New York Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe and team general manager Erik Soler.  | File Photo: DailyHarrison.com

Early In The Offseason

New York heads in to the January international transfer window hell-bent on keeping its star players while also looking to bolster an already strong squad (or at least that is how the team looks on paper). This is after a large chunk of the team's depth, including the longest tenured member of the squad and the last Metrostar to play in NY, Carlos Mendes, were released by the team.

Depth Departing

The Red Bulls escaped the 2012 Expansion Draft (which supplied league newcomers Montreal with fresh talent/league retreads, depending on how you look at it) unscathed, allowing them to make their own decisions on who to keep and who to let go.  Late November saw the team let go of six of its younger depth players, including John Rooney, the slightly less talented brother of Manchester United's Wayne Rooney.  The other squad members released were Alex Horwath (GK), Mike Jones (DF), Tyler Lassiter (DF), Teddy Schneider (DF), and Marcos Paullo (MF).  A mass exodus of fringe players isn't out of the ordinary for either RBNY or most MLS teams, as most college draftees have about a year to prove their worth to the team and are let go if they cannot make an impact.

The loss of six players, of which only three (Horwath, Jones, and Rooney) actually saw league minutes should not be too disheartening for Metro fans.  Of course, Hans Backe was so reluctant to use his bench that we have almost no idea of how good any of these players really are.  The biggest losses are likely Paullo and Lassiter.  Paullo showed flashes of skill in his limited appearances starting in his arrival midway through 2010, but was never really utilized even after the team signed him permanently.  Lassiter received heaps of praise from Backe himself, who called him the next Tim Ream.  Backe proceeded to illustrate the comparison by never playing him and cutting him eight months later.  Technically speaking the young Rooney may have had some marketing potential due to his older brother, but his comparative lack of talent and inability to speak English a non-Scouser can understand negated any benefits.

Veteran players Carlos Mendes, Chris Albright, and Bouna Coundoul all had their contract options declined by the team, making them available for the Re-entry Draft in early December.  Mendes was the only one of the three selected, getting scooped up by Columbus, leaving Albright and Coundoul as free agents.  Mendes, who occasionally captained the team and always showed heart and dedication in his play, was the biggest loss of the group.  He served admirably between 2005 and 2011, racking up 166 appearances in all competitions.  He is still a starting-caliber center back in MLS, and could fill in around the back relatively effectively when needed to.

Tim Ream has cemented his role as a starting center back for New York, and the team is looking to add another defender to start next to him, making Mendes and his six-figure salary surplus goods. Although his salary is fairly high for depth in MLS, he is a reliable player, and the team has yet to sign its other starting center back, making Tim Ream, Stephen Keel, and Sacir Hot (a 20 year old academy product) the only central defenders on the team.  Mendes will be missed, and although it will be difficult to see him in another team's jersey (especially that of Columbus, a team he played against in the 2008 MLS Cup Final) hopefully he has more successful years ahead of him.

Since Albright and Coundoul weren't picked by other teams in the Re-entry draft, they could technically re-sign with the Red Bulls, although that seems relatively unlikely.  Albright is a solid player, a good right back and also an effective stand-in on the left, but injuries reduced his role in his second year on the team.  Bouna was paid too much to be a back up, and although he was capable of producing some amazing reflex saves his periodic gaffes, equally hilarious and depressing, and his inconsistency stopped Backe from ever truly showing confidence in him as a starter.  The team rounded out its contractual genocide on fringe based players by releasing Stephane Auvray, who showed little in his half season in Harrison.

Protecting Your Assets

Before adding players in the January transfer window, Metro has made retaining the top-tier talent it already has a priority.  Rafa Marquez, Juan Agudelo, Joel Lindpere, Thierry Henry, and Tim Ream have all been linked to transfers or loans with other teams.  Henry, Ream, and Agudelo are spending the offseason training at clubs in Europe, with Ream and Henry garnering interests from their hosts.  Ream spent time at West Brom and Bolton, and has attracted interest from multiple Premier League teams (including Arsenal).  Still, Soler is determined to hang on to him and Ream would likely be unable to secure an English work permit.

Henry is back training at Arsenal, and the possibly brilliant Arsene Wenger is considering signing him for a short term loan as his squad deals its usual plethora of injuries.  Although Henry might be a good short-term stop-gap in London, Arsenal should probably just invest in large quantities of milk or calcium chews to prevent the brittle bones of the children they have playing for them from breaking on contact with other players, balls, or blades of grass.  Marquez has been linked seriously to Brazil's Flamengo, which would reunite him with Ronaldinho, who he played with in his Barcelona days.  Although Soler has made it clear he is intent on keeping Marquez (and all the other top-level players on the squad), if Flamengo could pay most Red Bull fans would be happy to see him go.  He is clearly still extremely talented, but is a bit slow for the athletic American game, and for every amazing 60 yard switch he produces he has eight three yard giveaways, an indication of a lack of focus as opposed to skill.  Meanwhile Joel Lindpere is fielding interest in England, and seems like he would rather return to Europe than stay here.

Soler has his hands full keeping the team he built together, but he also has a good bit of work to do in order to improve it.  Soler has made signing a central defender the biggest priority of the offseason, and for good reason.  If New York started playing today Mike Petke would probably have to come out of retirement and man the back line.  Luckily the season does not start for a couple months, giving Soler plenty of time to find a good center back.  He has indicated that he would also like to add an attacking midfielder as a third designated player if he can, meaning if Frank Rost returns it will not be on a DP contract.

Dave Braneck for DailyHarrison.com

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