the 340 Grill in Hoboken, N.J., -- to thank Red Bulls season ticket holders. At the packed gathering, fans mingled with the team to celebrate a successful season and to look forward to the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs which start on Saturday night for the Red Bulls, who host New England in a two-leg series.
Amid the revelry, the team announced the winners of its annual awards: Fan of the Year, Youth Soccer Club of the Year and Player of the Year as voted by the fans.
After much consideration and many nominations, Pam Eigo of Warwick, N.Y., was named 2007's Fan of the Year. Nominated by her children, Pam was presented with a framed copy of each of the Gameday Magazine covers to commemorate her attendance throughout the 2007 season.
In the application for the award, her children told the story of how she left her husband and their car stranded on the side of the road to wait for the repair truck so that she could make the game on time. How is that for loyalty?
Asked if the story were true, Pam told Red Bulls Insider following the event: "It's true. We did leave my husband on the side of the road. We called him up, and told him to bring [his] car down. You stay with my car," she said, "because we are going to the game, and we're not going to miss games."
As for Youth Soccer Club of the Year, this year's winner was the Manalapan (N.J.) Soccer Club. Manalapan SC was involved with the Red Bulls in nearly every program the Red Bulls had to offer, including the Red Bulls Training program, club outings, individual outings, and team promotions throughout the community.
"It's a great honor to be recognized," said Manalapan SC President Mike Hammer. "There are so many soccer clubs in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area, and it's just an awesome thing for us.
After the Fan and Youth Soccer Club of the Year awards, it was time to recognize the Red Bull Player of the Year as voted by the fans. The choice was an easy one as Juan Pablo Angel was selected in a landslide. Angel received over 80 percent of the first-place votes in the online poll.
Also recognized at the event was the Red Bulls Academy. Teams at each of the levels have excelled so far this season. Their accomplishments included the U-20 squad being a finalist in the Super Y League; the U-18 team being named the Region 1 Premier League and New Jersey State Cup Champions; and the U-16 team having secured first place in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the United Soccer League. Additionally, the U-16 and U-18 academy teams have been selected to compete in the 2008 inaugural season of the U.S. Soccer National Development Academy.
Each individual level had a Player of the Year. These players are the future of the Red Bulls organization. The following were recognized: Conor Gleba (U-14), Travis Ives (U-15), Dragan Naumoski (U-16), Matt Kassel (U-18) and Brendan Dunn (U-20).
Fun and autographs were had by all throughout the evening. Red Bulls Managing Director Marc de Grandpre closed the event by thanking everyone for attending and encouraged everyone to support the team on Saturday as the Red Bulls start their trek toward the goal of an MLS Cup.
