The sight of a nearly complete squad of players training at Giants Stadium has not been common for the New York Red Bulls this season. But on Thursday morning, 25 players scrimmaged, ran sprints and worked out, preparing for a hugely important meeting with the Columbus Crew on Saturday.
Though the Red Bulls have a tough battle in hoping to secure a playoff spot with six games remaining, one bright spot is that the team has become healthier. Recent Red Bulls on the injury list including Youri Djorkaeff, Mike Magee and Elie Ikangu have been medically cleared to play and have put themselves back in contention to earn a place in the squad.
"Obviously, we need all the guys we can get right now," said Magee, who was sidelined with a right knee strain suffered on Aug. 16 against D.C. United. "The results we have gotten have not been favorable, so any guys who have been injured ... can come back and help our playoff push."
The added depth brought by the returnees, especially in the midfield where the team has been missing several key players, will undoubtedly be helpful, particularly with New York missing one of its best players this weekend. After receiving his second yellow card against New England in a 1-0 loss last Saturday, captain Amado Guevara is suspended for the Columbus match.
Defender Todd Dunivant, who strained his left quadriceps muscle during warm-ups at Gillette Stadium last weekend, is also currently listed as out for Saturday's game.
Dunivant's injury forced head coach Bruce Arena to make a last-minute change, inserting defender Jeff Parke into the lineup and putting Seth Stammler, originally slated to start at center back, at left back. According to Stammler, during the first 20 minutes of the match, the team found it slightly difficult to get into the flow of the game and keep possession.
"We were kind of sloppy on the ball and weren't connecting our passes very well and as a result, that limits your offensive chances going forward and shots on goal," Stammler said.
However, Stammler and other players noted that the effort against the Revolution was solid.
"I think the intensity was definitely good, [but] I don't think we played to our ability," said midfielder Danny O'Rourke. "But, in the first half with the exception of the goal, I think we worked hard for the first 45 minutes."
Arena has kept opponents guessing with his starting 11 since his arrival. In his six league games thus far, Arena has used six different lineups. With the return of several players, it would not be a surprise if he tinkered with his lineup further. The only Red Bull who has started and played each of the team's 26 games is defender Carlos Mendes.
One position that many have kept an eye on is goalkeeper. Throughout training this week, Arena has not indicated who will start between the posts on Saturday. Jon Conway, who made his first start last weekend since July 29, was impressive, coming up with seven saves to keep his team in the game. He was singled out by Arena as being one of his team's best performers.
When he arrived in New York, Arena said that he would give both goalkeepers a shot at the starting role.
