Weekly Update: Fireworks and FC Dallas

RED BULLS TAKE ON FC DALLAS IN JULY 4 SHOWDOWN:
The New York Red Bulls wrap up a three-game road trip on Saturday, when they battle FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park at 9:00 PM ET (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM) in the first match-up between the two teams this season.

Despite a solid defensive performance, the Red Bulls dropped their second-straight with a 1-0 loss at the hands of the Columbus Crew last Saturday at Crew Stadium. The defeat came three days after New York fell, 2-0, to Toronto FC at BMO Field. Having already played 18 games in their 30-game regular season schedule, the 2-12-4 (10 pts.) Red Bulls have played at least two more games than every other team in MLS.

New York faces a rested FC Dallas side that was off this past weekend after drawing with the Colorado Rapids, 1-1, on Wednesday, June 24 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. David Ferreira tallied his second goal of the season in the 37th minute for the visitors, but Colorado's Omar Cummings leveled the scored with just six minutes to play. The result came four days after FC Dallas earned a come-from-behind 2-1 win at home against Columbus. Eric Brunner tallied his first career MLS goal for the Crew in the first half. However, FC Dallas took the three points when Eric Avila and Kenny Cooper recorded goals within the last 10 minutes of the game. FC Dallas lies in seventh place in the Western Conference on 14 points with a 3-7-5 record.

This will be the first match in which the Red Bulls will square off against former midfielder Dave van den Bergh. In his third season with New York last year, he recorded seven goals and five assists in 26 games before scoring the game-winning goal in the Red Bulls' 1-0 Western Conference win against Real Salt Lake. He was traded to FC Dallas on Jan. 13 along with New York's 14th overall selection in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft in exchange for forward Dominic Oduro and the 11th and 18th overall picks in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The Red Bulls used the 11th pick on University of Maryland midfielder/defender Jeremy Hall and the 18th pick on Santa Clara University defender Babajide Ogunbiyi.

New York is 15-15-2 against FC Dallas in regular season play and has won three of its last four meetings. Last season, the teams split the two-game series. On April 12, goals from Arturo Alvarez and Cooper gave the Hoops a 2-0 win at Pizza Hut Park. The Red Bulls were able to earn revenge on June 21 with a Kevin Goldthwaite 16th minute strike the difference in a 1-0 victory. The teams will also play on Aug. 23 at Giants Stadium. Cooper leads FC Dallas in goals with seven, but will miss Saturday's game after he was called up to the U.S. National Team for their 2009 Gold Cup campaign.

RED BULLS HOST VIEWING PARTY: The New York Red Bulls will be hosting a Viewing Party for the team's match against FC Dallas this Saturday at Nevada Smiths, located on 74 Third Ave. in New York City. Fans who attend will be able to enjoy drink specials and prize give-aways.

CREW EDGES RED BULLS IN MLS CUP REMATCH: A Chad Marshall goal just before halftime helped lift the Columbus Crew a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls at Crew Stadium on Saturday night in a rematch of last year's MLS Cup Final. The loss dropped the depleted Red Bulls to 2-12-4 (10 pts.) this season.

Columbus, the reigning MLS Cup Champion when it defeated New York, 3-1, in the final at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 23, had the first scoring chance of the match nine minutes in after Frankie Hejduk earned a free kick on the right wing. Guillermo Barros Schelotto's ensuing delivery was nodded over the bar by Eric Brunner. Moments later, Red Bulls midfielder Khano Smith was able to get a piece of a Seth Stammler cross, but the ball went just past the left post.

In its first match against the Crew since the MLS Cup Final, New York was missing forward Juan Pablo Angel (right hamstring) and defender Kevin Goldthwaite (groin) due to injuries. Forward Macoumba Kandji and midfielder Albert Celades were on the bench, but both were dealing with hamstring strains. Defender Carlos Mendes left the game in the 41st minute with a left hip injury and was replaced by Sinisa Ubiparipovic. Defender Mike Petke was serving the second game of a two-game League suspension.

In the 16th minute, Schelotto - MLS' leading scorer - nearly put the home side in front. Robbie Rogers earned possession in the Red Bulls' half and slid it to an open Schelotto, who blasted a left-footed shot over the crossbar. New York struck back on the next play, as Stammler raced into the Crew penalty box and unleashed an attempt that went wide of the frame.

With the first half wrapping up, the Crew had a golden opportunity when Lenhart nodded on a Schelotto corner kick, but it was headed off the line by Red Bulls defender Alfredo Pacheco. On the ensuing play, however, Columbus took the lead. Schelotto again delivered the ball into the box and Marshall was able to leap over his defender and head it just inside the left post.

In the 57th minute, New York was close to tying the game. Ubiparipovic took the ball across the top of the penalty box and laid it off to Jorge Rojas, whose one-time shot was deflected and beat goalkeeper Will Hesmer but slammed off the crossbar. Two minutes later, Ubiparipovic had a long-range attempt caught by Hesmer.

With 20 minutes left, Columbus looked to extend their lead to two, as Rogers found an open Eddie Gaven and his header went past the right post. Soon after, Rojas was able to get his head on a Matthew Mbuta pass and he couldn't redirect it on goal. Rogers later got free from 15 yards out and his shot stung Danny Cepero's hands before the goalkeeper dove to collect it.

2009 MLS STANDINGS:
Click here to view the MLS standings.

LAST WEEK: Red Bulls 0, Toronto FC 2 on June 24 at BMO Field
Red Bulls 0, Columbus Crew 1 on June 27 at Crew Stadium

THIS WEEK: Red Bulls at FC Dallas on July 4 at Pizza Hut Park at 9:00 PM ET (TV: MSG; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)

NEXT WEEK:
BYE WEEK
(Next match is on July 16 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy at Giants Stadium at 8:00 PM ET (TV: Fox Soccer Channel; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)

PACHECO/RICHARDS CALLED UP: New York Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards and defender Alfredo Pacheco have been called up by the Jamaican National Team and El Salvador National Team, respectively, for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Jamaica and El Salvador are in the same group in the tournament. Jamaica's first match is on July 3 in Los Angeles, CA against Canada. Four days later, they take on Costa Rica in Columbus, OH. Jamaica's third match is against El Salvador on July 10 in Miami, FL. El Salvador will face Costa Rica on July 3 and Canada on July 7, before facing the Jamaicans. Should either team advance, the quarterfinals are scheduled for July 18-19 in Philadelphia and Dallas with the semifinals taking place on July 23 in Chicago and the final being on July 26 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

The Red Bulls have only one match - July 4 at FC Dallas - between when both players leave and the earliest day they might return. After the game in Dallas, the Red Bulls do not return to action until July 16, when they host the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Richards has played in 14 games, starting in 10 of them, and has one goal and one assist for the Red Bulls this season. Richards has 12 appearances with the Jamaican National Team, his first coming in 2002 at the age of 18. He has yet to score a goal for the National Team, but at the end of 2008, Richards played an integral part in helping Jamaica capture the 2008 Digicel Caribbean Cup.

Pacheco joined the Red Bulls on April 15, 2009 and has played and started in 12 games for New York. He was called up to the El Salvador National Team earlier this month for their 2010 World Cup Qualifying matches and has earned 68 caps for his country. Prior to signing with the Red Bulls, Pacheco was with C.D. FAS of the Salvadorian First Division.

PETKE TO RETURN: Red Bulls defender Mike Petke will be available for selection this Saturday after missing the past three games due to suspension. The Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee suspended Petke two games and fined him $500 on Tuesday, June 22 for inappropriate conduct and comments made toward the officiating crew at the Red Bulls June 13 game versus Toronto FC. The suspension and fine were in addition to the automatic one-game suspension he received for being issued a red card and the automatic fine of $750 levied for his two cautions, which resulted in his ejection. Petke's suspension totaled three games and his fine totaled $1,250.

WOLYNIEC IN THIRD: Red Bulls forward John Wolyniec is moving up the games played chart for New York. Wolyniec started against Columbus on Saturday and made his 130th appearance, tying him with Mike Magee for third place. Teammate Mike Petke is the club's all-time leader in games played (143) and starts (137).

GAMES PLAYED

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Red Bulls are in the midst of a three-game road trip, with the FC Dallas match being the final game in that span. Overall, the Red Bulls have seven of nine on the road before returning to Giants Stadium on Aug. 15 for a five-game homestand.

ANGEL MISSES FIRST: After being the only player to have played in each of the Red Bulls' 17 games, forward Juan Pablo Angel missed his first game of the season on Saturday due to a right hamstring injury. The 2007 MLS MVP finalist leads the team in minutes played with 1,446. New York was also missing defender Kevin Goldthwaite due to a groin injury. Goldthwaite is second on the team in minutes with 1,299.

NOT GUN SHY: Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel has been moving up the club's annals in shots and shots on goal. Angel is currently third in each category, with 225 shots and 117 shots on goal. He is trailing Clint Mathis (276, 125) and Amado Guevara (260, 121). Angel is tied for first in MLS in shots (52) with FC Dallas' Kenny Cooper and is tied for second in shots on goal (23) behind Cooper (29).

RED BULLS-CREW POST-GAME:
Here was the reaction after the Red Bulls-Columbus Crew match on June 27:

NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH JUAN CARLOS OSORIO

On the first half:
"I think they're a good attacking team. We limited them in the first half to set plays. I don't have the answer for us considering the goal; it seems like there is always a goal in the last minutes. After that it was difficult but I think we competed well in the second half. Maybe we could have done better with some of our crosses."

On what Sinisa Ubiparipovic gives the team off the bench:
"I think he is comfortable with the ball. He helps us to keep possession. Maybe with more shots on goal he could probably be a more influential player."

NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER SETH STAMMLER

On the game:
"Overall, I think we did OK. It's just a matter of not breaking down the last couple of minutes of each half. It's something we talk about each game. Today we did it again; we gave up a goal on a set piece that we probably shouldn't have let in."

On the goal:
"The ball was swung into the back post. I think it was Chad [Marshall] who got up above our guys and headed it on frame. Then Gaven beat us to the spot and kind of deflected it enough to beat Danny."

On not having Juan Pablo Angel:
"Yeah, it hurts. He is the leader of the team and a dangerous scoring threat. It's unfortunate that he has a little injury going, hopefully he can get over it and get back soon."

NEW YORK RED BULLS GOALKEEPER DANNY CEPERO

On the game:
"I don't think we got out-skilled or outplayed on the field. It was a matter of just getting out worked on the field. The second half was a little better than the first half. We had no real creative attacking opportunities in the attacking third. Without those attacking opportunities and already being down 1-0, there isn't too much you can do."

On not having Juan Pablo Angel:
"With a player of his caliber, I think it always hurts not having him on the field. With that being said we are more than capable of scoring and creating chances without him. I don't think we should use that as an excuse."

ARE YOU FOLLOWING?: The New York Red Bulls have added several new multimedia initiatives across the team's web portals, including the team's official website: NewYorkRedBulls.com.

Adding to the club's existing list of web content, including Red Bulls Wrap, a weekly podcast, Red Bulls Insider, a bi-weekly video program taking a behind-the-scenes look at the Red Bulls, the Red Bulls Facebook page, and RedBullsReader.com, the official blog of the club, are two new podcast offerings as well as two Twitter options.

This season the team has launched two new podcasts. Red Bulls Al Aire, a Spanish language offering hosted by the radio voices of the club, Ernesto Motta and Robert Sierra, posts new episodes every Wednesday. Every Thursday, a new offering is online from Petke's Podcasts, hosted by New York and MLS veteran Mike Petke, provides the players' view on the club, from the defender's unique, and often hilarious, point of view. All three podcasts are available through iTunes.

WE'RE ON TWITTER: The Red Bulls and Mike Petke have also joined Twitter.com, offering thoughts and information from the club 140 characters at a time. Follow the club at www.twitter.com/redbullsreader, and follow Petke at www.twitter.com/petkemike.