Tim Cahill may have left MLS, but that doesn’t mean the former New York Red Bulls Designated Player is done sharing his thoughts on the league.
Cahill, who left the Red Bulls on Monday and announced he’s signed with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on Tuesday, spoke with Sports Illustrated on Wednesday about a variety of topics, including New York’s controversial decision to fire former head coach Mike Petke in December.
“I texted [Petke] straight away,” Cahill told SI’s Grant Wahl. “You always have respect for your manager regardless, and he couldn’t have done any more unless we’d won the MLS Cup. So he should and hopefully will get another job in the MLS surely on his portfolio. Two seasons: Supporters’ Shield and one goal from the final. So I really feel for him. He’s a fan favorite. They loved him, but they loved him for a reason. Because he loved the club more than anyone else ever will. I know that for a fact.”
Cahill spoke with new Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis and emailed with new head coach Jesse Marsch while helping Australia lift the Asian Cup on home soil last month.
The 35-year-old said he feels like Marsch and Curtis both have “a big appetite for the game,” but that New York’s offseason changes – both on- and off-the-field – make 2015 more of a transitional year than he was willing to go through.
Still, Cahill said that he considers his time in New York a success, and that he’s proud of what he accomplished in his two-and-a-half years with the Red Bulls.
“I honestly feel I can tick off the New York Red Bulls as a success,” Cahill told Wahl. “Because after 18 years without a trophy I was part of [winning one], and every time I come back to New York I can get a seat in the crowd and feel something special with the supporters.”
