“Formation has an experienced team that has worked within the sports facility market — and is specifically focused in soccer,” said Andrew Lafiosca, Red Bull New York Vice President, Marketing and Sales. The company is a newly-created division of Formation Group PLC, a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange and is managed by Eddie Salcedo and Josh Keller.

The Red Bulls were without several first teamers, including goalkeeper Jon Conway, Dave van den Bergh, Dane Richards, Seth Stammler and Oscar Echeverry. Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna did not even make the trip due to injuries.

Still, the result is a major upset. Andrew Marshall and Gary Brooks scored goals for Crystal Palace in the 18th and 75th minutes, respectively, and the Baltimore side even played the last 56 minutes with 10 men after former New England Revolution player Ibrahim Kante was given a straight red card.

The Red Bulls managed only a handful of quality chances, appearing content with pushing the ball around in the midfield and settling for long, hopeful balls over the top that invariably resulted in turnovers.

Palace converted on their first opportunity when Marshall slipped inside two Red Bulls defenders and knocked home a header past goalkeeper Zach Thornton off a Bryan Harkin corner in the 18th minute to take a surprising 1-0 lead.

The match marked a homecoming for Red Bulls goalkeeper Zach Thornton, who was an All-America in soccer and lacrosse at nearby Loyola University in Baltimore. Thornton played in the USL during the inaugural season of the Baltimore Bays in 1993, before moving on to the MetroStars and MLS for their inaugural season in 1996.

With the surprising victory, Crystal Palace now books a place in the Open Cup quarterfinals against the New England Revolution, next Tuesday in New Britain, Conn.

Match Facts

Crystal Palace Baltimore vs. New York Red Bulls
July 01, 2008 — Broadneck High School; Annapolis, MD.

Scoring Summary:
BAL — Andrew Marshall 1 (Bryan Harkin ) 18
BAL — Gary Brooks 1 (Paul Robson ) 75

Crystal Palace Baltimore — Matt Nelson, Shintaro Harada, Ibrahim Kante, Paul Robson, Andrew Marshall, Pat Healey, Bryan Harkin (Mike Lookingland 60), Dan Lader, Larry Mark (Sergio Flores 88), Gary Brooks (Val Teixeira 79), Matthew Mbuta.

Substitutes Not Used: David Feazell, Cecil Lewis, Carlos Morales, Brian Rowland

New York Red Bulls — Zach Thornton, Chris Leitch (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 46), Kevin Goldthwaite, Carlos Mendes, Jeff Parke, John Gilkerson (Andrew Boyens 46), Luke Sassano, Gordon Kljestan (John Wolyniec 46), Mike Magee, Danleigh Borman (David Roth 63), Chris Megaloudis,

Substitutes Not Used: Hunter Freeman, Caleb Patterson-Sewell, Ricky Schramm

Misconduct Summary:
BAL — Larry Mark (caution; Reckless Foul) 21
BAL — Bryan Harkin (caution; Dissent) 26
NY — Mike Magee (caution; Dissent) 26
BAL — Gary Brooks (caution; Dissent) 30
BAL — Ibrahim Kante (caution; Dissent) 30
BAL — Ibrahim Kante (ejection; Serious Foul Play) 34
BAL — Matthew Mbuta (caution; Delaying a Restart) 44
NY — Mike Magee (ejection; Second Caution) 92+

Referee: Andrew Chapin
Referee’s Assistants: Bryan Roland; Rod Harnage
4th official: Jim Sadowsi
time of game: 1:54
attendance: 1,654
weather: Cloudy -and- 78 degrees

An inexcusable pass into no-man’s land by Kevin Goldwaithe led to Chivas USA’s equalizer in first half stoppage time, right when it appeared the Red Bulls would escape into the dressing room with the lead. The 1-1 score held up thanks largely to the heroics of Jon Conway, who twice saved what appeared to be certain goals by the home side. The Red Bulls ended up withstanding a ferocious onslaught by Chivas and hanging on for a deserved point at Carson City, Calif.

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New York had a solid start to the game, picking up right where they left off in the 2-1 victory over Dallas last week. These efforts were rewarded on 26 minutes when Dave van den Bergh’s free kick floated into the far corner of Brad Guzan’s goal untouched. Guzan inexplicably chose to put three men in the wall, even though it was taken from the side of the penalty box. The situation typically calls for a two man wall, with the third defender saved for marking duties.

“It was a training ground move,” said van den Bergh, who added that he was not trying to shoot. “We practice this a lot. We know that if somebody gets a head on it, it’s always on target, and it’s hard for the goalie, and if it skips, especially on a fast field, then we try to aim for the second post. It did skip, and a great goalie even like Guzan couldn’t handle that.”

The Red Bulls dodged a series of bullets shortly thereafter. Goldthwaite cleared a ball off the line and twice in short succession New York appeared to handle the ball in their penalty area. The referee’s whistle stayed silent, however. Unjustly so, replays showed.

Just when Juan Carlos Osorio’s men seemed to be in the clear, Goldthwaite gifted Chivas the game-tieing goal on the stroke of halftime. Alone with the ball on the left side of the field and nearing the touchline, Goldthwaite suddenly decided to turn on a dime and send the ball squarely into the center of the field–ostensibly toward Jeff Parke, who had turned and was headed upfield, unaware the ball was being played in his direction. Former Metro Ante Razov dutifully picked up the errant ball and easily slid it past an onrushing Conway.

“It was just a miscommunication in the back,” Dane Richards explained. “Goldthwaite was just trying to play to Parke and he was going up the field and Razov was sharp enough to pounce on it and he scored.”

“We really let them off the hook […] by basically giving them that goal to equalize the game, and after that it was just a very sloppy game,” said Osorio. The Red Bulls’ head coach suggested his team should have scored a second goal as well. “We could have made better decisions in our counter attacks,” he said.

Some of the team’s players were more disappointed. “Happy with a point away from home, but can see the players faces: very disappointed,” said Richards.

“You go up 1-0 and you have a chance to carry that on to the second half and you give up a childish goal,” said van den Bergh. “I’m disappointed that the game ends like that.”

The Red Bulls return to the East Coast and face Crystal Palace Baltimore in a U.S. Open Cup match Tuesday evening.

Match Facts

New York Red Bulls (5-4-5) vs. Chivas USA (5-6-3)
June 28, 2008 — The Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary:
NY — Dave van den Bergh 4 (unassisted) 26
CHV — Ante Razov 2 (unassisted) 49+

Lineups:
New York Red Bulls — Jon Conway, Hunter Freeman, Jeff Parke, Andrew Boyens, Kevin Goldthwaite, Carlos Mendes, Dane Richards, Seth Stammler (Luke Sassano 80), Dave van den Bergh, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Mike Magee 60), John Wolyniec (Oscar Echeverry 54),

Substitutes Not Used: Danleigh Borman, Chris Leitch, Chris Megaloudis, Zach Thornton

Chivas USA — Brad Guzan, Bobby Burling, Claudio Suarez, Jonathan Bornstein (Jorge Flores 68), Jim Curtin (Atiba Harris 46), Carey Talley, Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Francisco Mendoza, Justin Braun (Anthony Hamilton 88), Ante Razov,

Substitutes Not Used: Dan Kennedy, Daniel Paladini, Keith Savage, Shavar Thomas

Misconduct Summary:
CHV — Sacha Kljestan (caution; Tackle from Behind) 12
CHV — Jonathan Bornstein (caution; Professional Foul) 23
NY — Seth Stammler (caution; Tackle from Behind) 51
NY — Kevin Goldthwaite (caution; Reckless Foul) 62
NY — Luke Sassano (caution; Pushing, Holding) 87
CHV — Ante Razov (caution; Game Disrepute) 91+

Referee: Mauricio Navarro
Referee’s Assistants: Fabio Tovar; David Bragg
4th official: Yader Reyes
time of game: 1:59
attendance: 16,379
weather: Clear -and- 66 degrees

The 31-year old announced the news in an autograph session at the Hotel San Miguel in Maturin, the report says. He is supposed to travel to New York Monday, it adds. Rojas was quoted as saying “everything is ready,” and that he was happy with how things evolved.

The left wing has been capped 82 times by the Venezuelan national team.

Current Standings

The standings after Week 13.

*total MoM votes received, season (used as tie-breaker).

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Below all of this season’s Bulls of the Match polls, some of which still require votes…

“Gordon has impressed us since joining our team on trial a few weeks ago,” said Sporting Director Jeff Agoos. “We think that he can make a contribution to our squad and we’re excited to have him on board.”

Kljestan came into the League after being drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first round, 10 th overall in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft out of Seton Hall University . The Huntington Beach , Calif., native featured and started in six games for the Galaxy reserve team and logged 513 minutes. Kljestan was a 2006 All-Big East preseason selection and 2005 All-Big East honorable mention midfielder. Prior to signing with New York , Kljestan had started in two MLS Reserve League matches for the Red Bulls. Gordon, 24, is the brother of Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan.

Mesa signed with the Red Bulls on March 20, 2008 after training with the team in preseason. The Queens , N.Y., product played 251 minutes over four games for the Red Bulls reserve team this season. He had not appeared in a first team match.

New FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman was handed a rude introduction to MLS, as his team managed only four shots on the night and was repeatedly stifled in midfield by an aggressive and dynamic Red Bulls approach.

“We needed to be able to stay close to them and prevent them from playing freely,” said Osorio. “And I think the team did very well in that regard.”

Playing their second game since their embarrassing 4-1 loss at DC, the Red Bulls came out of the gate with energy all over the field. Their inspiration implied they were out to prove to their boss that he made the right choice picking the same starting team in consecutive games for the first time this season.

“After the disappointing performance in DC, we had a long conversation with the coach,” said Red Bull midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic. “As long as we give our best effort we’re going to be in every single game.”

The second year forward’s effort paid nearly paid off in the 7th minute. A nice bit of work in the corner freed Dane Richards, whose driven cross was volleyed spectacularly by Ubiparipovic and only just pushed around the post by Dallas goalkeeper Dario Sala.

After carrying most of the play early on, New York’s breakthrough came in the 16 minute, as a Ubiparipovic’s wicked inswinging corner found a charging Goldthwaite at the far post. The goal was the defender’s second of the season, but he wasn’t able to enjoy for long, as he was replaced by Jeff Parke just eight minutes later after managing to pull both his hamstrings.

Despite the early injury, New York was comfortably in command of the game. Seth Stammler and Carlos Mendes snuffed out any Dallas moves in the midfield as Osorio constantly adjusted and shifted his players around the chessboard. Mendes, playing his second straight game in a defensive midfield role, looked increasingly comfortable as the game progressed.

“With a team like that, you have to be physical and you can’t give them a lot of time,” said Mendes. “We were confident and got the three points.”

The loss was the fourth straight on the road for FC Dallas and their new head coach, and things don’t get any easier for Hyndman and his squad as they travel to Houston for a midweek fixture.

“I’m still getting to know the players’ names,” said Hyndman. “We’ve only had a couple of days of training with them to try to instill some ideas.”

The Red Bulls, on the other hand, seem to have finally grown comfortable with their new boss. His hands-on style was on display on the sideline, sleeves rolled up, as he constantly tweaked and adjusted his charges’ tactics throughout the game.

“This team is growing in confidence, and we played from the back into the middle,” said Osorio. “Hopefully, we can build on that.”

New York will take any momentum it may have gained on the road, as they start a string of four straight games west of the Mississippi with a midweek friendly against Chivas Guadalajara.

“It’s a great opportunity, especially for the young players, to play against top competition from Mexico. Next weekend, we play Chivas USA at their place, so it should be a very good game to be a part of and hopefully we can get a good result.”

Result or no, the sleeves will certainly be rolled up.

Nevertheless, New York managed to earn its first point on the road against the Revs since May 22, 2004, also in a 1-1 draw. Yesterday’s match concludes the two-game, regular-season series between the Revs and the Red Bulls.
With the draw, the Revs extended their unbeaten streak to seven games, which is the longest such streak by any team in MLS this season.

Match Report

New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls
June 18, 2008 – Foxborough, Mass. (Gillette Stadium)

Scoring Summary:
NY – Seth Stammler (Dave van den Bergh, Jon Conway) 37
NE – Steve Ralston (Kheli Dube, Jay Heaps) 79

New England Revolution: Matt Reis (GK), Jay Heaps, Michael Parkhurst, Chris Albright, Mauricio Castro (Wells Thompson 40), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi, Steve Ralston ©, Adam Cristman (Pat Phelan 71), Kheli Dube

Substitutes Not Used: Doug Warren (GK), Argenis Fernandez, Chase Hilgenbrinck, Amaechi Igwe, Chris Tierney

STATS: Shots 15; Shots on Goal 7; Saves 4; Corner Kicks 6; Offsides 1; Fouls Committed 10

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (GK), Dave van den Bergh, Kevin Goldthwaite, Andrew Boyens, Hunter Freeman, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler ©, Mike Magee (Luke Sassano 89), Dane Richards (Chris Megaloudis 55), Oscar Echeverry (John Wolyniec 62)

Substitutes Not Used: Caleb Patterson-Sewell (GK), Danleigh Borman, Chris Leitch, Jeff Parke

STATS: Shots 14; Shots on Goal 5; Saves 6; Corner Kicks 6; Offsides 3; Fouls Committed 15

Misconduct Summary:
NY – Sinisa Ubiparipovic (caution) 30
NY – Seth Stammler (caution) 53
NE – Sainey Nyassi (caution) 55
NE – Jeff Larentowicz (caution) 57

Referee: Joe Caroccio
Referee’s Assistants: Thomas Supple (SAR), Craig Lowry (JAR)
Fourth Official: Jorge Gonzalez
Time of Game: 1:55
Weather: Showers and 68 degrees
Attendance: 10,596

Claudio Reyna’s reign in MLS has been beset by injuries and disappointment. At times Red Bull has played better without him. At others, he has been a sorely-missed cog in the team’s defensive midfield. It won’t be long now before the bell tolls on Reyna’s professional soccer career. Should Captain America pull the plug now? Vote and sound off below.