New York earned their second clean sheet of the season in as many weeks on Saturday with a rookie keeper and a makeshift backline. After grabbing a 1-0 lead just 19 minutes into the game, the Red Bulls had to fight off a barrage of attacks in order to escape with a huge road win. Ironically, it’s the NY defenders that have now become a hot item in Fantasy Soccer: Manager.

Points Breakdown (Week 9)

GK Ryan Meara – 9 points

D Jan Gunnar Solli – 10 points

D Connor Lade – 8 points

D Markus Holgersson – 7 points

D Tyler Ruthven – 7 points

M Brandon Barklage – 6 points

It looks as if New York’s early-season defensive woes could be a thing of the past – at least for now – because if you had any of the guys above in Week 9, your investment paid off.  Ryan Meara was tied for third among 'keepers in points scored this past weekend and the rest of the guys didn’t do too shabby either. Brandon Barklage could’ve had nine points, but he’s listed as a midfielder. This only gave him one point for the clean sheet, while Solli (playing midfield) grabbed the full four points. With two games coming up this week most of these guys could be solid pickups, with Meara ($5.0m) and Lade ($4.3m) being exceptional options at a very low price, unless of course, Roy Miller returns.

Let’s take a closer look at the stats and the chalkboards to see how the RBNY defense shut down the MLS Cup 2011 champs.

Possession: LA Galaxy 63% - NY Red Bulls 37%

The Galaxy controlled possession for the entire game, but it wasn’t just meaningless passing in its own half. LA attempted 274 passes in the opposition's half while NY attempted less than half of that (130), with the Galaxy completing 72 percent and the Red Bulls completing 77 percent. In the image below you can see that LA (right) not only flooded the entire half with passes, but they drove the ball into the box repeatedly. New York's possessions are on the left.

Open Play Crosses

LA continuously served the ball into the box hoping that something would come of it. New York only managed four crosses from open play all game, but the Galaxy drove it in eight times that amount (32 crosses). New York (left) connected on just one of their four crosses (25 percent), while LA (right) connected on eight of 24 (33 percent).

Clearances & Interceptions

The defensive statistics were even more staggering. In 90 minutes, the Red Bulls (left) tallied 66 combined clearances and interceptions (28 interceptions and 38 clearances) in the defensive half, while the Galaxy (right) managed just 13 (three interceptions and 10 clearances).

New York were extremely fortunate to have not conceded a goal, but regardless, their confidence has to be growing. Coming up in Week 10, they play the Houston Dynamo at home and the Philadelphia Union away. With both teams struggling, a shutout looks like another possible feat in at least one of the two games, making New York defenders more enticing than they ever have been before.

Otra semana pasa y nos alistamos para otra jornada de la MLS.

FC Dallas y Real Salt Lake ya comenzaron la Fecha 8 con un partido que terminó en un frustrante empate para ambos clubes.

Ahora viene el plato fuerte, y como hemos tomado de costumbre, ofrecemos nuestros pronósticos para esta fecha.

Aquí en Tiro Libre no somos adivinos, pero si muy competitivos. Así que veremos quien de estos panelistas tiene razón en su manera de ver el juego y analizar los equipos.

Como siempre, ustedes nos pueden acompañar en esta causa y dar sus propias predicciones por Twitter.

Seguir a@Futbol_MLS

Aquí vamos:

Semana 8

Seguir a@ManoloAcero

Washington Wizards star point guard John Wall showed MLS some love the other day, but not the kind D.C. sports fans want to see. Wall wasn't sporting a D.C. United jersey, but the shirt of fierce rivals, the New York Red Bulls. Ouch.

The first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft was recently spotted showing off his Red Bulls jersey at Club Play in Miami Beach.

After a stellar career at the University of Kentucky, Wall has carved out a name for himself in the NBA, finishing runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors in 2011.

Wall grew up in North Carolina, so why the Red Bulls jersey, United fans might be asking?

Beats me.

Also, one last lingering thought. Did he bust out the cult “John Wall dance” which gave him so much popularity during his college days, while in the club? Did he do so with New York colors on his back?

Answers on a postcard, please.

(Photo via Urban Party Life) 

A German report is pointing to a new fullback for the New York Red Bulls.

Former Italian national team defender Gianluca Zambrotta is said to be talking with NYRB, according to German soccer site 4-4-2.com.

The 35-year-old is out of contract with AC Milan this summer and several online reports state that the Italian giants will not be re-signing him.

Zambrotta has 11 appearances and one goal for the rossoneri this year.