Bulls relying on incoming veterans

As he sat on a plush leather couch in the New York Red Bulls locker room at Giants Stadium a few days after his team was eliminated by D.C. United in the MLS Cup Playoffs, Red Bulls boss Bruce Arena was shocked to hear how much the roster turned over from the previous season.

But as the club formerly known as the MetroStars is set to embark on Year Two of the Red Bull era, nearly half of last year's roster is gone.

That includes starters Tony Meola, Chris Henderson, Edson Buddle, Youri Djorkaeff and former MLS MVP Amado Guevara. Arena and Red Bulls technical director Jeff Agoos, who has had a cell phone permanently attached to his ear, have been extremely busy during the offseason bringing in a new crop of players.

The biggest signing, of course, is former U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna, who was the captain of English Premiership side Manchester City. The Red Bulls also have a new former international in net - Dutchman Ronald Waterreus - and Dutch winger Dave van den Bergh could be the steal of the offseason.

But are the Red Bulls a better team? While that question will start to be answered April 7 when New York opens the 2007 MLS season in Columbus, they certainly are a different team. And Reyna doesn't believe that's a negative.

"I was at Man City for three and a half years and I was one of the longest [tenured] guys there when I left in January," Reyna said. "If you get the right players to play together and jell, you don't need a year. You need weeks and months to know each other."

The biggest improvement is in the midfield, where Reyna became the league's second designated player - behind David Beckham in Los Angeles. On the field, Reyna's vision and passing ability should put the Springfield, N.J., native right up there with any of the league's top playmakers. He is equally valuable in the locker room, where his leadership skills resulted in him wearing the captain's armband at Rangers, Man City and the U.S. national team.

"He's going to do what he's always done," Arena said of Reyna, his captain in back-to-back World Cups. "He's more of a two-way player, he'll obviously help dictate the flow of the game for us, he's a good possession player, his ability to hold the ball allows us to bring other players into the game. He'll pull the strings for us."

"The guy is a world class player and he comes in and is working hard every day in practice and he's the type of guy every player looks up to and likes in the locker room," Carlos Mendes said of Reyna. "When you've got a guy like that, people are going to listen to him on the field."

But will Reyna take his injury woes with him across the Atlantic? Reyna and Arena both say they're not concerned about Reyna's surgically-repaired knee on the artificial turf at Giants Stadium. Part of the reason is that the Red Bulls will train on grass at Montclair State University instead of the turf at the stadium.

To also save wear and tear on Reyna's 33-year-old legs, Arena will use Seth Stammler and Dema Kovalenko as defensive cover behind Reyna. Kovalenko, in particular, has enjoyed a stellar training camp and appears revitalized in his second tour of duty in MLS.

"He's been good, he loves to play," Arena said. "He comes out every day like it's game day. Day in and day out, he's been one of our best players."

Arena has placed an emphasis on wing play and the Red Bulls have bolstered their attack there, too. They acquired van den Bergh from Kansas City, where he didn't live up to lofty expectations as a late season signing. But he could be on the verge of a breakout sophomore campaign. The Dutch winger is an excellent crosser from the left side, is deceptively quick and when he and Markus Schopp join the attack, the Red Bulls formation quickly turns from a 4-5-1 to a 4-3-3.

And when you add fullbacks Todd Dunivant and Marvell Wynne to the mix, the Red Bulls are downright dangerous down the flanks.

"I think we want to play soccer on the ground and from the midfield up we have players who are comfortable on the ball. There's a lot of experience through the middle of the park and guys who want the ball more than anything," Reyna said. "I think Bruce has harped on that, whether it's a small-sided game in training or one of the [exhibition] games we've had, to be confident to get the ball and pass it and play ourselves out of situations."

Last year's starting backline, which allowed 21 goals in 32 games, returns as center backs Jeff Parke and Mendes join Dunivant and Wynne. But there's a new face in goal as Waterreus, a former teammate of Reyna's at Rangers and Manchester City, will be the starting 'keeper.

"He's a verbal, experienced guy," Arena said. "His last season with Rangers he played 53 games in a row, he's played in the Champions League and you'll see a very seasoned player there. Waterreus' distribution is outstanding, he's good with the young players."

While some 'keepers only touch the ball with their feet when its absolutely necessary, Waterreus demands it, and he's equally comfortable handing the ball with both feet.

"One of the things we worked on in the preseason is using him as an extra defender, trying to spread the forwards out," Mendes said. "Ronald's going to help us in that way for sure. He's got a lot of experience."

While the backline returns and Arena believes he's upgraded in goal and in the midfield, the Red Bulls are again thin up front. Jozy Altidore exploded on the scene last season, scoring three goals in seven games, helping New York during its playoff push. But what will Altidore do in his first full MLS season? He's 17, two inches taller now and has been called the future of U.S. soccer. He remains grounded despite the lofty expectations.

"I just want to play well and show everyone I wasn't a hoax," Altidore said. "I just want to go out there and show what I can do to everybody. Hopefully this summer at the [Under-20] World Cup, show I can play. I want to prove people wrong."

If Altidore doesn't start, journeyman John Wolyniec will. The Staten Island, N.Y., native scored three goals in 11 games with the Red Bulls after being traded from the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he scored just once in 10 games.

It's clear the Red Bulls need help up front and they've tried just about everything, from talking trade for Toronto's Alecko Eskandarian and attempting to sign Ecuadorian international Agustin Delgado, who received a year-long ban from FIFA for his part in a brawl during an Ecuadorian First Division game.

"Obviously we're actively looking at ways to improve ourselves in that position, whether its through a designated player, a trade or what have you," Arena said. "We know we can improve our strength in that position."

The Red Bulls were reportedly linked to Colombian Juan Pablo Angel, who has struggled for Premiership side Aston Villa this season. The 30-year-old striker has scored 44 goals in 175 EPL games since joining Villa from Argentinian powerhouse River Plate in 2001. But Angel also has an offer on the table to play for River and has reportedly stated his desire to remain in England.

In a bit of a gamble, the Red Bulls acquired Clint Mathis from Colorado for a pair of draft picks. When he was last at Giants Stadium, Mathis was one of the best scorers in MLS. He scored an MLS-record five goals in a game and his stroke of brilliance - a 70-yard jaunt through the Dallas Burn - earned him MLS Goal of the Year in 2001. But Mathis has scored just five goals in the past two years and his work ethic and desire have been questioned.

The Red Bulls didn't take much of a salary cap hit to get Mathis, but it's doubtful Arena is done looking for help up front. If Angel doesn't come, the Red Bulls will likely wait until the next transfer window opens in August to sign their second designated player, which the Red Bulls received when they traded Guevara to Chivas USA.

"We've been working on [obtaining] a second designated player for three or four months," Arena said. "Not a day goes by where we're not trying to find a player. We're going to find the best player we can find within our means. There's a long list, and I will tell you we've been through a lot of players and come close a lot of times. We think there's a possibility we can get one signed in the next month and if that's not the case, we'll wait for the next transfer window."

Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.