THE BASICS:
- New York Red Bulls
- Eastern Conference
- Home: Red Bull Arena
HONORS:
- Supporters' Shield: 2013
NEWYORKREDBULLS.COM:
In MLS we don't have Murphy's Law. We have "That's so Metro."
The New York Red Bulls were, for nearly two decades, the definition of a cursed franchise. Big-name players came in and underperformed. Promising talent was traded away by the boatload. World-renowned coaches failed spectacularly.
Then Mike Petke came in and won the Supporters' Shield. Then he got his team within a goal of the franchise's second MLS Cup appearance.
And so he was fired. "That's so Metro."
Rivals
The oldest rivalry in MLS is New York vs. D.C., which has been laced with venom both in person and online since before the first ball was kicked. Historically it's been one-sided, until New York won the '13 Shield and then knocked United out of the playoffs a year later.
For the old school fans, NY vs. DC will always be the big one. For everybody else, chances are the noisy neighbors in light blue will draw the bulk of the ire as the league's only active true derby kicks off in 2015.
2014 Recap
The Shield defense didn't exactly get off to a blazing start, but a mid-season tactical adjustment gave RBNY both shape in defense and variety in attack. They rode the new-look 4-2-3-1 to a red-hot finish, thanks in large part to the goalscoring exploits of Golden Boot winner Bradley Wright-Phillips (27 goals) and the playmaking genius of since-retired Thierry Henry.
New York then dispatched Sporting KC in the Knockout Round and — for the first time ever — bested D.C. in a playoff series. That put them into the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell a goal short against the New England Revolution.
TRANSACTIONS IN:
- M Sal Zizzo (trade from NYCFC)
- M Sean Davis (Homegrown)
- M Leo Stolz (SuperDraft)
- GK Kyle Reynish (trade from Chicago)
- M Felipe Martins (trade from Montreal)
- D Andrew Jean-Baptiste (free)
- D Damien Perrinelle (re-signed)
- D Ronald Zubar (transfer from Ajaccio)
- M Sacha Kljestan (ransfer from Anderlecht)
- F Mike Grella (free)
TRANSACTIONS OUT:
- F Thierry Henry (out of contract)
- F Saer Sene (option declined)
- D Kosuke Kimura (option declined)
- M Bobby Convey (option declined)
- M Marius Obekop (option declined)
- D Ibrahim Sekagya (option declined)
- D Richard Eckersley (option declined)
- D Jamison Olave (traded to RSL)
- GK Ryan Meara (loan to NYCFC)
- M Eric Alexander (traded to Montreal)
- D Ambroise Oyongo (traded to Montreal)
- M Tim Cahill (mutual contract temination)
- M Eric Stevenson (waived)
- M Ian Christianson (waived)
2015 Prospectus
Henry, Jamison Olave, Tim Cahill and Eric Alexander are gone. So is Petke, who by any measure is the most successful coach in franchise history.
In comes new boss Jesse Marsch, as well as a new front office and a new mandate: build from within, make the team the star, and don't expect any big-name signings in the mold of Metros past. Sacha Kljestan and Felipe are the new additions, and though Marsch has been making noise about a 4-4-2, chances are he'll line his team up in a 4-2-3-1 that puts those two guys in central midfield along with Dax McCarty. With BWP returning up top and Lloyd Sam on the right flank, RBNY still have lots of answers.
But they've got lots of questions, too — most of them on the back line. How quickly and thoroughly those get answered will tell the story of 2015.
CLUB SOURCE:
"The addition of Kljestan will help McCarty control the middle of an already good attacking team. Their mental toughness could be a weakness after losing a legendary player and coach in Petke... Will this team perform for Jesse Marsch?"
CLUB SOURCE:
"This team will do really well or struggle badly. I don't see them in the middle of the Eastern Conference. They will be at the top or the bottom."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
PROJECTED LINEUP: 4-5-1
Robles; Duvall, Zubar, Perrinelle, Miller; Sam, McCarty, Kljestan, Felipe, Stolz; Wright-Phillips
Complete roster [newyorkredbulls.com]
FANTASY SOCCER
SLEEPER PICKS:
Luis Robles ($5.5m) is no sleeper, but he collected points the past two years no matter who was in front of him. Once again, who will make up the back line is a bit of a question, but you have to figure Jesse Marsch will get the defense right first, so pay attention to who emerges. You really can't go wrong in the midfield, just a matter of preference and budget. And BWP? Well, he won't bag 27 again. Or will he?
Armchair Analyst's Best Case Scenario
Even by franchise standards this was a tumultuous offseason, which historically has not boded well for the team on the left side of the Hudson. Fans have made their displeasure known in big, bright letters and while the team has brought in reinforcements, there's no Henry out there. Let's not sugar coat it: Titi leaves a massive gap that needs filling.
On the flip side is that this is, in a lot of ways, exactly the type of team Metro fans have been clamoring for. The vast majority are under 30, as many as seven have local ties, and the flavor is distinctly American. That's right down to their new head coach — Marsch — who is one of the all-time MLS role players, a grinder who worked his way into a career that made him a fan favorite and a beloved teammate. Kind of like Petke.
In a perfect world, that's what this team will be: a bunch of lifers who take on the personality of their coach and never, ever give points away. The midfield will stay tight, the new-look defense will be solid, Robles will continue to be outstanding and somehow, some way, they'll manufacture enough goals to finish top three in the East.
