UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. – The big news out of New York Red Bulls’ practice this week didn’t have anything to do with the upcoming match against Real Salt Lake, rather that the club was already lining up moves for the offseason. Sporting director Erik Soler said Tuesday that the team will add English winger Luke Rodgers this January and that he is pursuing Norwegian international Jan Gunnar Solli. Those comments have Red Bulls fans eyeing 2011 before their bid for the MLS Cup this year has really, truly begun.
Which all leads to the question: Just how good have been the moves by Soler in his first year with the club? Obviously, the signings of Thierry Henry and Rafa Márquez are no-brainers, but Soler has made plenty of other moves this year. How good is his track record with New York? Can fans trust that when Soler signs a player like Solli or a lower division player in the English league like Rodgers, that he is making the right move?
We take a look at the non-designated players Soler has signed this season, not including the draft picks, and grade each one to see how he’s doing.
Joel Lindpere – The Estonian international came in as a bit of a head scratcher for many New York fans who weren’t familiar with the midfielder or his pedigree. Compounding the skepticism was Lindpere’s national origin. Estonia is not generally known for its soccer prowess.
But Lindpere quieted all doubters quickly, becoming the first player to score at Red Bull Arena in a 4-1 friendly win over Brazilian club Santos. Then he opened the league goal-scoring account the next weekend in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire. Whether playing centrally or more recently out wide, Lindpere has been solidly consistent and a true workhorse. His distribution has been a key to the club’s success this season. Grade: A-
Roy Miller – The Costa Rican international came with a background in the Scandinavian leagues and his style and substance has been overall solid. Miller moves forward well with good touch and timing and has shown to be an adequate defender. At times, however, Miller struggles in 1 v 1 situations.
His timing on his challenges leaves something to be desired but all around, Miller has been a nice pick-up and brings some quality possession and touch to the backline. Grade: B
Chris Albright – A draft day acquisition, Albright was a big question mark coming off a knee injury that shelved him most of last season. By the World Cup break, the former US international had worked his way into the Starting XI. Albright’s ability to win his challenges is vastly underrated and he moves into the attack incredibly well, a trait that has been lacking in recent years for New York.
He was a gamble, but a gamble that has paid off big for the Red Bulls. Grade: A-
Greg Sutton – The signing of the former Toronto FC keeper as a backup meant that fan favorite Danny Cepero was let go this spring. No matter to Sutton, who keyed the Red Bulls through three U.S. Open Cup wins and has been very solid in his several league appearances. His save on Robbie Findley last month, a beautiful reaction save from near point-blank range, is one of the saves of the year.
It’s likely that Sutton’s solid performances have played him into a starting position on one of the two expansion teams coming into MLS next year. Grade: B
Carl Robinson – The Red Bulls dealt for the former Welsh international just days before the opening of Red Bull Arena and Robinson has been solid. He started consistently early in the season but a nagging knee injury forced him into surgery. Now back, he’s an option off the bench for the Red Bulls and adds some chippy flavor to the match when New York try to hold onto a lead.
His leadership on the practice field can’t be put into words. A true class act who had the endorsement of assistant coach Richie Williams when he got here. Grade: B
Salou Ibrahim – There is no denying that Ibrahim is a talented player who has a good work ethic and can score some goals, but as one of the highest priced players on a squad full of strikers, his signing was always a bit of a puzzle. He’s not a speedy or pesky guy coming off the bench when you need a goal – he’s too big and plodding for that. His signing, when everyone knew Theirry Henry was coming in July, always seemed a bit questionable.
With that being said, Ibrahim can play in MLS. It just won’t be for New York next year. Or at least it shouldn’t be. Grade: C+
Carey Talley – Talley has just one game with the Red Bulls and he didn’t even make it out of the first half before picking up a hamstring injury. But it was a good move. Keeping in mind that Albright is still in many ways recovering from injury, Talley is good defensive cover and a veteran presence on the team.
Once he gets healthy in mid-October, Talley will be nice to have on the bench. Red Bulls fans will have to hope he’ll be entering the MLS Cup final in the 85th minute to help hold onto the lead. Grade: B-
Kristian R. Dyer can be reached for comment at KristianRDyer@yahoo.com and followed at twitter.com/kdyer1012
