If you blink, you might miss him.
Though he is still learning the nuances of Major League Soccer, there are several reasons why Marvell Wynne - the first overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft - is so highly touted by coaches.
He is strong and tackles well. For a rookie, he has a fairly good grasp of the game. But, most of all, he is fast. Very fast.
"Unbelievable," New York defender Carlos Mendes said of the 20-year-old's pace. "When he gets going, I don't think anyone can stop him."
His speed was evident in New York's 2-0 win over Columbus on Wednesday night. At least twice in the first half, Wynne took the ball in the midfield and streaked down the line, by-passing Crew players who could not keep up with him.
"Beforehand, I was a little nervous to get up the field," Wynne said. "I just wanted to stay back, but now I'm seeing some more open areas and I feel that if I [see] the open space, I'll take it. I realize that I can help out the team offensive as well as defensively if I do that."
On one occasion in the 30th minute, Wynne ran all the way into the edge of the penalty box, beating five Crew defenders before getting a low cross off to a trailing Edson Buddle, whose close-range attempt was stuffed well by Columbus goaltender Noah Palmer.
"Marvell has been impressive getting forward and he has the ability and the speed to get up into the attack," said interim head coach Richie Williams. "We've been seeing that over the last two, three weeks and we hope it continues. He's obviously physically fast and strong and his feet and passing are getting better [as well as] his understanding of the game."
His pace and ability also helps on the defensive end. During the match, Wynne was in the right place at the right time, flicking away dangerous crosses and holding off Columbus attackers from getting close to the ball. His pace was also on display in the second half, when in one case, Eddie Gaven, with rooms of space on the left wing, took the ball full speed before Wynne caught up with him and put the ball out of play in the second half.
Wynne said that he is quickly adjusting to the MLS game, as his role in the Starting 11 has become more permanent everyday after losing his spot earlier this season and ever since the team switched back to a 4-4-2 formation. Because of this, Wynne will undoubtedly catch the eye of many with his play on both sides of the field.
As Williams says with a laugh, "You can't miss him, he's so fast."
Competition heats up for spots
It's been a rarely seen sight, but on Friday at practice, almost the entire squad was jogging up and down the field - a sign that most of the Red Bulls are healthy and ready to battle for spots in the lineup.
With the team riding a two-game winning streak, Williams is left with the dilemma of whether he should tinker with his Starting 11 considering that experienced players including Todd Dunivant and Mark Lisi are coming back into the fray.
"You want to keep it a little consistent because the guys have been doing well ... you don't want to change it up too much. When guys come back, they're going to have to keep competing in practice and if we have to make a change, we're confident to put them in the game," Williams said.
Factor the inherent intra-squad competition along with new Sporting Director and head coach Bruce Arena's arrival in a few weeks, and there are plenty of reasons why players would be looking to impress.
One Red Bull who has done particularly well in recent games is forward Jerrod Laventure, who has come out of nowhere to contribute to the team. After making his debut as a substitute against FC Dallas on July 8, in which he earned an assist, Laventure came off the bench in New York's next two games. Against Columbus on Wednesday, the Seton Hall-product spectacularly scored his first MLS career goal with a chip from 30 yards out in second half stoppage time.
Laventure said that he is grateful that the Red Bulls have given him a chance to play and with the competition for positions, he will just keep on working hard and hope for the best.
"I want to score as many goals as possible," he said "[I] got the first one out of the way, so I'm just going to keep on going."
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