Former Chicago Fire chief Juan Carlos Osorio was officially introduced as the 11th head coach in the 13-year history of New York's Major League Soccer club on Tuesday afternoon at the Hotel Gansevoort in lower Manhattan.
Prior to coaching in Chicago, Osorio was the manager of Club Deportivo Millonarios of the Futbol Profesional Colombiano from 2006-2007. He also served as an assistant coach with Manchester City of the English Premier League from 2001-2006 and as an assistant with the New York MetroStars from 2000-2001.
"This is without a doubt one of the most proud moments for me, to be back in New York with all my family and friends," Osorio said Tuesday. "Since 2001, when I left for Manchester City I always made it my goal to come back to MLS as head coach of the New York Red Bulls. Today, I've been given that opportunity, and I'm extremely proud and extremely pleased."
The Fire started slowly in 2007 under then-coach Dave Sarachan, but after Osorio was hired on July 9 the club finished with a 6-3-6 mark down the stretch to nab one of the final berths in the MLS Cup Playoffs. In the two-leg Eastern Conference semifinals, the Fire upset Supporters' Shield winners D.C. United. They later fell to the New England Revolution in the conference championship, but by then Osorio's acumen was clearly well known.
"Since our search began, Juan Carlos was at the top of our list," said Red Bulls managing director Marc de Grandpre. "When I first met Juan Carlos, he outlined the same philosophical values of soccer and building a team that we also strive to follow. It was really a match made in heaven."
In Chicago, Osorio helped form one of the league's best defensive units. His aim in New York will be to bring a similar defensive mentality to the Red Bulls, who allowed the most goals of any playoff team in 2007.
Meanwhile, scoring goals should not be a problem for Osorio's side, as he inherits two of Major League Soccer's best offensive players in Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore.
"In a nutshell, just by looking at the stats, you can see that we can score goals and have very good strikers in Juan (Pablo Angel) and Jozy (Altidore)," Osorio said. "Defensively we have to improve. A lot of goals were allowed (in 2007), so that is a department we need to improve the most. But, as a coach, I think we can improve in every way of our game."
Osorio, 46, replaces former United States national team manager Bruce Arena, who parted ways with the Red Bulls after compiling a 16-16-10 record over his 15-month stint as head coach. Under Arena in 2007, New York went 12-11-7 in the regular season and lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Revolution.
Arena came to the Red Bulls with much fanfare but lasted little more than a year, and though officially he resigned his post, the New York front office didn't seem to contend that development based on the team's early exit from the playoffs.
When asked if Osorio needed to make the playoffs to keep his job beyond the 2007 season, de Grandpre responded briefly, "I'm very confident that Juan will lead our team to the playoffs."
Expectations are high in New York, and with the coaching instability that has marked the club since its inception in 1996, Osorio's new job is perhaps the most daunting in Major League Soccer.
"The magnitude of the challenge here is immense and that's what life is all about," said Osorio. "Being from the New York area, and having spent time here as an assistant coach, I realized how big of a challenge it is. I will put all of my effort into fielding a very competitive team, one that can defeat any team on any given day. If we can do that, we'll see how far we can go."
With such rapid turnover at the top in New York, everyone involved in Osorio's hiring process is hoping the coach will remain with the Red Bulls long enough to lead the team into its new stadium, which will open in 2009. For that to happen, Osorio will have maintain his perch for at least two years, something only two men have accomplished in club history.
Dante Carnevale is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
