Crazy?

This may sound a bit crazy but I have tried all of my other “tactics” to help the team change it’s fortunes. I refuse to report on the sinking ship until they win another game. That may mean that this is my last post of the season.

Seattle was meh….

Luck of the draw seems like a pretty appropriate phrase. Hot damn did we get lucky this weekend. What is it about Danny Cepero that the posts like so much? This weekend’s game was quite fitting for the visitors. Doesn’t it feel like we are living in Seattle. The weather, much like this team, will satisfy in the future, but how long are we going to have to wait? The biggest questions for me this week is when are we going to be getting rid of the dead weight? Is there time to save the season? The answer is no, but we could go a long way to securing our future with the right moves in the next couple of weeks.

This weekend’s game was disappointing, although the result is far better than our last meeting with Seattle. The result is misleading though because they could have had 3 more goals if it wasn’t for some really bad luck on their end. We of course didn’t come up with any great offensive moves, but a terrible blunder towards the end of the first half put us up, until the exact same thing robbed us of a lead going into the half for the first time since we played San Jose way back at the beginning of May. I can’t blame Jeremy for collecting the ball because it wasn’t going to roll out, but I have always been a fan of the mantra, when in doubt, kick it out. It was a rookie mistake, one of the few I have seen him commit this year, so he gets a pass, even if it cost us two points. Regardless, that was a great play by Montero, he really is insanely good.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about the game otherwise. I thought we played a solid defensive game, and a very poor offensive one. I was also unhappy with the ref but what else is new? I just felt that he was not very consistent and the game got out of hand at times. Freddy had quite a few bad tackles that were very dangerous and he didn’t even get a card for any of them. The refs in this league need to remember that the player’s well being is part of their job and it needs to be included in their decision making. That’s all for now, TFC rematch this week should be interesting, but I don’t have a good feeling about it either way. Once we get a player who can be the general in the midfield, we’ll be in much better shape.

Giuseppe Rossi vs Mentz!

ConfedCup

As Confederations Cup begins in South Africa I have realized two things after watching the first four games. First of all, while the United States has made strides toward shortening the gap between it and super nations like Italy, Brazil or Spain; it still has ways to go before we can consider ourselves on that level. Secondly,
Don Garber needs to work on the scheduling conflicts to allow our terrible MLS referees to return back to US soil.

If you haven’t seen the game and just saw the final score of 3-1 and a USA red card you really didn’t get a good idea of how the game was played. The boys showed plenty of hustle in the first half and were rewarded with a lead against the reigning World Cup 2006 champions. Then the official decided that he was tired of watching the first quality match of the tournament and upgraded an obvious yellow card to a hellish red card that ruined any chance the stars and stripes had to continue playing at the pace they were.

For the record I’m not one of those delirious supporters that doesn’t know my country’s weaknesses. I’m not claiming we would have won the game and shutout a world class team like Italy, but we could have, and that means a lot to Sam’s Army. The first half we imposed our physical strength and won balls in the midfield consistently. In the second half we looked so exhausted and Italy played keep away as they progressively moved the ball up the field. It was demoralizing to watch players like Spector and Bornstein giving it their all only to get beaten by truly spectacular goals.

And who else would beat us with a “brace” then Teaneck, New Jersey born and bred Giuseppe Rossi. The twenty year old, ex Manchester United and current Villareal/Jozy Altidore teammate, Rossi scored two brilliant goals in only 35 or so minutes of play. The question of whether he would celebrate if he scored against the States was answered quickly. Apparently the saying “Act like you’ve been there before” isn’t in his vocabulary. Then again, let’s be honest, it’s not really in any of the Italians’.

So after bailing on his birth country in national team duty and the lack of humbleness he showed on yesterday he has put himself into the same category as a Blanco for Mexico or previously DeRossi of Italy. But hey, enough about him, I looked at Tuesday’s match a positive for our guys.

With the exception of Donovan’s free kick attempts I thought he played like he always does for us, great all around. There was never a doubt on that penalty, which is nice to have on your side. Jozy played a solid game and drew the penalty that lead to the halftime lead. He and Michael Bradley had golden opportunities that they didn’t make the most of in the first half, but shit happens.

In continuing the evaluation I would say Bradley had a good game overall. He filled in for a long while in an empty midfield once Ricardo Clark was thrown out via Red Card. Benny Feilhaber’s game troubled me. This was great chance to keep the momentum going after a good game against Honduras, but he as well as Clint Dempsey were virtually invisible on the pitch. With Maurice Edu injured and Mastroeni not with the team (too old at this point), we clearly missed a defensive presence outside of Bradley. This gets me excited; we can welcome Jermaine Jones to the already solid US Midfield pool. From what I hear he is the best defensive midfielder in the Bundesliga and as far as I’m concerned, if you’ve even dressed for Germany you’re getting a shot for my team!

The defense played their asses off. Besides Bornstein’s called off own goal I thought this was a statement game for him in by far our weakest link in the lineup. Spector also did a great job on the right but looked dead tired and I question Bob Bradley’s confidence in Marvell Wynne after that atrocious qualifier performance he had. Gooch did a great job as always and I really hope Fulham FC gives him a shot next season with the big boys.

Overall we looked like a team progressing. We most likely will never have that Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaka that can make defenses quiver, but if we can continue to play well as a team I could see us becoming what the Netherlands or Croatia is. A bunch of B+ players that play well with each other and truly have pride in representing their country. I think we’re taking a step in the right direction, but then again ask me after we play Brazil lol.

-Mentz

A trip to the Frozen North confirms suspicion that the season is lost.

I understand the plight of the battered woman. How many times have you seen it? A woman who “loves” a man so much that she will allow him to treat her like dirt and slap her around but takes no action against it. Instead she claims that he loves her and that it is her fault that she keeps getting beaten, not his. For so long I have looked at situations like this with only pity. The last four months have filled me with understanding for the plight of the abused. Halfway through the season the Red Bulls sit with just 9 points and double digit losses and still have quite a few road games to go. I continually return to watch the games week after week with a heavy heart, and I am rewarded with an atrocious performance again and again. But you don’t understand, they love me, I just haven’t been as enthusiastic recently. It’s my fault, no need to press charges.

This recent game against Toronto was the kind of loss I prefer. Destroy my confidence early so that you can’t let me down. In all seriousness, there is nothing worse than tuning into a game and then watching your beloved give up a penalty in the first five minutes of a game, for the second time this year. The handball was debatable but that rule is all kinds of grey. Reading a players intent is something that is really only clear in very few cases. All a ref needs to see is the ball hit an arm and a penalty is going to be awarded. While I hate that it happened to us, it was not an unfairly awarded call. It took any wind that might be in Metro’s sails out and that was the game.

The recent failing has been particularly hard to deal with when the club vows allegiance to the man at the helm. Juan Carlos Osorio is not the answer to any of our problems. Unless said problem is how to throw away the season losing more games than anyone in the history of the league. I complain about Osorio a lot, but he has done several things that have killed team moral. In the past he has talked about players and their inabilities and hurting player moral on a much smaller level, but now he is calling out the whole team. Seriously, how do you play for a coach who constantly talks about how the whole team just isn’t getting it done? When a system isn’t working and the players are not performing in the system, you must change the system. If you can’t find a system that fits your team, then you are a lousy coach, end of story. What is even worse is, most of these players are players that he brought to the team, so if they aren’t getting it done, it is only a condemnation of his ability to recognize and hone talent.

The most blatant example I can think of is Mac Kandji. The guy is full of raw talent, but he is not being coached. Instead of becoming a better finisher, his skill has seemed to take a giant leap backwards. He isn’t passing the ball and he continues to shoot off target while he is barely being pressured. A good coach would recognize this and try to fix it, but that isn’t happening. Alfredo Pacheco was taken out of the game again this past weekend, and when he left, the team had less possession and couldn’t get a dangerous attack going. Adding John Wolyniec to a game may introduce someone who can be dangerous, but he is not going to help the team hold the ball and he certainly isn’t going to create any opportunities for his team mates. So where is the logic in the move? I liken it to removing the gas tank from a race car so that it weighs less and can travel faster.

In the end, this is just another chapter in the misery of the Bull’s season and this game was no worse than some of the others I have watched over the last couple, but the increasing trend that once the Bulls go down a goal, they can’t come back. They are spineless and I think that starts and ends with having a poor leader in JCO. If I were a betting man, I would have lost a great deal of money on JCO keeping his job after 6 straight games without a win and a 5 game losing streak. Logic dictates that Osorio is out the door any day now, but I have a nagging feeling that he will be sticking around for a long time. The schedule isn’t going to get any easier and with 7 points between New York and the next closest team in the standings New England (Who spanked the Bulls last weekend 4-0) the end is nigh. For now I will watch the Confederations Cup and hope against hope that the US is more successful than the odds would suggest. Until next time…..

GO RED BULLS!

CONCACAF Champions League: A Chance for Season Salvation

Written by Mentz

Today the drawing for the CONCACAF Champions League 2009-2010 has been announced. Red Bull New York will be taking on W Connection (from Trinidad & Tobago). So what does this mean to us as RBNY fans? Well I’m here to tell you what it means to me.

While we’ve been left with not much to cheer for as far as quality on the field is concerned*, we have a chance to rectify a terrible domestic campaign with a successful international one. Think of this…

(*extreme overstatement disclaimer)

Every season is almost exactly the same as far as structure is concerned. We play 30 regular season games, if we squeeze into the playoffs it’s a handful more. We compete in the US Open Cup. If we’re lucky we schedule on of the “big boys” on their off-season to come to the States. The way MLS is handled, it is extremely regular season weighted, even though we’re proof that all you need is a seat at the table and anything can happen. Success is determined by points in the league, but while we have pretty much dug ourselves into a hole from which there may be recovering to a playoff birth, we have a chance to do so much more.

Just think about it…

Red Bull New York against Manchester United in the group stage of the Club World Cup! Ok, so maybe that sounds a bit extreme, but it gets me pretty excited at just the thought of competing against the top clubs in a meaningful competition.

And that’s what Champions League is all about. While I’ll still give the edge to Mexico as a league over our own, I’d say we are catching up to them by the day. We may struggle against teams like PUMAS or America, I’d say we have a good chance against the average team from south of the border.

I’ve heard tons of rumors as to what approach we will take in the upcoming summer months to salvage this debacle we call a season. Among them I’ve heard getting European golden boot runner-up Marc Janko from our sister club Red Bull Salzburg in Austria. Signing Dilly Duka from our academy to jump in and make an immediate impact this year. Even Bouna Coundoul’s name has risen as a goalkeeper to compete / replace Jon Conway and Danny Cepero. All of these are great, but besides Janko (which I see as being a long shot) they are attempts to fix the long term.

We have a chance right now to start off on a fresh page and show not just the nation, but the world what our team is made of. So I have a message for Mr. Osorio (if he is even the coach still by the time this is posted). Please focus our efforts on a good showing in something that doesn’t come around every year.

With MLS having no relegation to worry about, I don’t see a reason why we wouldn’t go all out on this competition. Then again the way this season is going they may initiate relegation with USL this season with our recent run of luck…

GO RED BULLS!

-Mentz

Bad Taste

While I missed the game Thursday night, I knew what the result would be before I even talked to my fiancée. The Red Bulls have been deliciously predictable now for quite some time. I knew that they would perform even worse this weekend when I saw the starting lineup, although I was pleasantly surprised by Nick Zimmerman. It is like the old saying goes, “You can always count on the Red Bulls, they will always let you down.” In one way or another that has been true for some time. How many seasons go by where at the most critical juncture the team falls apart? The funny thing about it is that I would prefer to be let down the way we have been thus far this year then to lose another MLS Cup. It is like a girl breaking up with you after the first or second date instead of after you have just proposed to her.

When a player looks like they have given up before the 50th minute, it is time to pull him off the field, and that would be the fault of the coach when said player isn’t disciplined. When a whole team looks like they have given up by the 50th minute, the blame is too wide spread. JCO has put a system into place that doesn’t work, and now he is scrambling to change it and it is only getting worse. The players are totally unmotivated and the product on the field reflects that. I realize that we have a bit of a patchwork lineup right now, but I am not sure the results would vary too much if the whole team were available for selection. Which player missing from our lineup is the difference maker? The good news is the draft pick will be high, but will probably end up with someone like Steve Shak instead of someone like Marvell or Maurice.

Getting back to the game, I liked what I saw out of Zimmerman, minus some big rookie blunders, and I hope that we get to see some more of him. He could use some work on his crossing, but it is already better the Dane on the wing. That’s it. That is all the good I can recall from Sunday’s beating. Mike Petke had a good 45, but not a complete game. I’m left speechless to evaluate the performances, they were so bad across the whole group. Angel not performing has to be because of his back and him not feeling 100%, but with the team as bad as it is, why not rest him for a couple of games. We signed him to an extension, we shouldn’t try to push him until he breaks, it’s bad for business. Any hopes for optimism at this point would be foolish, lest I be a passenger on the Titanic telling people not to worry, the ship wasn’t really going to sink.

It is up to the FO to do something, and I just don’t think that they will. The stubborn need to prove that they can be patient with a manager will cause them to keep the ship spinning down this spiral of futility. It was the perfect storm. Our history is the very thing that has doomed us. We have cried wolf one too many times, and now we are being eaten alive as our screams go ignored. Next year will be in a much prettier building at least.

Nothing this week

Sorry folks, I’m going to have to let you down this week as I will be away. Maybe it’s for the best. On the bright side, we could always have a new coach by the time that I get home!

 

GO RED BULLS!