RED BULLS DOWN HAMMARBY IN PRESEASON FRIENDLY

Goals from newly arrived forward Oscar Echeverry and Juan Pablo Angel as well as defender Eric Brunner helped give the Red Bulls a 3-1 win over Swedish side, Hammarby IF, at The Home Depot Center on Friday morning. With the win, the Red Bulls move to 1-1-0 in the 2008 preseason.

The Red Bulls took an early lead in the 8th minute. After a turnover in the middle of the field, Claudio Reyna sprang free into the Hammarby half before sending a through ball to Echeverry, who got inside his defender and slotted a shot past goalkeeper Kristoffer Bjorklund.

Five minutes later, Echeverry was again in on the action, drawing a penalty kick at the right edge of the penalty box. Angel stepped up to the spot and buried it, making the score 2-0.

In the 28th minute, the Red Bulls tripled their lead. Off a corner kick, a Hammarby defender flicked it on right to the head of Brunner, who nodded it in from 10 yards out.

Hammarby's best chance of the half came in the 32nd minute when Sebastian Castro-Tello got free on the left wing and blasted a shot that just eluded the right post. Three minutes after the break, Castro-Tello was able to get into the box again before putting a shot right at goalkeeper Danny Cepero.

In the 51st minute, Hammarby again came close when Freddy Soderberg got free on the right wing and hit a shot just past the right post.

Hammarby was finally able to get on the board in the 66th minute when Dadomo was able to unleash a shot into the back of the net.

Scoring Summary:
NY: Echeverry (Reyna) 8'
NY: Angel (penalty kick) 14'
NY: Brunner (unassisted) 28'
HAM: Dadomo (unassisted) 66'

Disciplinary Summary:
NY: Kovalenko (caution) 38'
HAM: Dadomo (caution) 38'
NY: Freeman (caution) 88'

Here is how the team aligned in the first half:

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

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

Roth----------Kovalenko-------Ubiparipovic--------Richards

Goldthwaite --------Brunner-------------------Leitch

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



New York Red Bulls (first half): Jon Conway (GK), Kevin Goldthwaite, Eric Brunner, Chris Leitch, Dema Kovalenko, David Roth, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dave Richards, Claudio Reyna, Oscar Echeverry, Juan Pablo Angel

Second half alignment:

------------Laventure--------Wolyniec------------

------------------------Nunez-----------------------

Borman-------Stammler---Sassano-------Freeman

Palguta----------------Niziolek-------------Mendes

------------------------Cepero------------------------


New York Red Bulls (second half): Danny Cepero (GK), Scott Palguta, Ted Niziolek, Carlos Mendes, Danleigh Borman, Seth Stammler, Luke Sassano (John Wolyniec 82'), Hunter Freeman, Martin Nunez, Jerrod Laventure (Diego Serna 68'), John Wolyniec (Chris Megaloudis 68')

Hammarby: Kristoffer Bjorklund (GK), Mauro Saez Jarpa, Kleber Saarenpaa, Christian Traore, David Johansson, Claudio Dadomo, Louay Chanko, Sebastian Castro-Tello, Petter Andersson, Paulinho, Freddy Soderberg

Substitutes: Rami Shaaban (GK), Ivan Tedengren, Nicklas Gustafsson, Simon Helg, Isak Dahlin, Sebastian Bojassen, Marcus Thornstrand, Haris Laitinen

FIRST PRESEASON SCRIMMAGE: CHIVAS USA

In their first preseason action of 2008, the Red Bulls dropped a 1-0 decision to Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center Track and Field Stadium on Tuesday morning.

Forward Ante Razov put Chivas USA tallied the game's only goal in the 4th minute, when he latched on to a Sacha Kljestan pass just inside the top of the 18-yard-box before turning and hitting a low left footed shot inside the far post.

With the starting lineup featuring returning designated players Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna, the Red Bulls had a number of chances in the first half. Two minutes in, MLS Rookie of the Year finalist Dane Richards was able to get free on the right wing before hitting a cross to Angel, whose open header bounced straight to goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Thirteen minutes later off a corner kick, Jeff Parke was able to hit a dangerous ball across the six-yard-box but no player was on hand to put it away.

After the Red Bulls changed their entire lineup after the break, both teams had a number of chances to put the ball in the back of net. In the 60th minute, Red Bulls midfielder Danleigh Borman had a close-range shot from 10 yards out after Chris Megaloudis found him on the left wing, but the South African put it over the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, Chivas USA midfielder Keith Savage was open off a free kick but his header went too high.

Guzan was able to keep the Red Bulls at bay at the end of the match. First, Megaloudis was able to beat his defender before putting a shot that Guzan had to parry away. Then, midfielder Michael Palacio hit a left-footed shot that was also saved.

The Red Bulls’ next scrimmage is on Friday at 1 PM EST against Norwegian club, Hammarby IF, at The Home Depot Center. The squad will be in the Los Angeles area until Feb. 19.

Scoring Summary:
CHV: Razov (Kljestan) 4’

Disciplinary Summary:
CHV: Cunliffe (caution) 42'

Lineups: This is the initial formation for RBNY

------------Angel-----------Serna--------------

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

Leonard-------------------------------Richards

------------Stammler--Kovalenko---------------

Palguta-------------Parke---------------Mendes

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

New York Red Bulls (first half): Jon Conway (GK), Scott Palguta, Jeff Parke, Carlos Mendes, Marshall Leonard, Dema Kovalenko, Seth Stammler, Dane Richards, Claudio Reyna, Diego Serna, Juan Pablo Angel

New York Red Bulls (second half): Zach Thornton (GK), Mateus Anjos, Eric Brunner, Chris Leitch, Danleigh Borman, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, David Roth, Luke Sassano, Michael Palacio, Chris Megaloudis, John Wolyniec

Chivas USA (first half): Brad Guzan (GK), Jorge Flores, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Alex Zotinca, John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Marko Muslin, Sacha Kljestan, Atiba Harris, Ante Razov

Chivas USA (second half): Brad Guzan (GK), Jorge Flores, Marko Muslin, Mike Munoz, Zach Flores, Keith Savage, Dan Paladini, Kraig Chiles, El-Hadj Cisse (Nick Blanco 77'), Justin Braun, Chukwudi Chijinju