The recent round of international call-ups have depleted the New York Red Bulls’ roster a bit, but nowhere is that more evident than at left back.
The Red Bulls lost incumbent Roy Miller and dynamic spot starter Ambroise Oyongo to their respective national teams this week, leaving the club shorthanded on the left side of defense ahead of a vital home game against fellow Eastern Conference playoff hopeful Toronto FC on Saturday (7 pm ET; Univision Deportes, TSN in Canada).
Miller and Oyongo’s absences will force Mike Petke to get creative with his selection, but the New York head coach was as cool as the fall chill when talking Monday about who could fill in for them in the lineup.
“It’s not ideal for us, obviously, but we can do any number of things,” said Petke via his weekly conference call. “We could put Kosuke [Kimura], we have Chris Duvall, we have [Richard] Eckersley, we could take a center back out there, we could play three in the back. We have options.
“It’s early in the week, so we’re exploring all of them and we’re going to put together some things in practice this week to figure out the best way to go. Yes, big losses, but at the end of the day, we’ve dealt with big losses many times this year and we need to come through it somehow.”
What seems to be the likeliest scenario is Petke pushing reserve center back Armando out wide, so long as starting central defender Ibrahim Sekagya is healthy enough to start after sustaining an injury late in this past weekend’s 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo.
Armando was used as an experimental left back in a similar situation in a 2-2 draw away to the Philadelphia Union in September, and the Spanish veteran fared well for much of that match. He had never played there before in his career, but still defended capably in a stay-at-home role that contrasted the attack-minded tendencies that Petke usually prefers from his fullbacks.
“It’s clear that it’s not a normal place for me, but that’s why I work hard every day,” Armando told MLSsoccer.com following that Sept. 13 match. “If that’s where the head coach wants to put me, I’m here and I’ll play wherever he wants me to. All I want is to play and if he tells me it’s there, then it’s there. Period.”
The 29-year-old recently confessed that he's had some struggles adjusting to his new surroundings in New York after spending the bulk of his career in Spain.
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“Obviously, the first year is always complicated,” said Armando. “To adapt yourself to everything, the language, the style of play, the travel, everything is more complicated. But in the end you’re here to play soccer, and I always try to do the best I can and that comes through hard work in training and supporting the team any way I can.”
Petke will surely weigh his options carefully this week before coming to a conclusion about his left back choice, especially since Toronto FC boast speedy attackers like Dominic Oduro and Jackson.
In any case, Armando will be ready if called upon – not only because he wants to play, but because he hopes to help the Red Bulls move one giant step towards clinching a postseason berth.
“It’s something new for me, but I can feel it, that we’re right there to get into the playoffs,” he said. “It does feel a bit differently, to be honest. It’s my first season here, but it does feel differently right now.”
Franco Panizo covers the New York Red Bulls for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached by email at Franco8813@gmail.com.
