SECAUCUS, N.J. - Red Bull New York announced today that it has signed five rookies - midfielders Dane Richards, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Sal Caccavale, forward Randi Patterson and goalkeeper Danny Cepero.
Per MLS and team regulations, terms of the deals are undisclosed.
"In the global world of soccer, there appears to be a direct causal relationship between youth development and its ability to direct future results on the club," said Technical Director Jeff Agoos. "Our recent signings of youth talent will hopefully strengthen the present and future quality of the New York Red Bulls."
Richards was the Red Bulls' 2007 second-round (19th overall) SuperDraft pick. A 5'7", 153-pound 23-year-old from Montego Bay, Jamaica, Richards scored a total of 23 goals and 17 assists over two years for Clemson University and has three caps with the full Jamaica National Team, one of them earned in a match against the U.S. in April 2006. Richards was on the NSCAA All-America Second Team, NSCAA All-South First Team and All-ACC Second Team. Prior to attending Clemson, Richards played for the San Jacinto Junior College in Houston, TX and was named the National Junior Player of the Year in 2004. Richards counts as a Youth International on the Red Bulls' roster. He has three goals so far in preseason.
Ubiparipovic, a 5'9", 155-pound 23-year-old from Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 2006 MAC Player of the Year, was the 33rd overall pick (third round) of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He scored a combined 34 goals and notched 24 assists during his three years with the University of Akron and University of Illinois-Chicago, where he played his freshman year before transferring. Ubiparipovic has earned a number of accolades, including first (2006) and second team (2005) All-Great Lakes Region honors and an NSCAA second team All-American selection (2005).
Patterson, 21, was taken in the first round of the 2007 Supplemental Draft, going sixth overall. The 5'9", 170-pound forward hails from nearby Teaneck, NJ and attended Bergen (NJ) Catholic where he was a two-time first team All-State selection and two-time Bergen County Coaches Association League Player of the Year. He added to his list of honors and awards while at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro where he produced 61 goals and 19 assists over four seasons on his way to becoming the first player to win Southern Conference Player of the Year honors twice.
Caccavale (2nd round in 2007 Supplemental Draft, 19th overall) led American University in points (19) and goals (7) and pitched in with five assists in 2006. Over his four year career with the Eagles, the 5'7", 145-pound West Islip, NY native earned First Team All-Patriot League honors for three-straight years and in his senior season, he was named to the NSCAA Second Team All-Mid-Atlantic squad. He finished his career at American as the seventh-leading scorer in program history.
Cepero, 21, a 6'2", 190-pound goalkeeper was selected out of the University of Pennsylvania with the 46th overall pick (4th round) in the 2007 Supplemental Draft. The Baldwin, NY native is coming off a 2006 season in which he captained Penn to a 9-4-2 overall record, recording eight shutouts and a 0.76 goals against average. He was a unanimous All-Ivy First Team selection, as well as a NSCAA third-team All-Northeast Region selection - the first time in program history that a goalkeeper has earned that honor.
The Red Bulls will kick off their season on April 7, when they travel to Columbus to take on the Columbus Crew at 7 p.m. ET (TV: MSG, HDNet, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280). The team's home opener is on April 15th when the Red Bulls battle FC Dallas at 3 p.m. ET at Giants Stadium (TV: MSG, TeleFutura, Spanish Radio: WADO 1280). For tickets, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.
Player Bios
Player: Sal Caccavale
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-7
Weight: 145
Birthdate: May 16, 1985
College: American University
Player: Danny Cepero
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Birthdate: April 22, 1985
College: University of Pennsylvania
Player: Randi Patterson
Position: Forward
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Birthdate: April 16, 1985
College: University of North Carolina-Greensboro
Player: Dane Richards
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-7
Weight: 153
Birthdate: Dec. 14, 1983
College: Clemson University
Player: Sinisa Ubiparipovic
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-9
Weight: 155
Birthdate: Aug. 25, 1983
College: University of Akron
