New Yorks posts two more positive results in La Manga, Spain

The Red Bulls are wrapping up their two-week preseason trip in La Manga, Spain. Under new head coach Hans Backe, the Red Bulls tied Russia's CSKA Moscow, 1-1, on Jan. 25 and defeated Poland's Lech Poznan, 1-0, and Norway's Stromsgodset, 2-1, on Jan. 27 and Feb. 1, respectively. The team, which now has a 2-0-1 record in preseason this year, returns to the United States on Feb. 4.

In the match against CSKA, the Red Bulls took the lead when forward Juan Pablo Angel found midfielder Dane Richards, who put in the team's first preseason goal of 2010 in the sixth minute. CSKA qualified for the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League, where they will face Spain's Sevilla in a two-leg, home-and-home series starting on Feb. 24.

New York earned its first win of the preseason with a 1-0 victory over Lech Poznan with an Angel goal. Lech Poznan controlled possession for the first part of the match, but both teams did not have many chances in the opening half an hour. Poznan's Sergei Krivets curled the ball around the Red Bulls' wall on a 23-yard free kick in the 32nd minute, but it was caught easily by trialist goalkeeper Greg Sutton. On the other end, New York rookie Conor Chinn nearly got on the end of a Danleigh Borman pass that was gobbled up by Poznan goalkeeper Krzysztof Kotorowski.

With six minutes until the break, New York generated its best chance up to that point. Angel gathered the ball in the midfield and strung a pass to an on-rushing Richards, whose shot on target was blocked by Kotorowski.

The Red Bulls took the lead moments later. On a counterattack, midfielder Jeremy Hall found Angel at the top of the penalty box. Angel took a touch before lashing a low, right-footed shot past Kotorowski and inside the far post for his first goal of the year. Poznan nearly equalized off the restart, as Bartosz Bosacki nodded a cross high.

Lech Poznan qualified for the UEFA Europa League but it was knocked out by Belgium's Club Brugge in qualifying rounds on penalty kicks after the teams were tied 1-1 on aggregate.

On Monday, the Red Bulls wrapped up their match schedule in Spain with a 2-1 win over Norwegian side, Stromsgodset IF, a Norwegian Premier League team based in Drammen that is currently 12th in the league standings with 36 points.

Richards continued his torrid form in the preseason by setting up the team's first goal three minutes in. Richards sent in a dangerous cross that Stromsgodset's Alexander Aas tried to clear, but he knocked it into his own net. The Jamaican International was involved in the first three of New York's preseason goals.

Angel nearly made it 2-0 in the 14th minute, when he gathered an Austin da Luz pass and blasted his shot over the bar. Later in the half, Seth Stammler tested Stromsgodset goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey from 25 yards out and Kwarasey punched it away.

Stromsgodset looked to equalize after halftime and tied the game in the 54th minute. Joel Riddez was able to create space in the middle of the penalty box and slammed a shot past Sutton. Angel nearly gave the Red Bulls back their lead seven minutes later. After earning a free kick at the top of Stromsgodset's penalty box, Angel curled his shot around the wall. However, a fully-extended Kwarasey was able to parry it away. In the 69th minute, Marcus Pedersen was able to get his head on a Stromsgodset corner and Sutton was there to make the stop.

The Red Bulls tallied the eventual game winner with 14 minutes to play. A Sinisa Ubiparipovic free kick in Stromsgodset's half was cut back into the box by John Agudelo, who was at the back post. Trialist Toni Kolehmainen was able to get to it and rifled a shot into the goal's top corner.

Moments later, Riddez's attempt from long range was saved by Sutton. On the other end, Agudelo was given space off an Irving Garcia pass, but he poked his attempt wide. Pedersen was inches away from tying the match six minutes from full time, as his chip over Sutton from a sharp angle knocked off the back post.

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