three minutes of stoppage time. Red card to Magee.

FINAL SCORE: CPB 2, NY 0. Not a good performance NY and credit CPB, they definitely came out with energy and played well. Post-game sound to come....

RED BULL FRONT OFFICE EURO 2008 PICKS: A LOOK BACK

Earlier this month, RBR posted the Red Bull Front Office Euro 2008 champion selections.

Of the 26 staffers polled, three correctly picked Spain as the champion (along with regular poster karbaz it must be noted). RBR went with Italy, and was disapointed by their performance, as was RBR's Uncle Louie. Four staffers had Germany winning it all, but since the Germans lost, the don't get recognized in this post. The three accurate prognosticators were:

1) Rich Searls - Director of Sales and Fan Services
2) Simon Nee - Training Programs Director of Coaching
3) Simon Barrow - Manager, Regional Development Schools

Looks like Red Bull Academy has some smart guys working for it!

U15 COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN REGIONAL SEMIFINALS

In the semifinals of the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships, the Red Bull U15s dropped a 3-2 decision to the Boston Blast (Massachusetts) U15s this afternoon in Maine. After falling behind 2-0 at the interval and 3-0 in the second half, the Red Bulls mounted a spirited comeback, with John Agudelo and James Raytsin scoring goals to pull within one. The Red Bulls could not complete the comeback, but head coach Stan Lembryk was pleased with his side's performance in the tournament, stating, "The team continued to work as young pros to cut the lead to one. However, unfortunately it was not enough."

Group stage wins over EPIC Blast (West Virginia) 9-0 and Hockessin SC Cyclones (Delaware) 5-0 set up a match with Eastern PA representative, Brandywine United Galaxy to determine the Group C winner and the groups spot in the semifinals. The Red Bulls produced a 1-0 win to advance.

ANGEL TRAINS; GILKERSON AND SCHRAMM SHINE ON WEEKEND LOAN

RBR attended today's training session before the team left for Maryland and its US Open Cup match with Crystal Palace Baltimore.

Juan Pablo Angel fully participated in the training session, which a a great sign as he rehabs his injury and makes his way back to the pitch.

In other news, in an attempt to get some of their reserves more game action, the Red Bulls loaned out John Gilkerson and Ricky Schramm to the Richmond Kickers for the weekend. On Saturday, Gilkerson featured at midfield and played the full 90 in a 0-0 draw with the Cleveland City Stars. On Sunday it was Ricky's turn to feature at midfield, as he played the full 90 for his former club and scored the first goal in a 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Gilkerson played 10 minutes off the bench.

'CAUSE THIS IS THRILLER, THRILLER NIGHT

You might not have seen it on Saturday night, but Dave van den Bergh did a special goal celebration following his free kick marker against Chivas USA. The picture above only begins to scratch the surface...

Red Bull Director of Team Operations Shaun Oliver kicks off the pregame locker room music with the same song at all road games. That song is Thriller, by the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. The song is a favorite among the team, and Oliver asked that someone (notably Dave or John Wolyniec) imitate the dance the next time he scored. It took some time, but Dave got his "Thriller on" against the Goats, earning some praise from Oliver, though Oliver did give a critical critique of Dave's interpretation.

And in case you ever wanted to see Thriller performed by inmates at a prison in the Phillipines, take a look at the video below (who draws the short straw to play the woman in this reprisal?):

RED BULL U15S PLAY FOR SPOT IN REGIONAL SEMIS TODAY

After impressive wins in their first two matches of Group C play at the 2008 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships in Maine, the Red Bull U15s play the Eastern PA representative, Brandywine United Galaxy. The Red Bulls defeated EPIC Blast (West Virginia) 9-0 and Hockessin SC Cyclones (Delaware) 5-0 heading into today's match with Brandywine United Galaxy. Both teams have earned the maximum six points and the winner of the match will advance to the Regional Semifinals on Monday. The two sides kick off at 1:15 p.m.

RED BULLS 1, CHIVAS USA 1 - POST-MORTEM

If you saw the score on paper, a 1-1 draw at The Home Depot Center against Chivas USA during this long road trip would not necessarily have been a negative result. However, with the way New York controlled the first half and conceded their goal seconds before halftime, there was understandable disappointment in the locker room post-game.

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the result:


Osorio on using Dane Richards more:


Midfielder Dane Richards on the game:


Goalscorer Dave van den Bergh on the game:


Quick turnaround for the Red Bulls as the team travels back home tomorrow, returning in the early evening. On Monday, the squad will head down to Annapolis in preparation for their U.S. Open Cup Third Round showdown against Crystal Palace Baltimore on Tuesday. Returning the night of the game, the Red Bulls train in New Jersey Wednesday before flying out Thursday to Denver for their regular season clash against the Colorado Rapids. Whew.

Leave your thoughts on the game in the comments section.

RED BULLS vs. CHIVAS USA LINEUPS

Good evening from The Home Depot Center as the Red Bulls take on Chivas USA tonight. It's a beautiful, cool night for soccer as the Red Bulls hope to reel off their second-straight MLS win. Here are the lineups:

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (GK), Kevin Goldthwaite, Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke, Hunter Freeman, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh, Dane Richards, John Wolyniec

Subs: Zach Thornton (GK), Luke Sassano, Chris Leitch, Mike Magee, Chris Megaloudis, Oscar Echeverry, Danleigh Borman

Chivas USA: Brad Guzan (GK), Jonathan Bornstein, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Bobby Burling, Francisco Mendoza, Carey Talley, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Justin Braun, Ante Razov

Subs: Dan Kennedy (GK), Shavar Thomas, Raphael Wicky, Jorge Flores, Daniel Paladini, Atiba Harris, Anthony Hamilton

As always, leave your pre-game and in-game thoughts here and catch the match on MSG or HDNet starting at 10:30 PM ET!

CALIFORNICATION

The Red Bulls are in the City of Angels, home of Kobe, Tupac and In-N-Out Burger (which RBR wolfed down Thursday night). In Phoenix, the team went through a regeneration session in the pool Thursday before taking the hour and a half trip to LA. The team then trained yesterday afternoon in the much cooler conditions at The Home Depot Center, practicing set pieces and scouting Chivas USA before today’s match.

Forward Juan Pablo Angel and midfielder Claudio Reyna are not with the team as we prepare for Chivas USA tonight at 10:30 PM ET (TV: MSG, HDNet Radio: WADO).

Here are some pre-match thoughts from Coach Osorio.

On whether the team was banged up from the Chivas Guadalajara game:


On Sinisa Ubiparipovic’s play:


On how fresh the team is during this road trip:


We’ll leave you with a trivia question from the Real Salt Lake Media Guide.

Question: Real Salt Lake’s mascot is a lion named Leonardo. What is his favorite meal of the day?

Answer: Chivas USA Goat. Mmmm.

VENUE CHANGE FOR US OPEN CUP MATCH ANNOUNCED

Due to a facility conflict, the venue for the Red Bulls vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore US Open Cup match has been changed. The Third Round match will now be played at Lawrence E. Knight Stadium, on the grounds of Broadneck High School in Annapolis, MD. Venue information and ticket information can be found by CLICKING HERE.

SHOWDOWN IN CHINATOWN

Above photo courtesy of This Is American Soccer

The stars were out for the Showdown in Chinatown yesterday, but for RBR and the rest of the Red Bulls front office, we wanted to check out the exploits of one of our own, Senior Account Executive Mike Quarino, who played keeper for the Blue Team.

The very beginning of this video shows Q coming off his line to make a great save:


He might not be as proud of this moment, as Henry nearly takes his head off on a PK:


Former Red Bull Ronald Wattereus was supposed to play for the Blue Team, but he was unable to attend, thrusting Mike into a starting role. He told RBR that he has played in some pickup games with Nash in the past, as the two met when Nash trained with the Red Bulls prior to New York's friendly with Barcelona in August of 2006.

According to Q, he was most impressed with the play of Robbie Fowler and Henry, he thought Jason Kidd was better than he thought in terms of his soccer skills, and Baron Davis was by far the most entertaining.

Q also thought that the crowd was awesome, with people climbing on fences, vans, trees, and streetlights to get a view of the pitch, creating an amazing atmosphere.

Here is more video of the event:

BULLS-CD GUADALAJARA POST-GAME

Good result for the Red Bulls, who travel tomorrow to Los Angeles in preparation for their match against Chivas USA. Here is some post-game reaction:

New York Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio

On the game:
First of all, we’re very pleased with the result. The guys played really well, especially in the first half. We had a plan and the plan was to start with a strong starting line and then in the second half, give a chance to everybody. Maybe the quality dropped a little bit, but we still battled and competed against them very well and limited them to very few chances. In the first half, I think we did enough to probably did enough to increase the scoreline and I think in the end, great individual performances, great commitment, great effort from the guys playing against a top opponent. So, I’m very pleased with the result and the performance.

On the goal:
Sinisa (Ubiparipovic) is very capable of seeing a pass and executing it and Oscar (Echeverry) just put away. In general, I think that it was a very good reward for Oscar for all of his hard work, putting his injury aside and battling back into the team. I’m very pleased for him.

On building momentum to Saturday’s match against Chivas USA:
It is a good boost of confidence for the team. I think we have been competing really well and performing really well lately so great result for the guys and the locker room is very pleased and happy.

New York Red Bulls midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic

On Oscar Echeverry’s goal:
I made the run for Hunter and I saw him receive the ball. I ran towards the open space and made the run, got to the ball, crossed the ball back to Oscar … and he finished it off well.

On playing at the University of Phoenix Stadium:
I think the stadium is unbelievable. As we all know, it’s one of the best stadiums in the country if not the best. The grass is magnificent and the stadium itself is great.

New York Red Bulls defender John Gilkerson

On making his first team debut:
It’s big. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I didn’t think it would come this soon but I thank Coach for letting me have the opportunity to let me in there and it was great to get a game under my belt. Even though it wasn’t an MLS game, it was still my first professional game. It was good to be out there, good atmosphere, good fans.

On the physicality of the game:
I knew that they would come out and be physical. No matter the circumstances, a game is a game but it did get a little bit out of hand a little bit, but that’s what happens when you’re in the heat of the battle.

New York Red Bulls midfielder Gordon Kljestan

On recently signing with the Red Bulls:
I was thrilled once I found out they were offering me a contract. It was a dream come true because I played at Seton Hall and I always followed the Red Bulls. As a kid, the Galaxy was my team and then slowly, the Red Bulls became my team so I was happy (when I signed).

We'll talk to you in LA LA land!

RED BULLS-CD GUADALAJARA

We're here at the beautiful University of Phoenix Stadium where the Red Bulls will be taking on Chivas de Guadalajara. Here is the lineup for the Red Bulls:

---------------Echeverry----------------------Richards---------------


--------------------------Ubiparipovic-------------------------------


van den Bergh------------------------------------------------Stammler


-----------------------------Mendes----------------------------------


Gilkerson-----------Parke---------------Boyens----------------Freeman


-----------------------------Thornton--------------------------------

Unlimited subs tonight so it looks like everyone will be able to see some sort of action. Kevin Goldthwaite was not included in the squad tonight as he still has tight hamstrings. With Goldthwaite out, rookie John Gilkerson slips into the starting lineup for his first start.

Chivas Lineup: Vergara (GK), Avila, de los Santo, H. Lopez, Solis, Mejia, Esparza, Morales, Hernandez, Salazar

We'll be running back and forth doing a live commentary and trying to get Match Tracker on our site to work. Watch live on TeleFutura or follow the action here and feel free to give us your pre-game and in-game thoughts!

FINAL: Red Bulls 1, Chivas 0. We'll have some post-game reaction soon.

87': Nava puts a low left-footed shot on net but Thornton is there to knock it away. Schramm on for Gilkerson, who looks like he picked up a knock.

81': Sassano was through on goal off a Wolyniec pass but good play by Esparza to deflect his shot. Wolyniec off for Megaloudis.

67': Roth in for Borman... moments earlier, Morales hit a free kick into the arms of Thornton.

63': Esparza is free on the right side of the penalty box after a good through ball but he pulls his shot wide left.

57': Nothing much happening as both teams trying to keep possession until a minute later, the Chivas right winger breaks through on the right side of the box, but Parke is there to slide it away.

46': Second half kicks off and Red Bulls make five subs: Sassano for van den Bergh, Kljestan for Mendes, Wolyniec for Echeverry, Leitch for Freeman, Magee for Ubiparipovic

HALFTIME: Red Bulls kept possession in this tempestuous affair and deserved to go in front. Chivas with a couple of chances but nothing to really trouble Zach Thornton.

43': Red Cads issued to Solis and Stammler. It seems that after a Red Bulls foul, there was a scuffle and both players were kicked out. A minute later, Gilkerson and Hernandez went for the ball and hit each others' heads.

38': Chivas hasn't been able to do much this game. Another Chivas corner cleared away by the Red Bulls.

35: Borman for Richards. First sub of the game.

22: Red Bulls goal!!!!!! Sinisa made himself free on the right wing before running to the touchline and slotting the ball back to a wide-open Echeverry, who put it in. 1-0 Red Bulls.

22: Yellow card issued to a Chivas player.

18: Echeverry again gets free, ths time on the right side of the box and he puts the ball over the bar.

4: Echeverry gets released on the left side of the penalty box and pokes a shot that goes through the legs of the 'keeper but is cleared off the line by Antonio de los Santos.

RED BULLS SIGN KLJESTAN; WAIVE MESA

In a move to try and help provide roster depth and versatility with the rash of injuries the team has suffered this season, RBNY announced today that it has signed midfielder Gordon Kljestan and waived Kevin Mesa. While this is certainly not a groundbreaking move, it does provide the team with more experience (and pedigree, as Gordon is the brother of Chivas USA's Sacha). Gordon has been on trial with the team for a few weeks, and has played in a few reserve matches as well.

What are your thoughts on the signing? This move certainly does not impact Juan Carlos Osorio's bigger-name targets, as Mesa was a developmental player and Gordon is taking that spot on the roster.

US OPEN CUP OPPONENT SET

The Red Bulls enter the US Open Cup in the third round, and their opponent was determined last night. By virtue of their penalty kick win over the Harrisburg City Islanders, Crystal Palace Baltimore will host New York on Tuesday, July 1 for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Crystal Palace's 3-1 PK shootout win came after the two sides played to a 2-2 score though extra time.

Harrisburg goalkeeper Danny Cepero, on loan from the Red Bulls, missed the match due to a quadriceps injury.

The matchup with Crystal Palace will take place at UMBC Stadium, and is slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. Baltimore, a USL-2 side, is currently in third place in the USL-2 table, with a 6-3-1 (19 points) record. CPB advanced to the second round with a 2-1 road win over the LA Legends, a PDL side.

RACKERS KICKS IT AROUND

Number 1 on the University of Phoenix Stadium field Tuesday wasn't Danny Cepero (he's on loan at Harrisburg in USL Division 2), but Arizona Cardinals placekicker Neil Rackers, who was invited to train with the Red Bulls.

Rackers is not a stranger to soccer. In high school at Aquinas-Mercy in St. Louis, Rackers led his team to two-straight State titles as a forward. Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio left Rackers on the field for almost the entire practice. Here's what heavy-breathing Rackers had to say about his experience:

DRY HEAT MY ....

Red Bulls Reader comes to you from Glendale, AZ, as we're watching our team train at the beautiful University of Phoenix Stadium. We recommend that you are ever in this area, you have to make a visit here (though, for whoever told RBR that 115 degrees in Arizona is just "dry heat", he thinks you're all full of you know what).

Arizona Cardinals placekicker Neil Rackers is doing warm-ups with the team (more on him later) but the practice's intensity is still the same as we prepare to play Chivas de Guadalajara tomorrow night at 11 PM ET (8 PM here). Watch it on TeleFutura.

The team was delayed for three-plus hours due to thunderstorms in the NY-NJ area before finally getting to the Phoenix area late last night. However, everyone is in good spirits. Here are a couple of excerpts from today's Red Bulls-Chivas press conference today:

Seth Stammler
On the game:
It’s great to be in Phoenix. The team is really excited to come down here for the game, especially to play a team like Chivas which has such a storied history. I think it’s an honor just to test ourselves to see where we stand against some of the top players internationally.

Dave van den Bergh
On playing Chivas de Guadalajara:
It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a friendly and we have to treat it as such. It’s a great team, great honor to play against them. It’s a good opportunity to measure ourselves. For them, it’s preseason so they’re going to be trying some things out and getting their fitness in.

On the University of Phoenix Stadium:
It can’t get much better than this. It’s a beautiful stadium, the stadium looks beautiful and I’m just hoping we could get a good crowd out for tomorrow.

More on this trip, with photos, later....

YOU SUPPLIED THE QUESTIONS, ERIK STOVER PROVIDED THE ANSWERS

A short time ago, Red Bulls Reader posted a partial transcript of the round table discussion new Managing Director Erik Stover had with the local media. At that point, RBR asked for your questions. Well, here are your answers…

Miguel asks: Since next year the Red Bulls will have to play the first half of the season at Giants Stadium I propose that a natural grass surface be installed (so the game can be played as it was meant to be). What do you say, can you make it happen?

No, and not because we wouldn’t consider it but because of the use of that facility. The reason it is field turf is they have concerts coming in; they have trade shows, all kinds of other things being done there. I lived through the attempt of making grass work there, and it costs $9 million over three years and it was the worst field that anyone has ever seen. Under the circumstances, it was actually a worst-case scenario for our players.

Alan asks: I see lots of TV commercials for Red Bull sponsored events like Flugtag, car racing and Soapbox car racing. Why is there no investment in advertising the soccer team on TV?

We invested a significant amount of money in advertising, it just wasn’t TV based. A lot of people identify with television more readily, but there is Internet, there are billboards, there is bus signage, there is radio, the list goes on and on. We spent probably more than any other team in Major League Soccer on advertising in market. It was very expensive to put up those Juan Pablo and Jozy billboards up in New York City at the tunnels. That’s the kind of media buy that has never been done in Major League Soccer before.

T. Faust asks: Why are you the right person for Managing Director of the club? Your experience seems perfect for a Director of Stadium Operations. What relevant experience do you have for everything else a general manager does?

I think the most important thing that we are doing is building the stadium and training grounds. To lure fans back to our events we have to do everything right the first time. There are a lot of questions … well; he worked at Giants Stadium so he’s just going to duplicate the problems. What working at Giants Stadium allowed me to see is what the problems were. I understand why those problems existed in that facility and what we tried to do to correct them. I also know, having worked in San Diego in a very different market with very different circumstances, saw how different things can be effective. Because I have over eight years of stadium operations experience, we can deliver on those expectations for customer service. The other part of it is I think there is a misconception of what this job is. It goes back to leadership and sharing of vision and management, and letting the experts do what they are paid to do. As far as my skill set, everything that you need to have in this job, I’ve done before, whether it’s negotiations, personnel management or leases and contracts. It’s taking those skills, understanding your goals and objectives and making sure that those two things line up perfectly and that the job gets done.

Tim asks: What experiences can you take from your nine years at NJSEA and how will you apply them at Red Bull Park?

I know we need to be more flexible with how we treat our fans. Soccer is a different sport. We want a European-type atmosphere at our facility. The problem at the Meadowlands is that you have so many buildings and so many different organizations and it’s hard to have roles that apply across the board. What ends up happening is that you have very little tolerance for the gray areas. We’re going to own the building, we’re going to operate the building and the people there are going to be our season-ticket holders. We’re going to have control over all of those aspects. We understand very clearly that the experience that our fans have at the Meadowlands is not what they want to have at the new building. We’ll be doing a lot of focus groups so we don’t miss any of those points because we can learn a lot from our fans.

Dave asks: You have said that the new stadium will be the best way to attract new fans. Will there be a stronger marketing effort to make people in the area aware of the new stadium?

It’s so integrated into our business model, it has to be up-front. I think everything will improve. As the stadium comes on, everything we do will improve. We’ll have a new website for the stadium. We’ll have a new training facility, which not only will be high-quality for our first team and academy but it will also be grassroots marketing for everything we are trying to accomplish in raising the awareness of soccer in the New York metropolitan area. Everything we do will be tied into those two facilities and our overall business objectives.

Dan asks: Do you think not having a background in football will adversely affect your ability to evaluate players, if say Juan Carlos & Jeff Agoos are offering differing opinions of the same player? And how would you potentially handle such a situation?
T. Faust asks: You say you are very hands on about player decisions. Why? What is it about your background in stadium operations that makes your voice valuable in this area?

We have a lot of resources at our disposal. We have a global effort to develop soccer worldwide. I think first of all, Jeff and Juan Carlos work extremely well together. If for some reason there is an unlikely scenario there is a line drawn in the sand over what particular player to be brought in, we’d rely on those different scouts, player personnel people and sporting directors we have at our disposal to help make the right decision. As in all business decisions we make, we are operating with a unifying command approach and at the end of the day we will come to a decision everyone is comfortable with. There will be players that we will miss on. There will be players that we will be perfect on. That’s just part of the business.

Alan asks: Why does there seem to be little to no co-operation between RBNY and RB Salzburg? Specifically when it comes to player loans and signings.

I think first of all that is something we have to manage on the sporting side. (Head coach) Juan Carlos and (sporting director) Jeff Agoos will manage that on a day-to-day basis. There is a misconception in there. Some of that appearance of lack of cooperation was based on speculation. I know that there are always discussions going on back and forth, but the player they might have available to loan may not fit in our roster, or a player like Jozy, where they may consider purchasing him, he didn’t necessarily fit in with their roster. There certainly isn’t a lack of cooperation. We are sister organizations, but you also have to put in Major League Soccer rules into consideration there too. You can’t just transfer players and have it not impact the salary cap.

Tim asks: Besides timing, will the Red Bull Park (RBP) design and build out change in any way from the expectations that have already been conveyed to fans (e.g., grass field – no turf; seating surrounding entire field, i.e., not 3/4 around; stadium ambiance conducive to loud/pro-home team support; seating section fully covered overhead; no gridiron football lines; similar to Salzburg stadium, etc.)

All of that was brought to the table when Red Bull bought this team. It has everything to do with making a world class soccer experience on game day. Most of those things required extensive, much higher capital investment in the project, and that I think shows the commitment to doing things the right way.

REAL LIFE: SECAUCUS PREMIER - THE TOUR

After meeting this year's charismatic rookie class, Red Bulls Reader decided to start an online series with three of them. We present the first episode of Real Life: Secaucus, with rookies David Roth, Danleigh Borman and Luke Sassano, who all live in the same house in Secaucus, NJ. It's an odd triplet of sorts: one is from South Africa, another from California and the third straight from the midwest. For the rest of the season, we wanted to chronicle parts of their off-the-field lives and we start with a tour of their pad. We hope you enjoy it and please give us feedback on what you think!

RED BULLS HIGH SCHOOL CUP: A LOOK BACK

Players and coaches arrived at Giants Stadium on Friday afternoon for the second-annual High School Cup presented by adidas for a training session, where they got acquainted with not only an 80,000-seat facility, but also their fresh-faced teammates. The event, which pits New Jersey and New York's premier high school talent against one another, followed the Red Bulls' tilt with FC Dallas.

Following the players' two-hour session, RBR caught up with two from each side and discussed what their first training session was like at Giants Stadium, the atmosphere of a professional facility, the experience of entering the Red Bulls' locker room, how any tactical preparation is difficult because of unfamiliar faces as teammates and how this game represents a culmination to a chapter in these players' soccer novel.

Manny Caicedo (M - Clifton, NJ) on the atmosphere of the Giants Stadium locker room:


Marlon Letlow (D - Roosevelt, NY) on the training session on Friday:


Alan Bernstein (GK - Wayne Hills, NJ) on his impression on playing at Giants Stadium:


Pat Cantwell (D - West Islip, NY) comparing Giants Stadium to his high school facility:

Sporting Director Jeff Agoos addresses the players and coaches


Head Coach Juan Carlos Osorio gives the players some advice

A dinner reception followed, where Cup participants were greeted by Sporting Director Jeff Agoos and Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Both addressed the graduating seniors, and the message was simple: Local talent is important. Red Bulls players were scattered, dining with players and coaches.


Kevin Goldthwaite chats with some
of the High School Cup participants

ANOTHER GOAL OF THE WEEK NOMINATION

Seth's skillful goal at New England helped the Red Bulls take a point home from Gillette Stadium, and is a nominee for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week. It looks like Gonzalo Martinez's blast is the front runner (probably deservedly so), but why not show some love to the man who has worn the captain's arm band of late?

VOTE HERE to cast your ballot.

Here is video of the nominees:

RED BULLS VS. FC DALLAS: POSTGAME

A good home result for the Red Bulls, who are still without the services of both of their Designated Players. A nice set piece goal from Kevin Goldthwaite was the difference. Jon Conway came up with the big save when called upon to preserve the clean sheet. The team strung together passes well and did not allow Dallas to play with space.

Sinisa Ubiparipovic post match:


Dane Richards post match:


Kevin Goldthwaite post match:


Juan Carlos Osorio post match:


Who was the Man of the Match? Who was the Unsung Hero? How important was it to get this win at home during a long stretch of road matches? Do you think the team is rounding into form in terms of keeping possession and pressuring the other team on defense? What are your thoughts on the match?

RED BULLS VS. FC DALLAS: RUNNING COMMENTARY

90+th minute: GAME OVER. 1-0 Red Bulls. New York improves to 4-1-2 at home and 5-4-4 (19 points) overall). Check back later for post match video.

90th minute: 2 minutes of added time.

88th minute: New York is holding possession well in the closing minutes.

82nd minute: FCD sub: McCarty for Rocha

81st minute: NY is still looking to attack on offense, pushing for the killer goal rather than sitting back.

79th minute: NY sub: Sassano for Magee

77th minute: Wolyniec gets his head on a VDB cross, but its right at Sala. A great chance but more frustration for Wolyniec in terms of putting one away.

73rd minute: FCD sub: Alvarez for Rhine

69th minute: Yellow card on Parke.

68th minute: Rocha gets in alone on Conway after a defensive breakdown but Conway gets big and deflects it out.

64th minute: FCD sub: Thompson for Oduro.

62nd minute: Yellow to Pitchkolan. Wolyniec for Echeverry for New York.

57th minute: Richards can't turn on a ball in the box and is dispossessed.

54th minute: Magee gets the ball on the back post, but can't get enough on the shot to make it dangerous.

54th minute: Corner kick for NY off a nice buildup.

52nd minute: So far much of the same in the second half.

46th minute: Second half underway. Doesn't look like there are changes for either side.

HALFTIME: NY posted a 9-3 shot advantage in the first half, with Sinisa tallying four, including two on frame.

45th minute: HALFTIME. 1-0 New York. Would have to venture a guess that the Red Bulls have at least doubled the Hoops' shot total.

45th minute: 1 minute of stoppage time.

44th minute: The answer? Not much.

44th minute: Magee draws a foul in about 30 yards out. Let's see what the Red Bulls can do with it.

40th minute: Sinisa with another long range blast that goes just wide. He has shown that he can be dangerous tonight.

36th minute: New York has tried to play crosses into the area, but neither Echeverry nor Richards is particularly good in the air. Let's see if how the Red Bulls adjust their attack.

31st minute: A nice run by Dane Richards earns a corner. Injury update on Goldthwaite: hamstring strains on both legs.

24th minute: Looks like Goldthwaite is going to have to come out. He is being replaced by Jeff Parke. Not sure of the injury at this point.

21st minute: A nice through ball earns a corner for FCD.

18th minute: A free kick for FCD provides a good chance for Oduro, who's shot has no pace and is saved easily by Conway.

16th minute: Sinisa's inswinging corner finds Goldthwaite at the back post for the header. GOAL NEW YORK, 1-0.

16th minute: Sinisa with a nice shot that gets punched out for a corner.

15th minute: New York is challenging every possession on defense, and stinging together passes nicely on offense. Now they just need to convert them into solid scoring chances.

11th minute: The ball has been in the Red Bull offensive half nearly the entire match so far. Excellent pressure being applied by New York.

7th minute: A half volley from Sinisa goes just over. New York has been putting a lot of pressure on the ball and have caused several turnovers so far.

4th minute: VDB with a blast from 25 yards that goes high. The Red Bulls have been stressing taking open shots when they present themselves in training this week.

1st minute: And we're off. By the way, this is the first time this season that the Red Bulls have used the same starting 11 in consecutive games.