Once A Metro

New York Red Bulls Travel to Rio Tinto Stadium

2010-09-04T04:36:58Z

More photos » Mike Stobe - Getty Images for New York Red Bu

Will the dynamic duo lead the Red Bulls to victory in Real Salt Lake?

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the toughest month for the Red Bulls this year. The Red Bulls travel to Salt Lake to take on Real Salt Lake in a match to determine who is the best #2 team in their respected conference. These teams have had similar paths this year. Real Salt Lake are the defending league champions and a win this weekend and a loss by the Galaxy will place both as the #1 in the West. The Red Bulls are perhaps the most improved team in the MLS. With major news worthy signings as well as a goalie not named Conway, the Red Bulls winning tomorrow would put them one point behind the Columbus Crew.

The Red Bulls will be affected by national team call ups with Bouna Coundoul, Rafael Marquez, Dane Richards, and Roy Miller all pulling international duty. Bouna has been an amazing goalie this year as the league leader in clean sheets. The loss of Dane Richards and Rafael Marquez is a shame as the starting lineup was finally clicking and this is a game without our players on the same wavelength. The good news is that Thierry Henry and Juan Pablo Angel are both still in the line up and Macoumba Kandji should start. Kandji had an amazing game against Manchester City but due to slacking off in practice, he fell out of the starting line up. At 6'4", he's almost impossible for a team to cover at the attacking midfield role. The Red Bulls offense should test the RSL defense and as an optimist I'd like to believe the pairing of the DPs up top should be more than enough to put two in net, but Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave have been phenomenal this year and I wouldn't be surprised for the Salt Lake team to keep a clean sheet.

The key match up in my opinion is Robbie Findley, who perhaps was the biggest waste of a roster spot for the National team in South Africa, and the Tim Ream/Carlos Mendes duo. Findley has the speed to cause a ton of problems for a very technical but not high paced Red Bulls defense, but lacks the finishing ability of RSL's leading scorer Alvaro Saborio. If Findley can out pace our defense, it will be a long night in Salt Lake; however, if our defense can mark him, the Red Bulls have a solid chance at coming away with a W. Greg Sutton will be starting in net. He's a smarter goal keeper than Coundoul but not as athletic which is a fear in my eyes.

Final thoughts after the jump

Historically speaking, the Red Bulls should win. They are 3-1-6 all time against the Real Salt Lake. However, once you look at the numbers further, you'll see that the New York team has never won a regular season game at Rio Tinto and Salt Lake has scored more goals in the overall series. This game also has other significance, as Real Salt Lake is currently riding a 21 straight game home win streak. The Red Bulls have played spoiler this year with our win at Toronto. The big question is if they can do it again.

I'll have a game thread up tomorrow around 6pm EST. Game will air at 9pm on MSG.

MLS is fixing who wins Goal of the Week. Good to know it's such a fan friendly league.

2010-09-03T18:22:30Z

MLS is fixing who wins Goal of the Week. Good to know it's such a fan friendly league.

Dane Richards wins MLS goal of the week. As you can see there is a ton of controversy.

NY Red Bulls: Defender Mike Petke to retire at the end of the 2010 season. Petke is RBNY's all-time...

2010-09-01T17:54:53Z

NY Red Bulls: Defender Mike Petke to retire at the end of the 2010 season. Petke is RBNY's all-time leader in minutes played at 14,006.

728-55

San Jose at Red Bulls game thread

2010-08-28T21:49:30Z

More photos » Brian Bahr - Getty Images

Hopefully today Bouna Coundoul is able to keep a clean sheet. He currently has ten on the season.

Browse more photos »

The San Jose Earthquakes travel to Harrison, New Jersey to take on the New York Red Bulls. The first time they met this season, the Earthquakes won by an embarrassing score of 4-0 at home. This was the absolute low point for the New York squad this season after an incredibly strong start. Since this game the teams have moved in opposite directions with the Red Bulls staying undefeated for June and July and settling in as the consensus number two team in the East while San Jose has slipped to fifth in the West with a playoff birth being uncertain.

The standings aren't the only changes these teams have made. The Red Bulls made a splash this summer with the signings of Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez. While neither has been the immediate dominating force we've hoped for, they have played a solidly. Henry is still looking for his first goal but he's become a legitimate assist threat and due to defenders playing tightly on him, has opened up other Red Bull players who haven't been scoring threats this season.

The Earthquakes closed out the transfer window with a massive signing of Geovanni. He's only played 18 minutes so far and won't be starting but he's a very solid international talent who should improve a tired Earthquake midfield.

Game time is 7:30 PM and airs on MSG. I'll be watching the game and then switching over to SBnation's top MMA site Bloodyelbow.com to discuss UFC 118.

New York Red Bulls at Toronto F.C. Game Thread

2010-08-21T17:12:44Z

More photos » Mike Stobe - Getty Images for New York Red Bu

Can Thierry Henry meet expectations today in Toronto?

Browse more photos »

In what could be the most important game of the season, the Red Bulls travel up to Toronto to complete the season series. Last time the teams met, the Red Bulls came away with a 1-0 victory at home at Red Bull Arena. BMO field has been a fortress this season with Toronto being undefeated in 14 appearances at home. This game is important as it will also allow the Red Bulls to clinch a playoff spot and be considered the clear #2 in the East. The team was unable to take advantage of the Crew losing to Real Salt Lake last weekend which would have been a 6 point swing if the New York Team could have put away the Galaxy.

This week has been pretty quiet on the Red Bulls front, Thierry Henry is expected to play the full 90 today and Rafael Marquez told the press that the MLS is the most physical league he has played in. I'm hoping that both players can be at full fitness by September which will be perhaps the most difficult month of soccer. Games against the Salt Lake, Colorado, Dallas, and LA means our DPs need to figure out how to adjust to the physicality and synch up with the rest of the team.

Today should be very physical and hopefully New York comes out on top. Just a note, Macoumba Kandji was unable to travel as his paperwork was not in place.

LA Galaxy vs Red Bulls Review: You can't buy wins

2010-08-15T16:57:09Z

Mike Stobe - Getty Images for New York Red Bu

25 days ago: HARRISON NJ - AUGUST 14: A general view of Red Bull Arena during the match between the New York Red Bulls and the Los Angeles Galaxy on August 14 2010 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison New Jersey. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for New York Red Bulls)

View full size photo »

Last night was the first time all of our brand spanking new Designated Players were on the pitch together at Red Bull Arena. To say hopes were high is complete understatement. Rafael Marquez and Thierry Henry spent years playing with one another in Barcelona and Juan Pablo Angel has been our single saving grace since 2007. The pieces were put together brilliantly, the 1-2 combination of Henry/Angel would run circles around any defense in the MLS and Rafael Marquez was going to tighten up a mediocre midfield that often was unable to push the ball forward to set up the attack. Everyone bought into the hype as an uneducated New York Media (save Brian Lewis from the post, he knows soccer) hyped up this new team.

I personally was excited for this game. I'm in the process of a move and yesterday was my last home game, at least for this year. I will be returning for our games against the D.C. Scum next year since that's a rivalry you need to experience first hand. As cliche as it sounds, "the stage was set" for me to leave on a win. My support group was out with big numbers, there was a good feeling all around that we'd walk away with a win and then walk through Newark shirtless (a tradition when we win).

The game itself was decent. The team was moving the ball well with some opportunities to go ahead 1-0 early on but unfortunately Rickets was playing very well. A Juan Pablo Angel header off the cross bar in the first half as well as his PK from 25 yards out were heart breakers. This is the same old story with the Red Bulls: Missed Chances. The Galaxy didn't make such mistakes as they were able to capitalize a lazy pass from Rafa that hit Enson Buddle square in the chest which allowed him to split the defense and put a ball past now fan favorite Bouna Coundoul. Bouna has been on fire since a very shaky month of May and even in yesterday's loss showed why he's the starter. He needs to work on his on field IQ but he's playing very well and is able to make up for his mental errors with athleticism.

After the jump I will discuss the second half as well as just random thoughts...

The second half started and you could tell the Red Bulls were playing with some pep in their step. They understood they were down and needed to come back. The offense was looking good but it just felt like the referees were controlling the game. The non call on Henry in the box sticks out best in my mind. This mugging led to Angel losing his cool and looking like he'd slug the ref. He was swiftly rewarded with a yellow card. Talk about a momentum killer. This wasn't the only bad call by the refs either. The Red Bulls were called off sides a staggering eight times. While the Galaxy defense was playing very tight, there were times when the New York squad was clearly on sides when the whistle was blown.

The Red Bulls played well despite the loss. It's obvious that the chemistry isn't there yet but that's to be expected. Your major signings haven't had the time to get a feel for each other on the field and it shows. The second half of the game was like the first with the team just missing out on their chances. The Red Bulls just couldn't convert and with the time running out and one last opportunity to score, Macoumba Kandji was unable to put enough power on the ball to equalize.

The Stadium was incredibly loud. I actually moved to the other side of the stadium during the second half to my actual seats in 116 and was still able to hear the chants from the South Ward. While it was an "official" sell out, anyone who was at the game will tell you there were plenty of empty seats. The amount of scalpers trying to sell tickets outside was ridiculous.

For my last home game I had a ton of fun, if any of you make it down to either Houston or Dallas next year let me know, I'll be at both games.

Once a Metro Update

2010-08-12T16:49:06Z

Hey everyone, just wanted to update as to why there have been no stories for the past two weeks. I've been traveling to Texas to visit family and staying at a hostel with very limited internet access. Unfortunately this meant that I've only had my iPhone to depend on and can't update using that platform.

I fly home tonight and will have previews/reviews for the next games. I apologize for this and thank whoever has continually visited this site during this time.

A few thoughts on last night's game

2010-08-09T15:32:01Z

Living as I do in an area owned by a cable company that refuses to carry MSG, (even though every so often they will play a Knicks game on one of their surplus channels,) I relish the opportunity to watch the Redballs on ESPN. Add to that the debut of Marquez, the first national TV appearance of Henry, and the fact that the match was against Chicago, a team I've grown to dislike heartily over the last few seasons, I was looking forward to last night's matchup all week.

Needless to say, I was somewhat disappointed. I never expected Marquez to play the entire match, and 60 minutes was about all you could want from him in his debut. He seemed to have a definite presence in the midfield, providing a link between the defense and the forwards, even if the play from the back seemed a little tentative at first.

Obviously the main source of disappointment, apart from the lack of goals, was the departure before the half of Henry. For most of his 45 minutes, Henry was a man among boys, and you have to think that had he not been taken off as a precaution, he would have found a way to the back of the net. Two sequences in particular stand out from him. The first was a run at the left side of the box, where he followed up a stutter step with a long touch and sprint that led to a shot on goal, saved by Johnson, who absolutely stood on his head in this match to keep New York from scoring. The second was on the right side, just outside the area, where Henry pulled off a series of aerial touches, juggling the ball around and over Chicago defenders, before chipping a pass into the area that Kandji could have done more with.

These were just two moments, there were others, but if this is what we are going to see on a regular basis, I will probably have to buy that Direct Kick package.

The team continued to play well, even after Henry and Marquez were taken off. Stammler filled in well and had a nice shot, maybe not quite on goal, but close enough for Johnson to save and earn a corner kick. Angel had a couple of shots that were somehow stopped by the Chicago keeper, who also got his hand on a cracker from Tim Ream that was heading under the bar.

This is the first time in months that i've gotten to watch a Redballs game, and although I was disappointed by the result, especially considering that the tally for shots was 22(!) to 6, but there was a great deal that was encouraging. Unfortunately, the next game on a channel I actually get may be months away...

Game Preview: Three Questions with Houston Dynamo

2010-07-31T22:28:25Z

Hey guys, sorry I got this up so late. Unfortunately due to extenuating circumstances (tire blow out) I'm in Austin and won't be live at the game as originally planned. I emailed Jordan from www.houston.sbnation.com three questions regarding today's match. Below are his answers:

In the last game, it was a shoot out with the Red Bulls taking 21 shots
and the Dynamo 14. What changes have been made to the Dynamo defense to ensure that the duo of Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry don't have
the opportunity to find the back of the net?

There really haven’t been any major changes to the Dynamo defense since the
two teams last played. Houston released veteran defender Craig Waibel
(who never really played), but no new players have been signed and Coach
Kinnear has been consistently running the same back line of Mike
Robinson, Eddie Robinson, Bobby Boswell, and Andrew Hainault. While this
is more or less the same group as last year, the defense this year has
not been near as effective or strong. As we saw in the last meeting of
the two teams, Houston’s defense seems susceptible to speed and counter
attacks, two things the Red Bulls are very good at. For Saturday’s
match, the Dynamo is without Bobby Boswell, who misses the game after
receiving two yellow cards against the Crew. This doesn’t bode well for
Houston and I honestly think that the Red Bulls will score at least one
goal tonight.

Brian Ching appears to be the only threat the Dynamo have on offense. Am I
missing something or is the team really as one dimensional as they
appear? They've lost some really close games which makes me think they
could be sitting 4th in the West.

This season Ching hasn’t been near as effective as seasons past. Because of
this, the scoring load (when Houston actually scores) has been carried
by the midfield players, who have the majority of the goals. Brad Davis,
Danny Cruz and Lovel Palmer have all contributed to the Dynamo’s
scoring tally, but I think Houston’s most creative player is Joseph
Ngwenya. The second-time Dynamo has the most creative feet and seems to
see the field the best of Houston’s attacking players. Unfortunatly,
Ngwenya carried a heavy load during SuperLiga and Open Cup play, so
Coach Kinnear has not been starting as much as I would like to see.
Ideally, I think Houston should start with Ching and Ngwenya up top as
part of a 4-4-2 or run a 4-4-3 with Dominic Oduro added to the attack.
However, I have a hunch that Houston will start with a 4-4-2 in order
maximize midfield players in an effort to contain New York’s attack.

The Dynamo seem to have a pretty difficult schedule going into the second
half the season. What are your realistic expectations for the team and
what needs to change for this team to make the playoffs?

For the run-in, the Dynamo are looking at two games against the Revolution,
Sounders, and Earthquakes and second games against Chicago, Colorado,
Kansas City, DC United and the Union; not an easy schedule. While I
really want to be a fanboy and say that Houston can make the playoffs, I
think fans need to temper their expectations. The club has struggled
this season with age, injuries, suspensions, and certainly the loss of
Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark in the offseason and De Rosario last year.
Losing our midfield core has really hurt the team and put the club in a
position of trying to patch holes in the roster. I foresee the remainder
of the season, I see Coach Kinnear pushing to make a playoff run, but
doing so with a core group of the younger players of the club’s future.
Danny Cruz, Lovel Palmer, Corey Ashe and Tally Hall. I think the
coaching staff recognize that a playoff push is possible but not
probable and will start looking more to the future and giving the
younger guys more playing time. All of this will lead to an off-season
unload of older, expensive and less-effective players.

Macoumba Kandji: EPL Bound? Huh?

2010-07-28T16:48:54Z

Mike Stobe - Getty Images for New York Red Bu

Is Macoumba Kandji ready to join an English Premiere League team? Patrick Viera of Manchester City thinks so.

View full size photo »

I like Mac Kandji. I think he fits very nicely into the current Red Bulls system under coach Hans Backe. He has developed nicely during his time with the team and prior to injury was showing signs of brilliance. He has the potential to be something really special just based on his physical qualities. It's not too easy defending against a 6'4" 215 lb center attacking midfielder and he'll develop while being mentored by Thierry Henry, who has taken the Senegalese footballer under his wing since arriving in New York.

This past week, Red Bull Arena hosted Barclays New York Football Challenge and to say that Kandji was impressive would be understatement. In the opening game against Tottenham, he played next to Thierry Henry as Juan Pablo Angel was nursing a sprained ankle. While he didn't score any goals, he did have plenty of opportunities and was a constant threat to the Tottenham backline. He impressed the Frenchman who had nothing but good things about his new teammate. Brian Williams reports "Harry Redknapp said he liked him, the Spurs backroom staff spoke to him after the game and enquired what his situation was." He played the full 90 minutes which I'm sure also impressed these two clubs.

If the Hotspur game was Thierry Henry's coming out party, then the Manchester City game was Macoumba Kandji's. He scored the team's first goal off a crossing pass from Dane Richards. In the second half, he repaid Richards with a pass back that set up a 30 yard goal. While the media is selling the ManCity game as Richard's best game, it was Kandji would came away impressing the billionaire club. After the game, Emmanuel Adebayor and Patrick Viera sought him out to tell him he has the talent to play in the EPL.

This begs the question, are there other players within the MLS that could also compete in the higher quality leagues? Macoumba Kandji isn't the top player in the league and there are other's who may be far more deserving. A player like Steve Zakuani of the Seattle Sounders has put together a better resume. So this begs the question, of the young players in the MLS, who would you say deserves to join an EPL team?

Once A Metro Update: I will traveling to Texas for a Week

2010-07-27T20:54:05Z

There will be limited updates until August 7th when I get home from Texas. I'm going to be visiting some family and looking for a place to live. I will be on hand at the New York Red Bull/Houston Dynamo game courtesy of the MLS, who have answered my twitter plea for tickets to that match. I will have up a Three Questions which will be from the SBHouston writer and I'll be live tweeting (twitter.com/once_a_metro) for those that aren't able to watch the game on TV. Before I leave for the Stadium on Saturday I'll put up a game thread for you guys to discuss the game here.

If you have any suggestions for questions to ask the Houston writer please post them here. I will be tailgating with the Houston Supporters and will have a full review up of the entire experience afterwards.

Who Is This Rafael Marquez Guy Anyways?

2010-07-27T18:56:19Z

via i2.cdn.turner.com

For those that have not yet heard, Mexican National Team Captain Rafael Marquez has been signed by the New York Red Bulls. He's been long rumored and will finally be announced by the team on Friday. No word on if the announcement will take place in Houston or at Red Bull arena but the contract is for three years with a fourth year as a club option. Each year he is set to make anywhere between $2.8 and 3 million making him one of the highest paid Designated Players in league history. He has been a member of FC Barcelona with our other major signing Thierry Henry since 2003 and has been considered on of the elite central defenders in the world. He also has the ability to play defensive midfield, a position the team desperately needs filled.

Marquez began his career with the Mexican team Atlas when he was 17. After playing in 77 games his contract was purchased by Monaco, who also had Thierry Henry under contract in 1999. In his first season with the club, he helped lead them to the French title. He remained with the team until 2003, despite receiving many offers from more prestigious teams. It was only until Barcelona signed him for 5million Euro that he made the made the switch.

It was at Barcelona that he rose to prominence within the International Soccer Community. In his first season he helped the team finish in second in La Liga. The following year he was moved from center back to defensive midfield due to injuries the team suffered. He was a one of the important pieces that helped the team win its 17th league title in 2005. Injuries kept him off the field for much of the following season but he was instrumental in the team winning the Champions League final in 2006. He suffered injuries in the subsequent seasons and didn't see much time as his role was diminished.

With the Mexican National Team, he's been a mainstay in the backfield. The best way to describe his career is tumultuous, with him being both a national hero and a villain. He was the lone goal scorer in Mexico's four appearances at the 2006 World Cup. He also was red carded after headbutting Cobi Jones in the final minutes of the match against the US Mens National Team at the 2002 World Cup. It is for this reason that there are some Red Bulls fans who are not too excited about Marquez joining the team.

After the jump I'll talk about his playing style and include a highlight video....

Rafa brings a very aggressive game to the MLS. He's not afraid to take chances which will translate very well to the physical style of the MLS. He also has an ability to control the ball which is something the team needs help with after seeing how poorly they played against Columbus. I expect him to anchor our midfield as I don't believe Hans Backe would want to break up the defensive pairing of Carlos Mendes and Tim Ream who have been playing great soccer this season.

The expected line up is as follows:

Bouna Coundoul - GK

Chris Albright - D

Danleigh Borman - D

Tim Ream - D

Carlos Mendes - D

Rafael Marquez - DM

Dane Richards - M

Joel Lindpere - M

Macoumba Kandji - CAM

Thierry Henry - F

Juan Pablo Angel - F

Rafa Marquez [HD] (via GAEL26)

RBNY: Confirmed from league source, Revs not looking to trade Shalrie Joseph this year...

2010-07-27T16:22:18Z

RBNY: Confirmed from league source, Revs not looking to trade Shalrie Joseph this year...

Well the rumor was fun while it lasted

New York with the hardest schedule for the remainder of the Season

2010-07-26T19:33:48Z

New York with the hardest schedule for the remainder of the Season

Duane from 24th Minute uses a ranking system of 1-16 for all teams in the MLS. The total ranking of teams remaining on each club's schedule is added up and divided by the amount of games they have remaining. The number ranking represents the average rank of the teams remaining.

The reality of our remaining schedule shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. We have a tough two months ahead of us but the additions of TH14&Marquez should give us an advantage.

Crazy #MLS trade rumor (second hand but a reliable source): Salou plus draft pick to #Revs for...

2010-07-26T16:51:50Z

Crazy #MLS trade rumor (second hand but a reliable source): Salou plus draft pick to #Revs for Shalrie Joseph. Yeah, hard to imagine.

Looks like the Red Bulls will be unstoppable

Hello New Red Bulls Fans...Here's Some Rules You MUST FOLLOW

2010-07-26T15:12:31Z

The signing of Thierry Henry and the front office saying "the phones have been ringing off the hook" with new ticket buyers, it's easy to deduce there are new fans directly influenced by the inclusion of the Frenchman. As such, I find it is time to lay down some rules to all of you. These aren't rules for this website, they are rules of being a Red Bulls fan.

1. MUST HATE DC: This should be a no brainer, they are our biggest rival in the East. They're no good lousy cheaters and you must hate them. Their fans are terrible people who smell like a New Brunswick basement. Remind them about how they are homeless and playing at RFK stadium. But you have to hate DC. They are not "DC United" they are "DC SCUM!". This is the most important rule.

2. MUST HATE DC: I just want to make sure you understand how important this is. You seriously need to hate DC.

3. MUST HATE PHILLY: You really shouldn't need a rule to hate any team from Philly. It's the worst city on Earth and as a New York or New Jersey resident, you shouldn't have any reason to visit unless you have family living there. Their fans will often bring up how Sons of Ben (their support group) is louder than Red Bull supporters, this is an obviously delusional statement. Any response you have will be valid so feel free to use some creativity.

4. RED BULL ARENA IS OUR HOME: Defend our home. Not in a Green Street Hooligans kind of way, but don't you dare let traveling supporters out cheer you. This also should be a no brainer.

5. JOIN A SUPPORT CLUB: The South End of the stadium (South Ward) is where our supporters congregate. In 133 you have Garden State Supporters (I am a member of this group), in 101 you'll see Empire Supporter's Club (the largest METRO support club), and section 102 has La Banda Imperial (I'll admit, I'm not familiar with these guys). All three groups are always looking for more members. I'd suggest you sneak into those sections if you are interested and talk to members about joining. I do know that GSS meets at MMMBellos before games (right outside of Newark Pennstation on Market Street) and ESC pregames at El Pastor.

FAQ after the jump...

Where do I get team news?

There are many places to read about the team besides this website. The oldest site is Metrofanatic.com which has been around since 2001. They have a message board with some pretty good discussion about the team. You'll have to sift through the "Fire _____" whenever the team has a loss, but generally it's a good way to converse with fans. Other sites I'd frequent are thevipersnest.com and bigsoccer.com

Can you tell me more about these support groups?

Sure, I'm going to be writing about them this week with information on how they formed and what the main differences are.

This is a satire piece and in no way reflects the opinions of anyone at SBNation.com, but you should hate DC.

New York Red Bulls Victorious Over Manchester City...Soccer Snobs Everywhere Weep

2010-07-25T23:16:34Z

Mike Stobe - Getty Images for New York Red Bu

about 1 month ago: HARRISON NJ - JULY 25: Dane Richard #19 of the New York Red Bulls celebrates his goal in the 70th minute against Manchester City on July 25 2010 at Red Bull Arena in Harrison New Jersey. Red Bulls defeated Manchester City 2-1. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for New York Red Bulls)

View full size photo »

I'm going to let this stew for a while if you don't mind. As I stated in the preview, the Red Bulls only shot at winning was to use speed on a dreadfully slow Manchester City team. No one realistically believed the Red Bulls could pull it off and I'd feel confident to say that expectations were low. The team played well against Tottenham but no one expected a win over Man City. The match turned out to be wildly entertaining.

The big story today wasn't the play of Thierry Henry. The Frenchman was scoreless in his 45 minutes on the field. The story was the great play of Macoumba Kandji and Dane Richards. They were playing with such a connection that the passing came across as effortless. They first connected in the 7' when Dane Richards crossed the ball to Macoumba Kandji who put the ball into the back of the net right in front of the South Ward. ESC and GSS were in top form with their songs heard on tv and when Kandji scored his goal the arena was deafening. The duo connected again in the second half with Mac Kandji repaying Richards with a pass outside of the box that set up a 30 yard game winning goal in the 70'. In a game that was important to show Coach Hans Backe they deserve to remain in the starting XI once league play resumes, these two came up big. The obvious starting strikers are Juan Pablo Angel and Henry but now Hans Backe needs to find a way to keep both Kandji and Richards in the line up. The reported addition of Rafael Marquez adds to the issues of remaining as starters.

The team kept a clean sheet through the first half with some amazing saves by Bouna Coundoul. It was only after the team made substitutions at the start of the second half that Man City appeared to gain any sort of footing. They were unable to many scoring opportunities until the Brazilian striker Jo was able to blast a ball at close range. There was only one other opportunity that Man City had where I was worried the Red Bulls would concede another goal, which happened to go over the net in the most miraculous fashion.

The stats on this game actually paint a very accurate picture of what happened:

	NEW YORK	MAN CITY
SHO	13	6	SHO
SOG	5	3	SOG
SVS	2	3	SVS
F	9	3	F
OFF	3	1	OFF
CK	4	2	CK

The numbers don't lie. The Red Bulls out played and out hustled a severely disinterested Manchester City squad.

Video highlights after the jump...

Red Bulls coach Hans Backe: John Wolyniec has been offered a coaching position with the club. More...

2010-07-25T22:23:54Z

Red Bulls coach Hans Backe: John Wolyniec has been offered a coaching position with the club. More to follow.

Woly joining coaching staff?

"Marquez has signed for a four-year contract with the New York Red Bulls and will join up with...

2010-07-25T20:34:32Z

"Marquez has signed for a four-year contract with the New York Red Bulls and will join up with Thierry Henry," they said.

"Marquez has gained his contract release from Barcelona and will get a salary of £2 million per season. The official announcement of the deal will be next week"

Rafael Marquez confirmed to be joining New York Red Bulls

Macoumba Kandji puts the Red Bulls ahead of Man City with a great goal

2010-07-25T20:06:05Z

Macoumba Kandji puts the Red Bulls ahead of Man City with a great goal