For new Red Bulls acquisition Todd Dunivant, his journey to practice on Monday morning was short and familiar. The former Los Angeles Galaxy defender, who was traded for a partial allocation last week, drove 10 minutes from his home near Hermosa Beach to the Red Bulls' hotel, before hopping on the bus to train with his new squad at The Home Depot Center.
Dunivant joined the team in light jogging, but because of a left quadriceps strain, he stayed out of live drilling is not expected to be fit for Tuesday's showdown with the Galaxy. However, the defender is excited about moving to the East Coast.
"It's kind of cool," Dunivant said on Monday. "You get the most of both worlds really, getting to play in the two big markets. It's something a lot of guys can't say they've done. I was excited when I found out that [I was going to] New York. Obviously, you're disappointed when you get traded, but if I were to go anywhere, New York would be on the top of the list."
Dunivant brings a naturally left-footed presence to a squad that has played both in a 3-5-2 formation and a 4-4-2. Because he can play as a defender who can also attack down the wing, New York interim head coach Richie Williams said in the past that Dunivant's versatility will pay dividends for the team.
"I'm flexible enough to [play] whatever position Richie sees me in and am able to play it," Dunivant said.
The 25-year-old defender from Wheat Ridge, Colo., spent time Monday introducing himself and getting acquainted with his new teammates. Dunivant, who earned his first cap with the U.S. men's national team earlier this year, calls joining the Red Bulls a "new adventure" and he hopes to bring the lessons he learned from winning an MLS Cup last year with Los Angeles to New York.
"It is all about a mentality. In this league, the difference in the quality of players and talent is not that big so it comes down to the little intangibles and hopefully I can bring that experience," he said.
Though he will not be on the field, Dunivant might be the best guy to ask about the Red Bulls' next opponent in the Galaxy - "I obviously know them inside and out," he said.
And Los Angeles is coming off a win on Saturday, defeating Kansas City 2-0 behind a two-goal performance from Landon Donovan.
"Obviously when you get a guy like Landon back, it's going to help your team," Dunivant said about his former teammate who just returned from World Cup duty. "He's so dangerous around the field and he makes everyone around him better."
