Fresh off a victory against Chivas de Guadalajara in an international friendly Wednesday night at the University of Phoenix Stadium, the New York Red Bulls are hoping for a rare Chivas double Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.
A shorthanded New York side is riding a two-match winning streak, including the 1-0 midweek exhibition victory, and look to win its second league road win in the league.
The Red Bulls lone MLS win away from Giants Stadium? Right there at The Home Depot Center when Danleigh Borman and Juan Pablo Angel struck in a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Galaxy May 10.
"It's a different team, different day," Borman said of playing back at The Home Depot Center, where he scored his first career MLS goal. "We all need to do the hard work again in hopes of coming out with three points. We're all playing for each other, which is the key to us winning."
That blue-collar mentality has been key to the team's recent success, especially considering the injuries that have plagued the Red Bulls.
Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna remained home in New York and will once again not be available. Angel, who has been hampered by a strained hamstring suffered after scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 victory against Chivas USA June 5 at the Meadowlands, has made some progress.
"For the first time in a while, Juan was able to do more work, finishing drills and things went very well," Osorio said on Friday. "We're very pleased to hear that and hopefully he will start training with the first team Monday."
As for Reyna, Osorio said the former U.S. national team captain, who has been plagued with numerous injuries since making the move from Manchester City on a free transfer two years ago, has been training on his own. Reyna played in the "Showdown in Chinatown," a charity pickup soccer game in downtown Manhattan Wednesday and didn't appear to be laboring.
"To the best of my knowledge, Claudio's condition was discovered as a long-term injury," Osorio said of Reyna, who has been suffering from a herniated disc. "Given the nature of his injury, what we're trying to do is monitor day-by-day his fitness. He is doing his own rehab. Until the time the head physio tells me he is fully fit, I'm not considering to bring him back to the first team."
Without the two designated players and without Jozy Altidore, who was sold to Villarreal of Spain's La Liga, the Red Bulls have had enjoyed a measure of success of late because of the club's work ethic.
In particular, second-year midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic has done well as an attacking midfielder, setting up the lone goals against FC Dallas and Chivas de Guadalajara, Carlos Mendes has thrived in a defensive midfield role and the backline, although it has had some interchangeable parts, has given up just one goal in the last three games after leaking four goals against D.C. United June 14.
"I think he can be a box-to-box midfielder or he play as a creative midfielder playing between the lines in front of the opposition center backs and in behind the center midfielders," Osorio said of Ubiparipovic. "I think he did that against Chivas Guadalajara. Hopefully between those two positions we can find a spot for him."
Up front, Osorio has gone with the speedy tandem of Dane Richards and Oscar Echeverry, who was especially dangerous against Chivas de Guadalajara, scoring the winning goal.
"The Oscar Echeverry that you saw last game is the Oscar Echeverry that I saw in Colombia many games," Osorio said. "As long as he can keep that knee healthy, I think with Oscar's willingness and desire to not only run into the channels where we have the ball, but also to make the opposition defenders' life very difficult, I think his contribution to this team will be highly rewarding for him and highly appreciative for all of us."
The match against Chivas USA will be the Red Bulls' fifth in 15 days. And there's a third round Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against Crystal Palace USA Tuesday on the road, followed by a Fourth of July fixture at Colorado. Osorio said the club is relatively fresh leading into Saturday's match against Chivas because "75 percent of our players played 45 minutes."
"They all know that we have created a work atmosphere where they're all competing for places," Osorio said. "As long as the competition is honest and genuine then I think it's for the benefit of the club."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
