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.