DAY OFF; COUNTDOWN EVENTS

The team is off today before getting back to work tomorrow in preparation for the season opener this Saturday against Columbus.

However, this week is not without its Red Bull events, as the Countdown to Kickoff continues all this week.

If you missed out on the first event yesterday, there are still plenty of opportunities to meet First Team players, and take part in some fun events.

CLICK HERE FOR EVENT RELEASE FROM THE OFFICIAL SITE

There are two events tomorrow, so come out and support YOUR Team.

QUICK UPDATE: Did you notice the new headers on the official site?

FINALLY FINALLY

It’s around 9 AM on Saturday morning and RBR is on the team bus back to the Red Bulls’ training facility at Montclair State University. There were a lot of really early wake-up calls this morning as the team bus left their hotel in Durham at 5:15 AM. Everyone was pretty bleary eyed and ready to roll back into bed.

Almost all of the players, as well as RBR, are ready for the season finally to start after weeks away from home, two-a-day training sessions and the constant regimen of preseason. The season for everyone really starts back in January and with the fact that the playoffs run until November, the whole process is long.

With that being said, Red Bulls fans should be encouraged by last night’s performance for a number of reasons:

- The team gained positive momentum after losing 3-0 to San Jose a week before.
- The defense played extremely well, holding Carolina to just one shot in the entire game. This 1-0 result is typical of the compact, efficient performances that Osorio’s teams generate.
- Several of the Red Bulls turned in solid performances, including Claudio Reyna, who was in the middle of several attacks and did well helping New York keep possession.
- And as goalscorer Dave van den Bergh acknowledged after the game, the Red Bulls could have scored more. Oscar Echeverry was inches away on the wrong side of the crossbar from scoring and the Red Bulls had a number of other opportunities.

So now we wait while the rest of the MLS teams (except San Jose) kick off the season today and tomorrow. Particularly of interest to the Red Bulls will be the Columbus Crew’s (their first opponent) showdown against Toronto FC at 4 PM. Also, there will be a rematch of the 2007 MLS Cup final when the New England Revolution tangles with the Houston Dynamo at 7:30 PM on Fox Soccer Channel.

Team is off Sunday and Monday before returning Tuesday. And we’ll be there for all of it.

PHOTOS FROM RED-BULLS/RAILHAWKS

Here are some photos of the Red Bulls-RailHawks game, courtesy of Rich Bostwick, who kindly sent them over.


Danleigh Borman and Martin Nunez battle for the ball in the first half.


Forward Oscar Echeverry takes control of the ball. Echeverry started alongside Jozy Altidore up top.


The Red Bulls celebrate with Dave van den Bergh, who scored the team's only goal in a 1-0 over Carolina.


Captain Claudio Reyna passes the ball off with Nunez chasing.


Jozy Altidore, in his first preseason game for the Red Bulls in 2008, holds off a defender for possession.

RED BULLS 1, CAROLINA 0: RECAP/POST-GAME REACTION

CARY, NC – A rocket from Dave van den Bergh’s left foot in the first half was enough to give the New York Red Bulls a 1-0 win over the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Soccer Stadium on Friday night in the last preseason match for the Red Bulls. With the win, the Red Bulls ended preseason play with a 3-3-2 record.

Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the match:


The Red Bulls controlled the run of play from the get-go. In the third minute, Jozy Altidore, playing in his first preseason game for New York in 2008, latched onto a Luke Sassano ball and volleyed it into the arms of goalkeeper Chris McClellan from 12 yards out. Eight minutes later, Altidore intercepted a pass in the Carolina half and passed it to Claudio Reyna, who unleashed a shot from 25-yards-out that McClellan had to tip over.

With the Red Bulls defense holding the RailHawks to just one shot in the first half, van den Bergh gave the visitors the lead in the 27th minute. Reyna swung a corner into the box that was punched out by McClellan. The ball bounced to van den Bergh, who volleyed it from 20-yards-out into the top left corner.

van den Bergh on the goal:


The Red Bulls kept the pressure on and had two opportunities before the break to double their lead. Altidore was left wide open at the top of the box and elected to lob it into an on-rushing Danleigh Borman, who headed it over the bar. Two minutes later, Borman streaked down the left wing before hitting a low cross into Oscar Echeverry’s path. Echeverry got to it and it slammed off the underside of the crossbar.

The game settled down in the second half as both teams did not have too many chances on net. Chris Megaloudis came on in the 67th minute and almost made an immediate impact by running onto a van den Bergh ball over-the-top ball, but his shot was deflected away.

Carolina’s best chance of the game came in the 76th minute when Martin Nunez, who was on trial with New York earlier this year, broke through on the right side of goal. But Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway was off his line quicky to knock it away. Two minutes later, Wolyniec was able to get to a bouncing van den Bergh through ball and blasted it just over the top left corner.

Osorio on earning a shutout:


van den Bergh on getting a clean sheet:


The Red Bulls open their 2008 MLS regular season against the Columbus Crew on April 5 at Giants Stadium at 7:30 PM. For tickets, call the Red Bulls at 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

Scoring Summary:
NY: van den Bergh (unassisted) 27’

Disciplinary Summary:
NY: Ubiparapovic (caution) 13’
CAR: Stokes (caution) 87’

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (GK), Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, Chris Leitch, Danleigh Borman (Kevin Mesa 72’), Dave van den Bergh, Sinisa Ubiparapovic, Luke Sassano (Carlos Mendes 57’), Claudio Reyna © (Eric Brunner 76’), Jozy Altidore (John Wolyniec 57’), Oscar Echeverry

Substitutes Not Used: Zach Thornton, Seth Stammler

Carolina RailHawks: Chris McClellan (GK), David Stokes, Steven Curfman, Frankie Sanfilippo, Richard Perdomo (Zeke Dombrowski 72’), Kupono Low, Martin Nunez, Chris Lemons, David Lilly (Santiago Fusilier 37’), Jacob Coggins (Marty Johnston 62’), Joel Bailey (Connally Edozien 37’)

Referee: Lee Suckle
Referee’s Assistants: Eric Hansberry, Daniel Fitzgerald
4th Official: Sandra Serafini
Weather at kickoff: 75 and clear
Attendance: 5,426

All statistics in this box score are unofficial.

RED BULLS-RAILHAWKS

Greetings from Cary, NC, where the Red Bulls are taking on the Carolina RailHawks at WakeMed Stadium. Teams are currently warming up and the weather is clear and warm. We're 40 minutes from kickoff but here is the Red Bulls' lineup tonight:

---------------Echeverry-------------Altidore----------------------

--------------------------Reyna------------------------------------

Borman------------------------------------------------------Sassano

--------------van den Bergh------Ubiparapovic----------------------

--------Goldthwaite-------Parke-------Leitch-----------------------

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

Juan Pablo Angel did not make the trip due to a viral infection. The bench includes: Zach Thornton, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler, Kevin Mesa, Eric Brunner, John Wolyniec and Chris Megaloudis.

The Red Bulls had a light training session today in Cary. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio got into the action, playing some 5 vs. 2 possession game. Though he no longer plays professionally, it is clear that he still has a big competitive streak. He was yelling and definitely using language not appropriate for RBR readers for bad passes or his own mistakes!

We'll be bringing you the action from Cary and feel free to comment on the match. Also, you can watch the match live on www.usllive.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FINAL: Red Bulls 1, RailHawks 0.

87' Yellow on Stokes. RBR has to go to do things that RBR has to do post-game. Will be back with post-game reaction and recap.

86' Wolyniec knocks the ball in but the linesman calls offsides.

78' van den Bergh plays through ball to Wolyniec, who blasts a left footed volley just over the upper 90.

76' Brunner on for Reyna. Nunez earlier almost got through on goal but Conway came off his line and made knocked the ball away.

72' Borman down on the field. Looks like he cramped up a little bit. Kevin Mesa looks like he'll be coming on for him.

69' Great combination play between Goldthwaite, Megaloudis and Wolyniec but Leitch can't get there to take a shot and it's cleared away.

67' Chris Megaloudis, fresh from international duty with Puerto Rico, coming on for Echeverry. Meagloudis joined the team from Puerto Rico this morning after his flight yesterday was canceled. He almost made an immediate impact by almost breaking through on goal but his shot was blocked.

62' Two subs for Carolina. Phillip Long for Chris Lemons. Marty Johnson for Jacob Coggins.

57' Wolyniec for Altidore, Mendes for Sassano. Looks like Leitch will be pushed up to Sassano's position with Mendes being on the right side of the three in the back.

56' Subs warming up. Looks like Wolyniec and Mendes are coming on.

49' Announced attendance: 5,426. Very very good crowd.

Red Bulls held Carolina to just one shot.

We're ready to start the second half. No subs for either side.

HALFTIME: Red Bulls fans should be happy with this half with New York creating a number of chances and controlling the flow of the game.

43' CROSSBAR! Borman streaks down the left and plays a low cross into Echeverry, who launches a shot from six yards off the crossbar.

41' Red Bulls almost go two-up when Sassano cuts back to a wide open Altidore, who lofts it to Borman. Borman's header goes just over the bar.

37' Two subs for Carolina: Connally Edozien for Joel Bailey, Santiago Fusilier for David Lilly.

36' Turnover by Sassano in the Red Bulls half and Leitch has to clear for a RailHawks corner.

28' Reyna was almost through on goal with an Echeverry pass but the Red Bulls captain was called off.

27' GOAL RED BULLS! New York's persistence pays off. Reyna swings the ball in from the corner and it is punched away by the goalie straight to van den Bergh. van den Bergh rips a left-footer from 20-yards out into the upper 90.

26' Reyna causes a turnover and plays it over the top to Echeverry, who cuts back to Altidore. Altidore almost gets a shot off after letting it through but it is cleared away.

24' Red Bulls defense has done a good job of staying compact and preventing chances.

15' Nunez earns corner kick after knocking ball off of Conway. Good matchup - shortest player on the field getting rundown by the tallest. Corner is cleared away.

13' Yellow card issued to Ubiparapovic for a late tackle.

11' Altidore picks up a loose ball and passes to Reyna, who unleashes a left footed shot from 20 yards out that McClellan tips over the bar.

10' Altidore seems to grow bigger year after year. It's tough to remember that he's only 18.

9' Ubiparapovic plays a great cross field ball to Borman, whose cross into the box goes out of bounds. Red Bulls doing well controlling play so far.

4' Borman plays a free kick that McClellan has to punch out of bounds.

3' Sassano plays the ball over the top to Altidore, who one-times it into the arms of McClellan.

7:44 KICKOFF!

PREGAME: 7:04-Lineup for Carolina: Chris McClellan (GK), David Stokes, Steven Curfman, Frankie Sanfilippo, Richard Perdomo, Kupono Low, Martin Nunez, Chris Lemons, David Lilly, Jacob Coggins, Joel Bailey

Nunez trained with the Red Bulls in January/February. RBR saw him outside of the locker room earlier and he seems to be doing well. Stokes formerly played for D.C. United and Curfman was with Real Salt Lake before joining the RailHawks.

7:33: Reyna and Altidore get the largest ovations in this pretty packed crowd. Swoopes also comes out to Tag Team's Whoomp! There It Is. Swoopes is the RailHawks mascot - just think, an eagle in orange.

RED BULLS READERS' 100TH POST!!

This will mark the 100th post in the short existence of Red Bulls Reader!! Being that this is an offshoot of the official site, let us take this opportunity to be the first to tell you that newyorkredbulls.com will take on a new look come Monday morning.

We've updated the header banner, and think that you all will enjoy the new look, which is more in line with the Red Bull way of thinking.

So log on Monday morning after you get to work and take a look at the new header design. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Until then, watch the Red Bulls v. RailHawks match on USLLive.com tonight and check out the Opening Weekend MLS matches on FSC.

2008 RED BULL RESERVE SLATE ANNOUNCED

The New York Red Bulls today released its 12-game MLS Reserve Division schedule. The Red Bull reserves will play two matches against each of the other six Eastern Conference members, one match each home and away, to compose their 12-game slate.

The league’s 14 reserve squads will compete in a single-table format and will vie for the $20,000 team bonus awarded to the winning team.

Red Bulls 2008 Reserve Division Schedule (all times eastern)
Sunday, April 20 – vs. New England Revolution Reserves (10:00 AM)
Friday, May 2 – at Toronto FC Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, May 18 – vs. Kansas City Wizards Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, May 25 – vs. Chicago Fire Reserves (5:30 PM)
Thursday, June 19 – at New England Revolution Reserves (10:00 AM)
Friday, July 11 – at Kansas City Wizards Reserves (10:00 AM)
Monday, August 11 – vs. D.C. United Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, August 31 – at D.C. United Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, September 7 – at Chicago Fire Reserves (9:00 AM)
Friday, September 19 – at Columbus Crew Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, October 5 – Toronto FC Reserves (10:00 AM)
Sunday, October 19 – vs. Columbus Crew Reserves (10:00 AM)

In the 2007 Reserve League, the Red Bull Reserves finished in a tie for seventh in the single-table, earning 15 points from a 5-4-0 record.

CLICK HERE FOR MLS RESERVE DIVISION WEBPAGE

USA TO HOST ARGENTINA AT THE HOME OF THE RED BULLS

It looks like Giants Stadium will be the venue for several soccer matches with an international flavor, as it was announced yesterday that the US MNT will take on FIFA top-rated Argentina in an friendly match on June 8.

Fresh off their 3-0 pasting of Poland on Wednesday, the stiff competition coach Bob Bradley has lined up for his side heading into World Cup Qualifying could not get any higher than Argentina, which is currently the top-ranked nation in the FIFA rankings.

CLICK HERE FOR USSOCCER.COM RELEASE

The above release mentions the long history of the MNT at Giants Stadium.

The USA-Argentina match will serve as a great appetizer to the International Friendly the Red Bulls will play at Giants Stadium on August 7.

GREETINGS FROM CARY

A beautiful day in Cary, NC as the Red Bulls arrived safely in North Carolina early afternoon. After finding a bite to eat and a short rest, the Red Bulls went out to train at WakeMed Soccer Park, a facility with seven soccer fields, including a main stadium field, where they will be taking on the Carolina RailHawks on Friday night at 7:30 PM.

A few random tidbits:

- One common comment among the players and coaches was the pristine quality of the field, with the grass being perfectly cut without any major worn down patches or holes. It helps when you have a large crew of groundskeepers, but still, very impressive.
- Jozy Altidore was back on the field for likely his third training session with the Red Bulls in 2008. He’s missed so much time with the U.S. Men’s National Team and U.S. Under-23s that he really hasn’t been able to train with some of his new teammates. Jozy ran in front of the net and started playing goalkeeper at the start of practice. Mike Magee and Seth Stammler pinged shots in every corner as Jozy dove for some and complained about how the shooters were too close (they were 18 yards out). Jozy said that they only scored 5-of-13 – Seth and Mike said it was more like 13-of-15. RBR recommends that Jozy would be better served scoring goals rather than trying to save them.
- Red Bulls Wrap: Episode 31 is posted on www.newyorkredbulls.com and on the right column of this page. JP and Shep talk about the team’s trip to Charleston and Shep catches up with Juan Pablo Angel at the 2008 Media Day.
- Another reminder – tomorrow’s match against the RailHawks will be televised live on www.usllive.com. We’ll be there to bring you all of the action as well.

MORE FROM MEDIA DAY

Video is also available of an interview with Jozy at Tuesday's media day on the official site.

Jozy talks about the offseason and his new musical choices.

FINAL PRESEASON GAME STREAMED LIVE

The Red Bulls will wrap up their preseason this weekend with their final exhibition game. The club is traveling to Cary, NC to take on USL First Division side, Carolina RailHawks, Friday night at 7:30 PM.

With a 3-3-2 exhibition record this preseason, the Red Bulls look to wrap up the preseason strong as they head into their season opener April 5 against Columbus at Giants Stadium.

Follow all the action live via streaming video from Wake Med Soccer Park at USLLive.com, free of charge.

Also, Red Bulls Reader will provide a running commentary here on the site, so be sure to check back often. The Red Bulls squad is nearly finalized, and Jozy Altidore is back with the club following national team duty, so this match should give a glimpse at what the regular season might hold.

OSCAR SIGNS WITH THE RED BULLS

After training with the team for over a month, Columbian forward Oscar Echeverry officially signed with the club today. Echeverry will add depth to a talented front line that already includes Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore. Per club and MLS policy, specific terms of the deal were not released.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RELEASE FROM THE OFFICIAL SITE

With Jozy away from the team for pretty much the entire preseason as he trained the featured for the Full Men's National Team and helped the U23s secure a berth in the Olympic Games, Echeverry has been the second starting forward for Coach Osorio.

During the season, the 31-year old striker will provide depth, and will step in for Jozy when the national team calls.

Here is some video of him scoring some goals to whet your appetite for what may lie ahead during his time with the Red Bulls.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR CELEBRITY MATCH AVAILABLE

Want to meet the celebrities that are playing in the Red Bulls Charity Game? Come enjoy food & beverages in a suite with past soccer stars including Luigi di Biagio and "Beppe" Signori as they watch the Red Bulls take on the Columbus Crew. Tickets are limited so call 201.583.7024 for more info.

WEDNESDAY FROM PRACTICE

The team went through a vigorous training session today on the game field at Giants Stadium, as the club continues preparation for the season opener on April 5 against Columbus. The guys played a series of short field 11 v 11 games, and ended the session with the midfielders and forwards going through finishing drills as Coach Osorio continues to maintain a high level of competition in his sessions.



The team leaves tomorrow for Cary, North Carolina, where the team will conclude the preseason with a match against the Carolina RailHawks.



During the training session today, a member of the Super Bowl Champion Giants, Mathias Kiwanuka did a little running on the area around the field as he rehabs from injury.



And in case you forgot, USA v Poland is on Fox Soccer Channel.. RIGHT NOW!! Bob Bradley continues to challenge the US side with difficult International Friendlies.

2008 NEW YORK RED BULLS MEDIA DAY

The 2008 New York Red Bulls Media Day was held this afternoon in SoHo. Over 100 members of the English and Spanish media attended, from radio, television, and print. The event was opened by Red Bull Managing Director Marc de Grandpre, who then turned the mic over to head coach Juan Carlos Osorio. After both gentlemen gave brief statements, the event broke out into individual one-on-ones, with the full roster of players (including the just-returned from Olympic Qualifying Hunter Freeman and Jozy Altidore). The entire coaching staff, as well as Sporting Director Jeff Agoos was made available to the media.

Red Bulls Reader interjected itself into the festivities, which did not have the spectacle of Super Bowl Media Day, but was still a bustling event as media outlets jockeyed for time with the members of the organization.

RBR got some time with rookie David Roth (to check up on his rehab from knee surgery) and Hunter Freeman (just back from Olympic Qualifying). Video should be up soon.

Here is the video with Hunter:



Here is the video with David:

MEDIA DAY TODAY

New York Red Bulls Media Day is this afternoon, and Red Bull Reader will be there to cover all the action and report back to you, our readers. RBR will post audio and video from the event, as the entire team and staff will be there to meet the press and speak about the preseason as well as the upcoming 2008 MLS Season.

MORE NAMES ANNOUNCED FOR CELEBRITY MATCH

The following celebrities have been added to the match roster for the Celebrity Match that will preceded the Red Bulls' home opener on April 5 and benefit the Worldwide Children's Charity Day:

• Luigi di Biagio - An Italian defensive midfielder, played on the Italian World Cup squad in 1998 and 2002
• Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori - One of the top scorers in Serie A history, played for Italy’s World Cup 1994 squad, and now covers Serie
A on Italian Rai Radio
• Angelo Peruzzi - Former Italian National Team and Serie A goalkeeper, member of 2006 World Cup winning side
• Veronica Contreras – Sports Anchor for Telemundo 47
• Brian Kilmeade - Anchor of Fox & Friends
• Salvador Cruz - Sports Anchor for Unvision 41
• Ethan Zohn - Winner of Survivor: Africa, Contestant on Survivor: All-Stars, Co-founder of Grass Roots Soccer
• Jenna Morasca (pictured above)- Winner of Survivor: Amazon, Contestant on Survivor: All-Stars
• Jack Brewer - Former NFL player for five seasons (Vikings, Giants, Eagles, and Cardinals), Founder of the Jack Brewer Foundation
• Kevin O'Connor - Contestant Amazing Race: Season 1
• Mike Nugent - Place kicker for the New York Jets
• Mark Lisi - Former MetroStar/Red Bull
• Steve Jolley - Former MetroStar/Red Bull
• Jordan Cila - Former Red Bull

The three former Italian National Team members’ participation is also in support of their foundation: Fair Gama, a worldwide charitable organization dedicated to fair play and sportsmanship.

For tickets to the match, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER, or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com or www.ticketmaster.com/rbwcday.

CONCACAF FINAL; USA v POLAND ROSTER

At the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying final in Tennessee, the US fell to Honduras, 1-0, in overtime. Hunter featured in the match, but for forced off due to a hard knock in the first half. Jozy came on late in the second half, and helped create a quality scoring chance, but the US U23s would not hoist the cup that night.

READ THE USSOCCER.COM RECAP HERE

Despite the loss, the team still be competing in the Olympics this summer, based upon its 3-0 win over Canada in the semifinals. Jozy will look to play a major role in the US's medal drive.

Also, the 18-man roster for the USMNT USA-Poland friendly has been announced. Jozy was not on the list, but that was probably due to the fact that he was given some time off after the Olympic qualifying. You can watch the game on Fox Soccer Channel on Wednesday at 3:30 PM ET.

Here is the US roster:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Marcus Hahnemann (Reading FC), Tim Howard (Everton FC)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Cory Gibbs (Charlton Athletic), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County)
FORWARDS (4): Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).

In purely Red Bull news, tomorrow the team will host its media day. Red Bulls Reader will be there and will report on the happenings.

EASTER EGGS AND CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Happy Easter to everyone from Red Bulls Reader. In between easter egg hunts, be sure to check out the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship Match today in Nashville, TN, as Jozy, Hunter, and the rest of the US U23s take Honduras live on Fox Soccer Channel. With a berth in the Beijing Olympic Games already secure, the U23s look to win a championship at LP Field.

HERE ARE SOME GAME NOTES FROM USSOCCER.COM

Be sure to enjoy the holiday and some championship level soccer from the future of American soccer.

SAN JOSE DOWNS RED BULLS IN CAROLINA FINALE

DANIEL ISLAND, SC (March 22, 2008) – Goals from forwards Kei Kamara and Gavin Glinton helped give the San Jose Earthquakes a 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night at Blackbaud Stadium in the finale of the Carolina Challenge Cup. San Jose, who won all three of their games in the four-team competition consisting of the Red Bulls, Charleston Battery and Toronto FC, took the tournament title.

Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio on the game:


It took less than a minute for one of the teams to score, with the Earthquakes drawing first blood. Midfielder Ivan Guerrero streaked down the left wing before playing a cross to an open Kamara, who nodded it past a wrong-footed Jon Conway from 10 yards out.

Less than 10 minutes later, Juan Pablo Angel was almost able to equalize when he raced in towards the top of the penalty box. But the play was broken up in the last second by the San Jose defense. Soon after, Claudio Reyna had an unopposed shot from 20 yards out that was gobbled up by goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

In the 19th minute, San Jose almost went two up when Ronnie O’Brien swung a ball into the box that bounced around before it was cleared by Seth Stammler as a couple of Earthquakes were on the lurking, waiting to knock it in.

Three minutes into the second half and Angel was able to get space into the box and unleashed a left footed shot that Cannon blocked before he pounced on it.

Moments later, San Jose doubled its lead. James Riley played an over-the-top ball to an on-rushing Glinton. Though the Red Bulls claimed offsides, Glinton ran through into the box and slotted it past Conway.

The Red Bulls kept on pressing for their first goal of the game and after a good interchange on the right wing in the 59th minute, Luke Sassano passed it off to John Wolyniec, who blasted a deflected shot that just went over the crossbar. Then, in the 77th minute, Angel got free on the right wing and played a hard cross to Danleigh Borman, who lashed a volley wide.

Three minutes from time, a penalty kick was called on the Red Bulls after a foul off a corner kick. Goalkeeper Zach Thornton was able to block Ramiro Corrales’ attempt and knocked it away. However, San Jose played the ball into the six-yard-box and Eric Brunner, trying to clear, slid it into his own net.

Osorio on what he learned from the match:


New York’s last preseason match is against United Soccer Leagues First Division side, the Carolina RailHawks, on March 28 at 7:30 in Cary, NC. The Red Bulls’ season and home opener is on April 5, when they battle the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM ET.

Scoring Summary:
SJ – Kamara (Guerrero) 1’
SJ – Glinton (Riley) 49’
SJ – Brunner (own goal) 88’

Disciplinary Summary:
NY – Stammler (caution) 62’
NY – Mendes (caution) 62’
SJ – Walker (caution) 89’

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (GK) (Zach Thornton 65’), Kevin Goldthwaite (Chris Leitch 46’), Jeff Parke (Carlos Mendes 46’), Eric Brunner, Danleigh Borman, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 61’), Luke Sassano, Claudio Reyna (Mike Magee 46’), Juan Pablo Angel, John Wolyniec (Oscar Echeverry 60’)

San Jose Earthquakes: Joe Cannon (GK), Nick Garcia, Ryan Cochrane (Eric Denton 46’), Jason Hernandez (Jay Ayres 85’), James Riley, Ivan Guerrero (Matt Taylor 77’), Ramiro Corrales, Ned Grabavoy (Conrad Smith 77’), Ronnie O’Brien (Joe Vide 46’), Kei Kamara (Jamil Walker 77’), Gavin Glinton (Shea Salinas 61’)

Referee: Andrew Chapin
Referee’s Assistants: Skye Arthur-Banning, Bob Wern
4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Weather: 65 and clear

RED-BULLS-SAN JOSE

Good evening from Blackbaud Stadium! We're here to bring you all of the action as the Red Bulls take on the San Jose Earthquakes in the final match of the Carolina Challenge Cup. San Jose has already secured the trophy after beating Toronto FC (1-0) and the Charleston Battery (2-1). However, the Red Bulls could gain some confidence with a win.

Here is how your Red Bulls are lining up:

----------------Wolyniec-------------Angel---------------------

--------------------------Reyna--------------------------------

Borman--------------------------------------------------Sassano

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

------Goldthwaite---------Parke----------Brunner---------------

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

Changes from Wednesday's lineup include Borman lining up on the left, van den Bergh moving to the middle and Brunner replacing Carlos Mendes on the right side of the three-man defense. Wolyniec slots in for Echeverry up top.

Here is San Jose:

San Jose Earthquakes: Joe Cannon (GK), Nick Garcia, Ryan Cochrane, Jason Hernandez, James Riley, Ivan Guerrero, Ramiro Corrales, Ned Grabavoy, Ronnie O’Brien, Kei Kamara, Gavin Glinton

A clear night in Daniel Island. We'll be doing live updates below as the game moves on.

FINAL: 3-0 San Jose. Reaction from Coach Osorio coming up, as well as a full recap.

87' Penalty kick awarded for the Earthquakes. Corrales steps up to take it and Thornton knocks it away. But the ball is played back into the six yard box and Brunner knocks it into his own net. 3-0 Earthquakes.

77' Angel plays a hard cross to Borman, who hits a volley wide. Triple substitution for San Jose: Jamil Walker for Kei Kamara, Matt Taylor for Ivan Guerrero, Conrad Smith for Ned Grabavoy.

72' Angel makes a run to the touchline and crosses the ball but no one is there to pick it up and San Jose clears.

67' Echeverry looks like he's taken down in the box by Garcia but no call by the official.

65' Thornton on for Conway.

61'& 62' Stammler and Mendes given yellow cards for tough tackles.

60' Echeverry for Wolyniec, Ubiparipovic for van den Bergh. Shea Salinas for Glinton.

59' Wolyniec blasts a shot from 15 yards out off a Sassano pass. It is deflected out for a corner.

54' Good interchange between Stammler and van den Bergh, who races down the left wing before lofting a ball that is cleared by Guerrero. Sassano was waiting to hit it in.

49' Earthquakes Goal. Look like Glinton was offsides but he ran onto the ball with Coonly nway to beat and knocked it past him. 2-0 Earthquakes. Assist went to James Riley.

48' JPA gets free on the left side of the box and hits a shot that Cannon blocks before gobbling the ball up.

Red Bulls now playing Leitch-Brunner-Mendes in the back line. Magee playing behind the forwards.

SUBS FOR SAN JOSE: JOE VIDE for O'BRIEN, ERC DENTON for COCHRANE

SUBS FOR NEW YORK: MENDES for GOLDTHWAITE, LEITCH for PARKE, MAGEE for REYNA.

HALFTIME: San Jose up, 1-0, with Kei Kamara's 1st minute goal. During the tournament, the Red Bulls have made some changes to their lineup. We'll be here to let you know if Coach Osorio decides to bring fresh legs in.

45' One minute of stoppage.

36' Borman gathers a long ball from Stammler and hits a low cross into Angel, whose one-time shot on frame was blocked.

34' Garcia with an ugly tackle on Sassano by the right corner flag but no foul.

32' Hernandez unleashes a shot after a give-and-go with Kamara but it sails wide right.

30' Kamara down on the field as the SJ trainer checks up on him. Meanwhile, Osorio is on the sidelines giving advice to several of his players. And Kamara looks like he'll be coming back in.

29' Red Bulls almost with a good scoring chance when Wolyniec laid it off to Stammler, who took a shot towards goal. However, Stammler was ruled offsides.

23' Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio looking very sharp on the sideline - rocking the full suit.

19' Off a short corner, Ronnie O'Brien plays the box. After it ricochets in front of goal, a San Jose player almost gets to it but Stammler is there to clear it away.

14' Reyna gets free in the center of the field and hits a left footed shot that rolls into Cannon's hands.

13' van den Bergh with the cross in but Cannon leaps up and collects.

10' Angel almost breaks in on goal but the San Jose defense does enough to break up his run before he is able to shoot.

7' O'Brien tries to lob Conway, who is off his line, but the ball sails well left.

1' SAN JOSE GOAL. 23 seconds in, Ivan Guerrero crossed the ball into a wide-open Kei Kamara, who headed it past Jon Conway. 1-0 Earthquakes.

RED BULLS WRAP: EPISODE 30

For those who missed it, check out the Red Bulls official podcast, Red Bulls Wrap, with JP Dellacamera and Shep Messing as they speak with assistant coach Richie Williams and talk Red Bulls and MLS!! Please click here to download it!

A RED BULL AND AN EASTER BUNNY WALKED INTO A BAR...

With it being Easter Weekend and all, the Red Bulls are celebrating by playing the San Jose Earthquakes tonight at Blackbaud Stadium in the final match of the Carolina Challenge Cup.

The Red Bulls had a light training session this morning, heading to the College of Charleston. What they didn't expect to find was hundreds of doting parents and greedy little kids running around every facility at the CoC complex looking for Easter eggs in what must've been the largest Easter egg hunt in South Carolina:





Prepared for everything, Team Administrator Craig Chmiel was still able to secure spot for training (sans Easter eggs, at least we think), letting the guys prepare for tonight's match.

We'll have the starting lineup for you plus pre-game notes tonight before kickoff.

RED BULL WELCOMES FIVE WITH CONTRACTS

The club took a few steps closer to finalizing its roster, signing five players to developmental contracts. The list includes Supplemental Draft picks as well as trialists. The signed players are Danleigh Borman, John Gilkerson, Danny Cepero, Caleb Sewell-Patterson, and Kevin Mesa.

Danleigh has impressed since being drafted in the Supplemental Draft out of the University of Rhode Island, seeing time on the left flank and being dangerous on crosses. Mesa scored the tying goal in the Carolina Challege Cup opener against the host Charleston Battery.

CLICK HERE for the release on the official site.

The Red Bulls still have one more game in the Carolina Challenge Cup, taking on MLS expansion side, San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. You can follow all the action with free streaming video on USLLive.com

AUSTRIA REWIND - BOWLING NIGHT

Red Bulls Reader just saw this on the MSG site (sorry for the delay, but its a pretty entertaining video). This piece aired on MSG and has goalkeeper Jon Conway as the host of the Red Bulls night out at a bowling alley in Salzburg. Goalkeeper coach Des McAleenan is hilarious as he keeps Conway's ego in check.



Just something to keep you occupied until April 5.

USA-CANADA MEET TONIGHT WITH OLYMPIC BERTH ON THE LINE

Tonight at 9PM eastern, Jozy Altidore, Hunter Freeman, and the US U23 MNT take on Canada in the CONCACAF Men's Olympic qualifying semifinals at LP Field in Nashville, TN. The winner of the match not only advances to the finals, but secures a berth in the Beijing Olympic games. After winning Group A, the US is poised to lock up a chance for a gold medal this summer.

With two Red Bulls on the team and with Jozy most likely getting the nod as a starter up top, fans of the Red Bull as well as all of us here at Red Bulls Reader are eagerly awaiting the matchup, which can be viewed on Fox Soccer Channel as well as ESPN Deportes (You can put down your NCAA brackets for a few hours, right?).

Here are some links to whet your appetite...

USSoccer.com's Studio 90 show features a scouting report on Canada from Jozy as well as his appearance on Extra Time.

A feature on Jozy from The Tennessean

EXPANDING THE WORLD'S GAME

Last night a gala benefit dinner was held in Manhattan to support the Harlem Youth Soccer. The star studded event was attended by Pele, David Beckham, Philip Anschutz, as well as several of Red Bull New York's front office staff. In addition, Presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush showed their support through pre-taped videos. The event, at $1,250-a-seat, will help raise $300,000 for after-school and youth leadership programs, and to help build a $1 million playing field.

To read more CLICK HERE.

To read the New York Times article, CLICK HERE.

RED BULLS 1, TORONTO FC 1 : RECAP/PHOTOS

DANIEL ISLAND, SC - A goal by forward John Wolyniec helped give the New York Red Bulls a 1-1 tie with MLS rival, Toronto FC, on Wednesday at a gusty Blackbaud Stadium in the teams’ second match of the Carolina Challenge Cup. Jeff Cunningham put Toronto FC ahead in the first half as heavy winds affected play throughout the evening.

Assistant coach Richie Williams on the game:


Toronto FC broke through in the 10th minute. Midfielder Kevin Harmse played a through ball to Cunningham, who dribbled into the box. Goalkeeper Jon Conway dove for the ball, but Cunningham eluded him and knocked it in.

In the 20th minute, forward Oscar Echeverry was able to get free on the left side of the penalty box but his low shot was saved by goalkeeper Brian Edwards. Later, Claudio Reyna unleashed Luke Sassano, who was wide open on the right side of the box. However, Sassano was ruled offsides.

Toronto had a quality opportunity right before the break when Cunningham laid the ball off for Collin Samuel, who ran into the box before lashing a shot just wide of the right post. Just a minute before, Juan Pablo Angel hit a header off a corner over the crossbar.

With the wind at their backs, the Red Bulls came out with more energy in the second half. In the 54th minute, rookie Eric Brunner was free on a header and his attempt went straight at Edwards. Four minutes later, Danleigh Borman played a nice give-and-go with Angel, who couldn’t get a shot off. And Borman soon put Wolyniec through on goal, but Wolyniec couldn’t get a good final touch and Toronto was able to recover.

Wolyniec on the wind factor:


Moments later, Todd Dunivant almost gave Toronto FC a two-goal lead after finding space on the left but his point blank shot was blocked by goalkeeper Zach Thornton.

The Red Bulls tied the game in the 74th minute. Reyna slotted a perfectly weighed ball into the path of Wolyniec, who slammed a shot past Edwards and into the upper 90.

Wolyniec on the goal:


New York had all of the momentum and almost took the lead in the 80th minute when the ball fell to Angel, who curled a shot off the right post from 12 yards out. However, the Red Bulls could not break through with Dave van den Bergh forcing Edwards to make a save in the last play of the match.

The Red Bulls finish the Carolina Challenge Cup on Saturday with a match against the San Jose Earthquakes at 8:15 PM on Saturday.

Scoring Summary:
TFC: Cunningham (Harmse) 10’
NY: Wolyniec (Reyna) 74’

Disciplinary Summary:
NY: Angel (caution) 36’
TFC: Harmse (caution) 78’

Toronto FC: Brian Edwards, Marco Velez, Tyrone Marshall, Julius James (Pat Phelan 22’), Jim Brennan, Martin Brittain, Carl Robinson, Kevin Harmse, Todd Dunivant, Collin Samuel (Danny Dichio 85’), Jeff Cunningham (Jarrod Smith 89’)

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (Zach Thornton 46’), Kevin Goldthwaite, Carlos Mendes (Eric Brunner 46’), Jeff Parke, Dave van den Bergh, Seth Stammler, Claudio Reyna ©, Luke Sassano, Mike Magee (Danleigh Borman 46’) Oscar Echeverry (John Wolyniec 56’), Juan Pablo Angel

Referee: Carol-Anne Chenard
Referee’s Assistants: Darren Clark, Kyle Borne
4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal

RED BULLS-TORONTO FC LIVE

RBR is coming to you from a blistery Blackbaud Stadium where the Red Bulls are taking on Toronto FC. Red Bulls in their blue kits, Toronto FC in red. Here is the Red Bulls' lineup:

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

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

van den Bergh-------------------------------------Sassano

------------Stammler----------Reyna (c)------------------

---Goldthwaite--------Parke------------------Mendes------

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


And for Toronto FC:

--------Jeff Cunningham-------Collin Samuel------------------

Todd Dunivant---Carl Robinson--Kevin Harmse---Martin Brittain

Jim Brennan (C)---Julius James---Tyrone Marshall--Marco Velez-

-------------------Brian Edwards-----------------------------

For fans who want play-by-play commentary, play-by-play voice Nigel Reed will be calling the action on www.USLLive.com or through www.cbcsports.ca.


UPDATES BELOW... ENJOY!!

FINAL: 1-1 DRAW

90' Both team trying to find an equalizer.

80' Red Bulls have the run of play and Angel almost put the Red Bulls ahead, hitting a 12 yard shot off the right post.

74' RED BULLS GOAL! Reyna played a nice through ball to Wolyniec who slotted it in the upper 90 past Edwards. 1-1.

72' Velez hit the ball straight up in the air to try to clear and the ball flew right back at him.

70' Borman again with a fearless run past a couple of Toronto defenders but he eventually loses possession.

60' Lots of action. Borman played a nifty give and go with Angel and then on another play, he played a through ball to an onside Wolyniec. But Wolyniec was unable to keep control and Toronto recovered. On the other end, Thornton made a point blank save off a shot from Todd Dunivant.

56' Wolyniec for Echeverry.

54' Brunner has a header that goes right at Edwards.

50' Good sequence in the middle of the park by the Red Bulls but nothing comes of it.

Subs at the half: Thornton for Conway, Borman for Magee, Brunner for Mendes. Borman will play left wing, Reyna moves up to a more advanced role and van den Bergh moves into the center.

Injury update: TFC's Julius James suffered a shoulder injury. He was subbed for Pat Phelan in the 23rd minute.

HALFTIME

45' Cunningham lays the ball off to Samuel who races into the box before firing a shot that goes just wide. One minute of stoppage time.

36' Yellow card to JPA.

32' Red Bulls with a couple of opportunities to get behind the defense but Sassano and Angel are both offsides.

20' Echeverry free on the left side of the box but hits his low shot at Edwards.

According to weather.com, winds are 35 mph are more in Charleston. The wind is blowing from Toronto's goal to New York's so Toronto has the wind at their back.

17' van den Bergh forces a corner kick. Reyna stepping over the ball and his delivery is caught by Edwards, who then launches a huge throw into the Red Bulls' half. The winds are definitely affecting the match.

10' Toronto FC goal. Jeff Cunningham was able to break through in the center of the box and the ball broke through Conway's grasp as Cunningham tucked it in. Kevin Harmse credited with the assist. 1-0 Toronto FC.

8' Nothing much happening as both teams are settling into the game. Interesting fact: Luke Sassano, who is starting today, had to come out in the team's last game against Charleston due to illness. Sinisa Ubiparipovic replaced him.

Kickoff at 6:08!

A LITTLE WALKABOUT

We’re a few hours away from kickoff in Charleston and this morning, the team went on a 20-minute walk around town to get the blood flowing in the legs. Just a few notes from the route (the walk was led by goalkeeper Jon Conway):
- Took a left on Market Street which is full of open-air boutique shops and small stores. One of the many nice things about Charleston as opposed to other cities is that most of the buildings are well kept to maintain their historical architecture. Many of the buildings along Market Street were built in the mid 1840s.
- RBR has a weakness for chicken wings and the team past by the Wild Wing Café as well as the Charleston Crab House. We’ve also eaten at the Southend Brewery & Smokehouse, Sticky Fingers and T-Bonz and we can guarantee that we’ve been full every single night. Suggestions are always welcome!
- Took a right on East Bay Street and past by the U.S. Customs House. You can read about the history of this magnificent building here.


- There are some very scenic spots in Charleston as the team walked along the coast. It’s a pretty windy day today and there are reports of thunderstorms tonight. “Storm”, also known as team weatherman Jeff Parke, predicts “Rain for our game, storms for the second game.” We’ll keep you posted on the conditions.



That’s it for now. We’ll have more from Charleston/Blackbaud Stadium later today.

RED BULL ACADEMY RETURNS TO ACTION AT DALLAS CUP

(The U14s At The Opening Ceremony)
The Red Bull Academy U14 and U15 teams are currently in Dallas to compete in the Dallas Cup. All of Tuesday's matches were washed out due to heavy thunderstorms in the area, but both sides opened the competition quickly, as each team posted clean sheet victories on Monday. Here is a recap of the wins:

Monday’s Games:

U14s vs Tel de Monterry F.B (Mexico)
The U14s opened up their first Dallas Cup tournament with a 2-0 victory over Tel de Monterry F.B. of Mexico. After trying to adjust to a hectic, windy first 20 minutes of play, Jose Calixto was taken down at the top of the penalty area. Danny Bartok stepped up and fired a low hard drive past the goalkeeper for a 1-0 lead. The young Red Bulls increased the lead in the 50th minute, when James Cronin and Carter McNeil combined, resulting in McNeil going through on goal. McNeil’s shot was deflected by the goalkeeper and Cronin was on hand to put in the rebound. The game concluded with goalkeepers Thomas Bull and Ryan Dahan both recording shutouts.

U15s vs Solar SC Red
The U15s also opened the tournament with a victory, defeating Solar SC 3-0.
Red Bulls U15s started the match positively and dictated the play in the opening half of the game. Red Bulls first goal was scored in the 20th minute from a free kick taken by Clint Caso from outside the box. The lead was double minutes later when James Raytsin was fouled inside the Solar penalty area. Raytsin stepped up and scored the resulting penalty kick. The Red Bulls scored again in the 33rd minute when Keith Francisco unleashed an unstoppable 30-yard strike past the helpless Solar keeper.

The Red Bulls continued to stymie the opposing offense in the second half and finished the game with a shutout.

ALTIDORE SIGHTING IN NYC

Jozy might be preparing for an important Olympic qualifying game, but he is casting a large shadow (literally) in NYC, as a large billboard featuring Jozy was recently unveiled at the corner of Bowery and E. Houston Street. The photo was taken by renowned photographer Oliver Gast and is part of an aggressive campaign by the franchise. Gast is well known in the industry and has worked with supermodels such as Heidi Klum in the past. Look for more other billboards in several locations around the metro area.

Here is a head on view of the billboard

If this campaign makes you want to buy tickets, CLICK HERE

CELEBRITY MATCH ADDED TO OPENING DAY FESTIVITIES

Red Bull New York announced today that a celebrity game will be among the pre-match festivities as the team opens its 2008 Major League Soccer (MLS) season against the Columbus Crew at 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 5 at Giants Stadium.

The game, kicking off at 5:00 PM and will feature notable celebrities from the worlds of soccer, football, television, movies, and radio. The match will be promoted through numerous mediums, with give-aways as well as a contest. The contest winner will watch the game from the field with the players and celebrities. The Red Bulls will donate a portion of each game ticket sold to the Worldwide Children’s Foundation of New York and the Books for Kids Foundation.

Worldwide Children’s Foundation of New York (www.wwcf.org)is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing life-saving or life-altering surgeries to children in need in the United States and throughout the world. They partner with hospitals and health care professionals in the New York area to provide crucial medical care.

For 21 years Books for Kids has been responsible for distributing over five million books to needy children, in the New York area and across the nation. The mission of Books for Kids Foundation (www.booksforkids.org) is to promote literacy among all children with a special emphasis on low income, disadvantaged children of pre-school age. Books for Kids creates libraries, donates books and partners with world renowned literacy programs to help develop the critical foundation and skills which these young children need to be successful in life.

The celebrities scheduled to participate in the match include:

Shep Messing, Former New York Cosmo, Soccer Analyst for the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG)
Bob Smith, Former New York Cosmo
Werner Roth, Former New York Cosmo
Amani Toomer, Wide Receiver for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants
Italo Zanzi, Deputy Secretary of CONCACAF
Robert Funaro, Emmy nominated actor who has appeared in The Sopranos and American Gangster
Goumba Johnny, Afternoon Drive-Time DJ on WKTU 103.5
Hollywood Hamilton, Afternoon Drive-Time DJ on WKTU 103.5
Ken Stafford, Contestant in Survivor Thailand

The Opening Day festivities will also include a performance by Katelyn Tarver, international recording star and American Juniors finalist regularly featured in Radio Disney.

For tickets to the match, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER or CLICK HERE

RESERVES BEAT COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

A goal by Eric Brunner was enough for the Red Bulls Reserves to beat the College of Charleston, 1-0, Monday morning. A full recap can be found here.

A few notes:



- Assistant coach Richie Williams was forced to play 35 minutes and suit up considering the fact that the reserves had no substitutes and Chris Leitch had to come out of the game. Williams played at right back and had this to say about his performance:




And goalscorer Brunner had this to say about "#35":




- Goalkeeper Danny Cepero played for the College of Charleston in the second half after an injury to the Cougars goalkeeper.

- The team is off this afternoon, though they do have a couple of mandatory meetings that they have to attend. Another morning session tomorrow before their match against Toronto FC on Wednesday.

DATE/TIME CHANGE FOR D.C. UNITED MATCH ANNOUNCED

Red Bull New York announced today that their match against D.C. United, originally scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 PM at Giants Stadium, has been rescheduled to Sunday, Aug. 10 at 5:00 PM at Giants Stadium.

UPDATE, March 18: The game will be televised live on the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) which will air many Red Bulls games in 2008.

NYRB-BATTERY POST-GAME

A couple of sound clips after the Red Bulls' match against the Battery today:

Midfielder Kevin Mesa on the goal:



Assistant coach Richie Williams on creating chances:



Williams on the Battery:



One more note: the Red Bulls reserve players who did not play today will play a scrimmage tomorrow against the College of Charleston at 10 AM. RBR will be there for all of the action.

More to come later...

RED BULLS-BATTERY (LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN)

RBR is coming to you (again) from Blackbaud Stadium and there is not a cloud in the sky as the Red Bulls are set to take on the Charleston Battery in both teams' first match of the Carolina Challenge Cup.

The Red Bulls are 2-2-0 in the 2008 preseason. Here is today's Starting XI:

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

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

Borman--------Reyna----------Stammler-------Sassano

------Goldthwaite-----Parke-----Mendes-------------

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

Charleston is lining up in a 4-4-2 with several former MLS players including Marco Reda (Toronto FC), Jack Stewart (Real Salt Lake) and John Wilson (D.C. United). Former Red Bulls forward Randi Patterson is a member of the Battery but was called up to the Trinidad & Tobago national team.

Charleston Battery: Dusty Hudock, Tim Vetton, Marco Reda, Jack Stewart, John Wilson, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Pato Aguilera, Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Richardson, Darren Spicer, Aaron King

We'll be posting live as the action happens. And you can watch the game live with commentary on www.usllive.com.

UPDATES BELOW

FULL TIME: Red Bulls 1, Charleston Battery 1. Post-game reaction coming up.

80' Battery goal. Right after the restart, David Kenga was able to get free in the left side of the penalty box and hit a left footed shot past Thornton and into the back of the net. 1-1.

79' GOAL! More substitutions but no action until Ubiparipovic hits a free kick into the box that Kevin Mesa, one of the subs, flicks into the back of the net. 1-0 RED BULLS.

69’ Chris Megaloudis, who just came into the game, was able to knock the ball in the net after Ubiparipovic played it into box. Megaloudis was ruled offsides.

61' Palacio and Wolyniec on for Reyna and Angel.

51' Stammler lofts a ball into the ball to an open Magee, but his left footed shot from close range was pushed wide.

49' Angel hits a 20 yard shot that Hudock dives and punches away.

HALFTIME: A lot of chances for both sides but no one could break through. Two subs: Zach Thornton for Jon Conway and Sinisa Ubiparipovic for Luke Sassano.

46'+: Sassano breaks through on the right before putting Echeverry through. Later, Sassano launches a ball into the box to an open Magee, but his header went straight at Hudock.

45': One minute of stoppage time. Angel puts free kick over the bar.

44': Echeverry almost gets into the box from an Angel through ball but is taken down by Marco Reda. Yellow card Reda. Alonso gets a yellow for jumping out of the wall too soon.

37': MAGEE HITS THE POST! Off a great delivery from Borman, Magee rose up and nodded it past goalkeeper Dusty Hudock but the ball slammed off the left post.

35': Richardson again with space on the left but he lashed his shot from 15 yards out wide.

34': Sassano comes close after his deflected header from a Borman corner bounces wide.

32': King almost put the Battery ahead when he went in on goal but Conway did well to block the ball away. Moments earlier, Oswaldo Alonso put a shot from 25 yards out just over the bar.

31': Great interplay between Magee and Angel at the top of the box. This leads to Magee sending a low ball into the box that Echeverry just couldn't get to. Magee has drawn plaudits for his play from the coaches so far this season.

29': After Jack Stewart wins the ball, he lays it off to Darren Spicer, whose right footed curling shot went past the right post.

21': Battery come back with a great opportunity when Richardson comes down the left wing with space before blasting a shot that Conway pushes over the bar.

19': Red Bulls had the best chance of the match when Borman whipped a ball into the box that was flicked over the ball by Angel.

17': Mike Richardson whips a corner into the box that Conway punches out of play. On the ensuing kick, the ball is flicked goal-bound but is cleared by a Red Bulls defender.

16': Borman lofts a ball into the box that just is out of Angel's reach. So far, the Red Bulls have put some good sequences together in the offensive end.

8': John Wilson with a good run into the top of the box before chipping over to the left wing, but Conway was able to come off his line and gather the ball.

6': Red Bulls turnover outside their own box but good defensive play by Parke to stop Aaron King from getting a shot off.

3': Borman and Echeverry combine in the middle of the field but Echeverry's shot went wide left.

1': Quick foul on Kevin Goldthwaite, leading to a Red Bulls free kick.

Pre-game: Currently in pre-game introductions. There is a small contingent of fans at the game on this beautiful day. Red Bulls wearing their white kits, Charleston in black and yellow.

LIGHTNING IN THE AREA (UPDATED)

The New York Red Bulls’ match against the Charleston Battery in the Carolina Challenge Cup on Saturday, March 15, was postponed due to severe lightning in the area around Blackbaud Stadium in Daniel Island, SC. The game will be played on Sunday, March 16 at 3 PM at Blackbaud Stadium.

Driving back from Blackbaud Stadium, RBR and friends saw several large flashes of lightning. This weather system is part of the storm that hit Atlanta yesterday. There is a tornado warning for Charleston tonight.

Good news is that tomorrow afternoon's forecast is clear and sunny.

RED BULLS-BATTERY PRE-GAME

Red Bulls Reader is coming to you from Charleston, SC - less than two hours before the Red Bulls kick off their opening game of the Carolina Challenge Cup against the Charleston Battery. Just a few pre-game notes for you:

- Team landed safe and sound yesterday as we barely got all of the personal bags and equipment onto the small plane for the hour and 45 minute flight. Some of the bags were placed into empty seats and secured by seatbelts!
- Thunderstorms and heavy wind are predicted for tonight's game. If the rains do fall, it should make for a relatively sloppy and unpredictable game.
- The team went through a light training session at the College of Charleston this morning, doing a short warmup and possession game.
- Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio is away from the team and out of the country today. Assistant coach Richie Williams, who has a 4-3-2 record in all competitions as a head coach (he was the interim head coach for New York in the summer of 2006), will take the helm. Osorio will return prior to the Red Bulls' match on Wednesday against Toronto FC.

RBR will be at Blackbaud Stadium for all of the action.

Until then, we caught up with veteran defender Jeff Parke earlier this week, who returned to training with a newly cropped head of hair. Not averse to changing it up, Jeff has sported a number of styles in the past, as seen below.






(Parke's most recent haircut on the bottom)

“I ended up getting fed up in my hair and I just got some random woman who cut it right outside Philly,” Parke laughed.

In regards to comments about his do, Parke said, “I don’t care at all. As long as it grows back. Hopefully, I can keep my hair as long as I can. Hair is just a fashion thing so everyone is cutting on you if you do something different.”

US U23S BOUNCE BACK WITH WIN OVER PANAMA

After the dissapointing draw with Cuba in their opening group stage game, the US U23s rebounded with three important points against Panama, by virtue of their 1-0 win.

READ USSOCCER.COM RELEASE HERE

The lone US goal was set up by Jozy, as he was fouled in the box by the Panama keeper when the keeper had no choice but to haul the Red Bull down to avoid a certain goal. But the goal became a certainty anyway when Freddy Adu buried the PK.

Currently in second place, the team will look to win the group with a win over Honduras on Saturday.

Red Bulls Reader will be watching the match...will YOU?

ARE THE RED BULLS GOING TO CHARLESTON OR ORK?!?!?

The team left for Charleston, SC today to participate in the Carolina Challenge Cup, with the Red Bulls' first match slated for tomorrow night, when the team takes on the host Charleston Battery at 8:15 PM at Blackbaud Stadium.

As the team walked from the terminal to the plane, who do they run into? None other than Mork himself, Robin Williams. Equipment Manager Fernando Ruiz extended his hand for the traditional Orkan greeting.



The Red Bulls' game at the Carolina Challenge Cup are avialable via free web streaming at www.USLLive.com.

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF EVENTS ANNOUNCED

As part of the Countdown to Kickoff, Red Bull New York has planned a series of events leading up to the season opener against the Columbus Crew at 7:30 PM on Saturday, April 5 at Giants Stadium. Red Bull players will be at each location as we draw closer to the start of the 2008 season, so come out, meet some Red Bulls, mingle with RBNY staffers, and get excited about the upcoming season!

Sunday, March 30th
Nevada Smiths
9:30 - 11:00 AM
74 3rd Ave
New York, NY
(212) 982-2591
www.nevadasmiths.net

Tuesday, April 1st
Port Authority Bus Terminal
4:30-6:00 PM
625 8th Avenue
New York, NY

Tuesday, April 1st
Mean Fiddler
8:00 - 9:30 PM
266 W 47th St
New York, NY
(212) 354-2950
www.themeanfiddlernyc.com

Wednesday, April 2nd
ESPN Zone
6:30 - 8:00 PM
1472 Broadway
New York, NY 10036
212-921-3776
www.espnzone.com/newyork

Thursday, April 3rd
Mulligans on First
7:00 -8:30 PM
159 1st St
Hoboken, NJ
(201) 876-4101
www.mulligansonfirst.com

For tickets to Red Bull matches, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

WINGS FOR LIFE AUCTION ON EBAY

A unique Wings for Life charity auction recently began on eBay. Log on to www.wingsforlife.com/ebay for more information and to bid on some of the amazing items available from all aspects of the Red Bull family. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity and to contribute to this worthwhile cause.

The items up for bid run the full range of the Red Bull family, from works of art, to items worn during Red Bull athlete and team events, to exclusive experiences never before available to the public.

This is a great cause and a great auction, so check it out today! This auction will not last forever, so bid now!!

RED BULLS IN ACTION TONIGHT

Jozy, Hunter, and the US U23s get back in action tonight, taking on Panama at 8 PM on Fox Soccer Channel. Hopefully the US side can bounce back after a disspointing draw with Cuba in the first game of group play and get back on track in their efforts to qualify for the Olympics. (In another side bar: the number of Cuban players that have walked away from the team is up to 7).

If you want to follow other Red Bull teams, the Red Bull Salzburg Ice Hockey team opens the Autrian League Championship finals tonight against HDD Olimpija Laibach in the best-of-seven series. The Red Bulls are the defending champions and are coming off a four-game sweep of EC Viena Capitals.

The OFFICIAL RED BULL SALZBURG ICE HOCKEY SITE has live stats for tonight's tilt.

EVERY RED BULL GAME TO BE TELEVISED

The team announced today that the Madison Square Garden Network (MSG) will televise 19 Red Bull games in the 2008 season. Combined with the national television schedule, all 30 games this year will be on television.

The 19 games will be on either MSG or MSG Plus (formerly FSNY), beginning with the April 12 match at FC Dallas.

Shep Messing returns as the analyst, with Steve Cangialosi taking over for JP DellaCamera as the play-by-play announcer. DellaCamera joined ESPN’s national MLS telecast team beginning this season.

View the full TV schedule on the offical site.

RED BULL ANNOUNCES PARTIAL VIEWING PARTY SCHEDULE

Do you love the Red Bulls but can't travel to the away matches? Do you love the atmosphere of viewing the matches with your fellow fans? Then join RBNY staff members and your fellow supporters at the Red Bull Viewing Parties at our Pub Partner locations -- the Official Viewing Destinations for all road matches!!

There will be drink specials as well as giveaways at each party, so come on out, support your team, enjoy the company of your fellow Red Bull supporters, and have a great time out!!

The first viewing party will be held at Mulligan's on First for the FC Dallas fixture on April 12. The first three sites are listed on the page, with more to follow.

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICAL WEBSITE VIEWING PARTY PAGE

You never know, maybe YOUR image will appear on Red Bulls Reader!!

JOZY, HUNTER COME AWAY WITH DRAW VS CUBA IN QUALIFYING OPENER

Both Jozy and Hunter featured in the US U23s Olympic Qualifying opener last night against Cuba in Tampa, FL. Hunter played all 90 minutes, while Jozy worked hard during his 45 minutes of action. With two more matches left in the group stage, the US still has time to secure a spot in the semifinals, but the team didn't do itself any favors by earning just the single point. (SIDE BAR: 5 players on the Cuban team are missing and are assumed to be defecting.)

Here is a recap from MLSNET.COM.

Red Bulls Reader caught up with assistant coach Richie Williams at today's training session to get his impressions on the match.


Williams on how Cuba approached the second half.


Williams assesses the game and looks ahead.


Hunter, Jozy, and the rest of the team returns to action on Thursday, March 13, taking on Panama at 8 PM, again at Raymond James Stadium. Tune in to Fox Soccer Channel to cheer on the US and their Red Bull representatives.

BACK TO SCHOOL

The full team returned to the Giants Stadium Bubble on Wednesday after a few days of much needed rest from back-to-back two-a-days and the constant regiment of training. As is the case with most of his training sessions, Coach Osorio likes to have his players in competitive situations, shooting towards goal, and today was no different.

During the weekend off, while some of the guys stayed around the NY/NJ area, others took quick trips home. Or at least they thought they would be quick.

The inclement weather over the weekend affected Eric Brunner’s travel plans back to Columbus. Eric left for Newark Airport at 3:30 AM Saturday morning to make a 6:15 flight to Charlotte. Once he reached Charlotte however, his connecting flight to Columbus was canceled.

Eric then went standby on a trip to Dayton, OH, but that flight did not leave until the afternoon. When he arrived, he then made a three-hour drive to Columbus, eventually getting home at 10:30 PM.

Brunner was relatively fortunate compared to John Gilkerson, who spent 28 hours on Saturday at the airport before getting to his final destination of Charlotte!

For Luke Sassano, he almost stayed a night in “Sin City.” Taking a flight on Friday night after the team arrived in JFK, Luke arrived in Las Vegas at 11:50 PM. But, his flight home to San Francisco was due to take off at 12 AM. Plus, he had to go to a different part of the terminal to catch his flight.

Fortunately for him, he reached the gate at 12:10 AM and eventually made it home, where he celebrated alumni weekend at UC-Berkeley.

“Luckily, I made it and didn’t get into any trouble in Vegas!” Luke said.

One impressive sight on Wednesday was Juan Pablo Angel juggling one of these medicine balls on both legs in the air. The balls individually were not exactly light but to the awe of some onlookers, JPA made it look like he was bouncing around a tennis ball.

The Red Bulls will train Thursday in East Rutherford before leaving for Charleston on Friday.

Just another note: all of the Red Bulls’ matches in Charleston will be video streamed live for free on www.usllive.com. Red Bulls Reader will also be there provide up-to-minute updates on the games.

KEEP PACE WITH THE BULLS IN CHARLESTON

Red Bulls Reader just learned that all of the club's matches at the Carolina Challenge Cup will be available via live video streaming at www.USLLive.com. The Red Bulls will face the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division on March 15 at 8:15 PM, Toronto FC on March 19 at 6 PM, and San Jose Earthquakes on March 22 at 8:15 PM.

This will mark the third straight season the Red Bulls have competed in this tournament, which, coincidentally, has been a bit of a crystal ball to the success during the MLS season, as the winner of the Carolina Challenge Cup in each of the last three years has gone on to win either the Supporter's Shield or the MLS Cup.

Be sure to follow the team as they draw closer to the end of preseason, as the Red Bulls begin to fine-tune against the hosts as well as two MLS teams.

The Cup will be the final extended preseason training trip for the Red Bulls, with just a friendly against the Carolina RailHawks preceding the club's MLS season opener against the Columbus Crew on April 5 at Giants Stadium. The RailHawks game will also be available on USLLive.com.

All live streaming of Red Bull games in Charleston will be available free of charge.

WATCH JOZY SCORE, WATCH HUNTER ... HUNT

Red Bulls Jozy Altidore and Hunter Freeman will be part of the U.S. U-23 Olympic squad that will be taking on Cuba tonight at 8 PM ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.

The match will be televised on FSC, ESPN Desportes, and ESPN360.com. Just a few notes on tonight's showdown:

- Cuba progressed to this stage of the tournament by defeating Grenada and finishing first in its group.
- Jozy is the youngest U.S. goalscorer of the modern era after he found the back of the net in his first senior team start on Feb. 6 against Mexico. He is also one of five players who were part of the U-20 World Cup last year.
- Interestingly enough, even though many consider Hunter to be a right back, he has played left back in the past at various U.S. youth levels. So don't be surprised to see him on the opposite side.
- This will be the first match-up between the two sides at the U-23 level.

All of the U.S. matches will be televised on FSC and ESPN Desportes.

CASE OF THE TUESDAYS

Though it was an optional training session, more than half the team showed up and ran through a set of drills and full field games at the Giants Stadium Practice Bubble on Tuesday. As typical with most practices, a group of players, including Juan Pablo Angel and Mike Magee, took part in a number of finishing drills at the end of training.

The Red Bulls were hit with the news today that Dane Richards will be out for three months with a torn MCL. According to the team medical staff, who evaluated the 2007 Rookie of the Year finalist on Monday, Richards does not need surgery. Richards started in 27 of 30 games for the Red Bulls last season and recorded six assists.

CLICK HERE FOR NEWYORKREDBULLS.COM RELEASE

However, the bright spot is that the Red Bulls do have a number of options that could fill in for the speedy Jamaican. Defender Hunter Freeman, currently with the U.S. U-23 Men’s National Team, could play there, as well as rookie Luke Sassano.

Here is what head coach Juan Carlos Osorio said about Richards’ injury after practice today.