Weekly Update: To Rio Tinto we will go

RED BULLS FINISH ROAD SWING AT RSL:
The New York Red Bulls will wrap up a three-game road trip when they take on Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 10:00 PM ET (TV: ESPN2; Radio: WADO 1280 AM).

New York is coming off a bye week and earned much-needed rest after making two consecutive trips to California. After earning a 1-1 draw at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, the Red Bulls fell to the San Jose Earthquakes, 1-0, at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Red Bulls travel to face a Real Salt Lake side that was also off from MLS action, but played to a 1-1 tie against Chivas de Guadalajara on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Fabian Espindola scored the lone goal for the hosts in a match which saw seven yellow cards and two red cards. In regular season action, RSL is winless in its last three, most recently dropping a 3-0 decision to FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Sept. 26. Jeff Cunningham scored twice, while David Ferreira also found the back of the net. With 34 points this season, Real Salt Lake still has a shot to earn a berth in the MLS playoffs, but needs positive results from its remaining three games and is currently four points from a playoff spot.

New York has never lost to its Western Conference rival in any competition, going 4-0-6 overall. The Red Bulls won the first encounter between the two sides, 2-0, on April 18 at Giants Stadium. Macoumba Kandji and Juan Pablo Angel scored on either side of halftime while goalkeeper Jon Conway made four saves for the shutout. That meeting was the first time the squads had faced off since the Red Bulls defeated RSL, 1-0, on Nov. 15, 2008 at Rio Tinto Stadium in the Western Conference Final, giving New York their first-ever berth into the MLS Cup. Midfielder Dave van den Bergh scored a first half goal while goalkeeper Danny Cepero made seven saves for the shutout.

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

LAST WEEK:
OFF

THIS WEEK:
Red Bulls at Real Salt Lake on Oct. 14 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah at 10:00 PM ET (TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)

NEXT WEEK:
Red Bulls vs. Toronto FC on Oct. 24 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ at 7:30 PM ET (TV: MSG 2; Radio: WADO 1280 AM)

RED BULLS SHAKEN BY QUAKES: The New York Red Bulls lost a tight, 1-0 decision, to the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday, Oct. 3 in front of announced sellout crowd of 10,525 at Buck Shaw Stadium. A Ryan Johnson first half penalty kick goal was enough to drop the Red Bulls to 4-18-6 (18 pts.) in 2009 despite New York's strong defensive performance. The Red Bulls have conceded just four goals in their last five matches.

In the fifth minute, San Jose was the first side to test the opposing team's goalkeeper. An Andre Luiz corner kick found Johnson, who headed it down. Ramiro Corrales tried to redirect it into the net, but New York goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul was there to tip it away. Five minutes later, Earthquakes midfielder Bobby Convey found space from 22-yards-out and forced Coundoul to make a diving save off his left-footed attempt.

Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards created New York's opening scoring opportunity 16 minutes in, as he raced by his defender by the right sideline before cutting it back to Juan Pablo Angel, whose shot from inside the penalty box was deflected away. Earthquakes forward Arturo Alvarez then made the game's best chance up to that point, firing a long-range blast that Coundoul could only punch away.

Alvarez played an instrumental role in the only goal of the game in the 24th minute. He had the ball on the right wing, before striding towards goal between two Red Bulls defenders. The forward looked to be knocked down near the edge of the penalty box and referee Steven DePiero awarded a penalty kick, which was subsequently converted by Johnson to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

The Red Bulls thought they had a penalty kick of their own right before the half when they argued that a San Jose player committed a foul after a foray in the box, but DePiero waved their appeals off.

After the halftime break, New York threatened to tie the game four minutes into the second half, as Sinisa Ubiparipovic slid a through ball into the penalty box to Angel, who couldn't get his left-footed attempt on frame. Moments later, Angel rifled a 20-yard shot towards the goal's bottom left corner that a fully extended Joe Cannon poked away.

Alvarez nearly doubled San Jose's advantage later when he headed a Chris Wondolowski tap on into Coundoul's hands from close range. The Earthquakes forward continued to be a threat to New York's defense and got free in the Red Bulls' box in the 55th minute, but his low shot was smothered by Coundoul.

With less than 25 minutes left in the match, Red Bulls forward Macoumba Kandji brushed off his defender on the right side of San Jose's 18-yard box and dished it off to Ubiparipovic. Ubiparipovic found Angel 12 yards away from goal and his shot was blocked. Richards and Kandji later had long-range attempts that skied high over the crossbar.

The Red Bulls were missing midfielders Albert Celades (ankle sprain), Ernst Oebster (illness) Jorge Rojas (left knee) and Nick Zimmerman (right ankle contusion) and forward John Wolyniec (left ankle sprain) due to injury.

2010 SEASON TICKET PLANS ON SALE OCT. 15: New York Red Bulls 2010 Full Season Ticket Plans will go on sale to the general public on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10 AM ET. The Red Bulls will move into their brand new stadium, Red Bull Arena, in Harrison, NJ, for the 2010 Major League Soccer season. Easily accessible by public transportation and located in a traditional and diverse soccer hotbed, Red Bull Arena is expected to be one of the premier venues of its kind in the United States.

Red Bulls Season Ticket Holders in 2010 will receive several exclusive benefits including the first right to purchase tickets for other Red Bull Arena events, a Season Ticket Holder Gift and access to Meet the Team Day. Club seats, located behind the team benches, are already available for purchase. These premium seat holders enjoy several unique features, including access to a private club for all-inclusive food and beverage service, as well as the same benefits that are granted to Full Season Ticket Holders.

The prices for 2010 Full Season Ticket Plans are as follows:

2010 Full Season Plans
Club Seats: $3,000
Midfield: $585
Sideline: $425
Corner Flag: $335
Endline: $299
Supporters: $272

With seats as close as seven yards from the touchline and located underneath a dynamic 360-degree roof, Red Bull Arena will be the ultimate sporting experience for soccer and causal fans alike. Detailed information regarding Red Bull Arena can also be found by logging onto www.redbullarena.us.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto newyorkredbulls.com.

MSG TV CHANGE: One Red Bulls match originally scheduled to be telecast live on MSG was switched to another channel, as New York's Oct. 24 clash against Toronto FC at 7:30 PM was moved from MSG to MSG 2.

KILLER D: Despite to the Red Bulls' 1-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 3, New York continued its strong defensive form recently. In their past five games, the Red Bulls have not conceded more than one goal per game and have let in only four goals during this span. Only Chivas USA (1) and Seattle Sounders FC (3) have conceded less goals in the past five games while the Kansas City Wizards (4) are tied with New York.

Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, who made seven saves against the Earthquakes, has been part of a defense that has a 0.80 goals against average in its last five games. Andrew Boyens has featured in all five games while Carlos Johnson and Mike Petke started in four.

COUNDOUL CALLED UP TO SENEGAL: Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul has been called up to the Senegalese National Team for their friendly against South Korea in Seoul on Oct. 14. As a result, Coundoul is not be available for the Red Bulls' Oct. 14 tilt against Real Salt Lake. Coundoul left the Red Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to join the squad, which trained in Paris, France.

PATTERSON-SEWELL JOINS TEAM: The Red Bulls have signed goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell after receiving League approval for a case of extreme hardship. He will be available for the Red Bulls' Wednesday match against Real Salt Lake at 10:00 PM. Patterson-Sewell was added, as goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul is with the Senegalese National Team for their friendly against South Korea Wednesday.

Patterson-Sewell was a Red Bull in 2008, but did not see any first team action. This season, he joined USL-1 side, the Carolina RailHawks, where he started in 15 games and posted 10 shutouts and a 0.533 goals against average.

WOLYNIEC, GOLDTHWAITE UNDERGO SURGERY: The New York Red Bulls announced that forward John Wolyniec and defender Kevin Goldthwaite underwent season-ending surgeries last week.

Wolyniec underwent right ankle surgery Tuesday, Oct. 6, to remove two bone chips. The procedure was performed by Dr. David Levine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY. Wolyniec sustained the injury after scoring a goal-tying in New York's 1-1 draw against the New England Revolution on Sept. 18. He is expected to miss six weeks. Second all-time in club history in games played with 138, Wolyniec, 32, has scored two goals and an assist in 20 appearances - eight of which were starts - this season.

Goldthwaite had a left adductor release procedure performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, PA, on Wednesday, Oct. 7. His recovery time was expected to be three to eight weeks. Goldthwaite, 26, was acquired from Toronto FC in the middle of the 2007 season and has started in 17 games for the Red Bulls in 2009. He was New York's 2008 Defender of the Year after playing in a career-high 28 games and tallying two goals and two assists.

WILLIAMS AT THE HELM: Red Bulls interim head coach Richie Williams, who took the helm after the resignation of Juan Carlos Osorio on Aug. 21, is now 2-2-2 this season and 5-5-4 all-time. Williams guided the Red Bulls to two-straight wins in late August over FC Dallas (Aug. 23) and Columbus Crew (Aug. 30) and helped New York earn its first point on the road since April 11 (0-0 tie at Houston) with a 1-1 draw against Chivas USA on Sept. 26.

BOYENS GOES FOR WORLD CUP BERTH: Red Bulls defender Andrew Boyens was called up to the New Zealand National Team for the first leg of its 2010 World Cup Qualifiying two-leg playoff against Bahrain. The first leg took place in Bahrain's National Stadium in Manama on Oct. 10 - a game New Zealand tied 0-0. Boyens, who did not play in the match, joined the New Zealand squad after New York's 1-0 loss to San Jose on Oct. 3.

The All Whites host the second leg at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Nov. 14. The winner of the series will qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Boyens has earned 12 caps for his national team and competed at the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa for New Zealand last summer. New Zealand qualified for this final playoff stage after winning the Oceania qualifying zone last year. The 26-year-old has started in 12 games this season for New York.

CELADES A FATHER: Red Bulls midfielder Albert Celades became a father on Wednesday, Oct. 7, as his wife gave birth to a baby girl.

JPA BREAKS GOALS RECORD: Red Bulls forward Juan Pablo Angel surpassed Clint Mathis for the club's record for goals scored in all competitions with his 84th minute strike in a 1-1 draw against Chivas USA on Saturday, Sept. 26. Angel has 46 goals in all competitions, 43 of which were scored in the regular season. He scored his 46th goal in just his 78th appearance, garnering a strike rate of 0.59 goals per match. Mathis needed 100 appearances to reach 45 goals. Angel also eclipsed the team's regular season goal mark of 41, scoring his 42nd in just 68 matches (0.60 goals per regular season game).

GOALS (Regular Season)

GOALS (All Competitions)

ANGEL TOP SCORER SINCE 2007: Over the past three seasons, since Angel joined the League from Aston Villa as New York's second Designated Player in April 2007, he has been MLS' most prolific goal scorer in the regular season.

GOALS (Regular Season)

RED BULLS TO OPEN RED BULL ARENA VS. FIRE: The New York Red Bulls will open Red Bull Arena on Saturday, March 27, 2010, when they host the Chicago Fire at 7:00 PM ET for the start their 2010 MLS Regular Season slate. The game will be telecast nationally on ESPN2. The match is just 184 days away as of Sept. 23 and will be the first MLS game in the new stadium.

"We are excited to be opening Red Bull Arena on the first weekend of MLS action," said Red Bulls Managing Director Erik Stover. "Red Bull Arena will provide an unparalleled experience for our fans and players. The inaugural match will be a special evening and we look forward to showcasing our new stadium."

Easily accessible by public transportation and located in a diverse soccer hotbed, Red Bull Arena, located in Harrison, NJ, is expected to be one of the premier venues of its kind in the United States. Vertical construction on the 25,000-seat venue started in August 2008. With seats as close as seven yards from the touchline and located underneath a dynamic 360-degree roof, Red Bull Arena will be the ultimate sporting experience for soccer and causal fans alike. Detailed information regarding Red Bull Arena can be found by logging onto www.redbullarena.us.

The Red Bulls' opener will be the first match of a 30-game schedule, which will be released by the League in full prior to the kickoff of next season.

PETKE REACHES TOP 10: Red Bulls defender Mike Petke moved into the Top-10 in all-time minutes played in MLS history, passing forward Mark Chung with his 90-minute performance in a 1-1 tie against Chivas USA on Saturday, Sept. 26. Petke added 90 more minutes to his total Saturday in San Jose. Over the course of Petke's 12 MLS campaigns with New York, D.C. United and Colorado, he has seen 24,549 minutes of action. Originally drafted by New York in the first round of the 1998 MLS SuperDraft, Petke is in his second stint with the club. The Sept. 26 match at Chivas USA was his 150th career appearance for New York and his 144th career start. Petke leads the club in both categories.

MLS All-Time Minutes Played Leaders
1. Steve Ralston (33,143)
2. Kevin Hartman (29,565)
3. Jay Heaps (27,093)
4. Chris Henderson (26,242)
5. Chris Klein (25,932)
6. Jesse Marsch (25,542)
7. Jason Kreis (25,242)
8. Cobi Jones (25,157)
9. Jaime Moreno (24,807)
10. Mike Petke (24,639)

- Still active.

ARE YOU FOLLOWING?: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.