HARRISON, N.J. – Due to events out of their control, the New York Red Bulls currently have a left back conundrum on their hands.
After losing incumbent Roy Miller to international duty on Thursday when Costa Rica reached this weekend’s Copa Centroamericana final, the Red Bulls were hoping to have the versatile Ambroise Oyongo at their disposal so as to start him against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday afternoon (3 pm ET; NBCSN).
Unfortunately for New York, however, Oyongo still has not returned from playing for Cameroon in a pair of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and his status for the visit to Philadelphia is unclear.
“Before practice began, he was at the embassy in Cameroon, finally finishing up his paperwork and going to get in a plane,” Red Bulls head coach Mike Petke told MLSsoccer.com after Friday’s training session. “I’m going to find out right now if he is in fact on that plane and what his status is. He’s up in the air, literally and figuratively.”
Compounding the matter is that left-footed veteran Bobby Convey is sidelined after having had surgery to repair a deviated septum. That will leave Petke to have to dig deep into his roster tofind someone who can start on the left side of the backline, should Oyongo not make it back in time.
Petke didn’t reveal his plans for such a scenario on Friday, but the most likely candidates to start on the left seem to be Kosuke Kimura and Richard Eckersley. The right fullbacks have seen time on the opposite flank at times throughout their career, and both are healthy and available.
Another outside possibility is center back Ibrahim Sekagya sliding out to the left with Armando taking his place in the heart of defense next to defensive anchor Jamison Olave.
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by email at Franco8813@gmail.com.
