The newest New York Red Bulls player sat inside the locker room Saturday, looking as exhausted as his teammates, who just kept their playoff hopes alive in a 1-0 win against the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium thanks to a blistering strike from 16-year-old Jozy Altidore.
Markus Schopp, who is no stranger to the Austrian-based energy drink, having played for Red Bull Salzburg, was jet-lagged but anxious to get started with his new team.
"I spoke with the coach before the match," he said Saturday. "I arrived yesterday, I'm a little bit tired and he said we'd be OK for Wednesday."
The coach, of course, is Bruce Arena, someone Schopp is familiar with on the international stage.
"Of course in the last years, I followed him because he made a great job with the American team," Schopp said. "I think it will be great to work with him together."
Schopp, the captain of the Austrian national team at the 1998 World Cup, is available for selection for Wednesday's key Eastern Conference clash with the New England Revolution at Giants Stadium. But don't expect the right-sided midfielder to play the entire 90 minutes.
"I have to see in the next days when I train with the team," said Schopp, who has been training by himself while in Austria. "For 90 minutes, it's not enough. I have to train with my team, a little bit more with myself and in a couple of days I'll be there."
Schopp was on the field at Arena's first training session last month and impressed the Red Bulls boss enough in his week-long trial to earn a spot on the team. He'll occupy the third and final senior international slot on the roster. To make room for Schopp, rookie Blake Camp moved from the senior roster to the developmental roster as a senior developmental player.
"We believe Markus is a player who can help the Red Bulls in the short term and the long term," Arena said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of experience to our club and eagerly looks forward to playing for us."
Last year, Schopp, 31, scored six goals in 31 appearances for Red Bull Salzburg. Schopp, who said he could also play on the left side of midfield, also played for Sturm Graz of the Austrian Bundesliga from 1991-96 and 1998-2001, Hamburg SV of the German Bundesliga from 1996-98 and Brescia of Italy's Serie A from 2001-05.
"Today I've seen the first match live. The biggest difference is the mentality," Schopp said of the comparison between soccer in America and Europe. "In Europe, all the soccer players are growing up with a certain pressure from 12, 13, 14 years. To work under pressure is every time a little bit different. I think this is the only difference."
Schopp, who will wear No. 32 Wednesday, is a welcome addition to a Red Bulls team fighting for what will likely be the final playoff berth in the East. While captain Amado Guevara is back from his one-game ban for a red card against New England, Mike Magee (red card vs. Columbus) and Carlos Mendes (yellow card accumulation) are suspended and Todd Dunivant is listed as questionable with a strained left quad.
Schopp could split time with Chris Henderson while Steve Jolley or Taylor Graham will likely replace Mendes, who will miss his first game of the season.
With a win against the Revs, the Red Bulls can leapfrog the idle Kansas City Wizards and move into a tie for third place with New England, who come to Giants Stadium riding a three-game unbeaten streak. An ominous sign, though, is that the Red Bulls have yet to beat New England this year, playing to a scoreless draw at home and losing twice at Gillette Stadium.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
