When the 2012 preseason opened for the New York Red Bulls, there were a lot of questions that had to be answered. No one knew the club’s plans after a season that looked disjointed and at times looked disgraceful – especially after the end of their first leg quarterfinal at home against the eventual MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy.

As the silence was getting louder, slowly but surely the pieces were starting to take shape, and certain parts were returning to give a sigh of relief. Estonian midfielder Joel Lindpere signed a multi-year contract extension; Stephen Keel was given a new contract to fill depth for the backline.

But there was a shock during the MLS SuperDraft this past January. The Red Bulls made a draft day trade with the Portland Timbers for striker Kenny Cooper. Apparently this move was made as English striker Luke Rodgers had issues renewing his visa (approval was recently granted).

Add to that the lingering ankle injury which will cause lost time for Juan Agudelo, and bringing in Cooper could be a nice pairing up top with Thierry Henry (currently on loan with Arsenal). Head Coach Hans Backe is well aware that Cooper is not simply a target striker; he can score on the ground as well as in the air. On trial right now with the club is former FC New York striker Jhonny Arteaga who scored thirteen goals in USL Pro.

The back line was strengthened with the addition of two tall central defenders, since Tim Ream transferred to Bolton Wanderers in the EPL. Enter Swedish defender Markus Holgersson and former Chicago Fire defender Wilman Conde, who wanted to move here when Juan Carlos Osorio left the Fire. After a stint with Atlas of the Mexican Primera Division, he finally got his wish.

Home grown defender Connor Lade, who started with the Red Bulls academy and spent his college years with St. John’s of the Big East, was signed to a contract. Reports from preseason training have been positive, and he has impressed the coaching staff.Clifton,New Jersey native Jonathan Borrajo has returned from playing inNorway and will also push for starting minutes.

But the two or three big question marks the team is facing right now are: 1) goalkeeper, 2) Rafa Marquez and 3) will they bring a creative midfielder during the summer transfer window?

In terms of the goalkeeping issue, Frank Rost has decided to go back to Germany as his contract terms were only for a few months. Jeremy Vuolo was signed but some feel he is a backup. Drafted Fordham man Ryan Meara is a 3^rd stringer. If the club can’t find a true number one and Vuolo can impress enough to take the job, it will be an interesting season if he can mirror what Tally Hall did with the Houston Dynamo in his rookie year.

As for Marquez, after everything that was reported (including by me) about the possible departure of Mexican National Team Captain Rafa Marquez, he has returned to the club and he is getting serious about the 2012 season. He has said that reports about a move to either Club America or Flamengo were false, and that he is ready to erase the problems of last season. Reading those reports, it appears that Marquez is ready to get back into the good graces of the supporters and the club.

Overall the Red Bulls look like they are going to rebound from a season where lingering questions were supposed to be answered, but instead became questions anew. Can Hans Backe have faith in his bench, or will that problem come back to bother him? Those questions will be answered on Sunday, March 11^th.

Photo by Structures:NY

It’s catch-up time.  In both games in hand and playoff positioning.

In the shadow of the CONCACAF Champions League matches six MLS clubs will take the pitch tonight in critical games for playoff positioning.  One of the matches is a match-up of heavyweights, while the other two look to be mismatches that could be surprises.  What do all three have in common?  All three results could go a long way to helping or even ending the playoff hopes of three teams, while boosting the playoff positioning of a fourth.  Below is a breakdown of each match; all three can only be seen on Match Day Live or Direct Kick.

DC United v. Chivas USA – 7:30 PM ET – RFK Stadium

Coming off their resounding loss at Seattle, DC faces a struggling Chivas side they dominated less than two weeks ago in Los Angeles.  However, there are two differences this time around – no Chris Pontius for the home side and DC’s miserable home record.  Bill Hamid should be back for tonight’s match which will help DCU in net; Joe Willis was solid but not great in net this weekend.  The key will be to secure the home field – DC is 1-1-2 in home matches since July, a record that will keep them out of the playoffs if they keep it up.  Chivas, meanwhile, is seeking its first win since August 6.  Chivas will have Marcos Mondaini back for this match, which could prove useful against a DC midfield that looked suspect against Seattle.

Bottom line: DC needs 3 points to remain in the playoff race.  A loss effectively puts their hopes on life support, a draw could do the same depending on other results.  I see DC squeaking out a close 2-1 win here.

New York Red Bulls v. Real Salt Lake – 8:00 PM ET – RB Arena

Their win versus Dallas this weekend has reinvigorated a New York team that had hit a major slump.  That win basically set up this week perfectly for New York: wins versus RSL and Portland mean they have an inside track to the playoffs.  Their defense shone this weekend after some shaky recent performances but maybe the benching of Rafa Marquez has given them a spark.  The key question is will the team’s depth allow them to play at the highest possible level in back-to-back-to-back must win games, to say nothing of the rest of the season.

Real Salt Lake will be looking to repeat its 3-0 beat down of the Red Bulls in early August.  The visitors are riding a four-match winning streak and could conceivably clinch a playoff spot by Sunday if the various playoff scenarios play out.  The visitors will critically be missing Kyle Beckerman due to yellow card accumulation, and Tony Beltran will also miss this match due to an abductor strain.

Bottom line: RSL will miss Beckerman against a possibly resurrected New York side, which needs a result more than the visitors.  Still, I’m not 100% sold that NY is back on track and I think the backline will struggle against the RSL attack.  I predict a 2-2 draw on this one.

Portland Timbers v. San Jose Earthquakes – 10:30 PM ET – JELD-WEN

The quotes are flying in this one, which Lovel Palmer saying, “(this) game makes or breaks our season,” a sentiment John Spencer only somewhat disagrees with.  The Timbers are riding a four game unbeaten streak and have won three of those matches, but have only two matches left at home while playing four of their final six on the road, where their record is not quite so good.  Much like DCU needs to begin racking up wins at home, Portland needs some road wins.  Darlington Nagbe will start again after a good performance against New England, and if Kenny Cooper is hitting a hot streak, this team can score with the best of them.

San Jose is likely battling for respectability in this one, as even their home town paper is saying their playoff chances are “slimmer than a pair of skinny jeans“.  The ‘Quakes actually had the lead against Houston at the half this weekend, but gave it away to continue their slide.

Bottom line: This is an absolutely must win for Portland, and at home they will get it. 2-0 victory for the Timbers.

Photo by Greg Hickman

On March 19, the Columbus Crew dejectedly walked out of RFK Stadium in Washington on the wrong side of a 3-1 game.  The team allowed two Charlie Davies goals (one a penalty kick) and looked outclassed, out played, and in for a long season.  The result came after they were shown the door from the CONCACAF Champions League by losing 4-1 to Real Salt Lake.  After an offseason where the team jettisoned many of its bigger named players to make room in the salary cap and committed to a rebuilding effort, the team looked destined for a long, long season.

A month later, Columbus sits in a playoff spot.  The team has not allowed a goal since the second Davies’ goal and this weekend held the highest-scoring team in MLS to no goals.  While not an offensive juggernaut, the team is scoring enough to get results.  So are the Crew back to their normal spot near the top of the Eastern Conference for good, or is this an illusion that will wilt away in the summer months?  The answer is, of course, not that simple.

At first glance the schedule up to this point for the Crew has been daunting, but upon closer examination looks to have been quite easy.  After the trip to DC, the Crew hosted the Red Bulls and Dallas, two 2010 playoff teams and teams expected to compete for an MLS Cup this season.  But the Crew played New York during an international break and essentially forced a draw with a “B” team, while Dallas has struggled mightily this season and is still sorting out personnel issues.  The trip to Chivas led to a scoreless draw, not surprising how bad Chivas is, and while Sporting Kansas City is promising, they have a horrendous defense to go with a great offense.  So the schedule has not been a good guidepost to the season so far, except to say the Crew don’t lose to bad teams.

One constant this season has been the defense, which should not be a surprise considering that was one area the team didn’t unload their star power.  MLS star Chad Marshall was retained and paired with a number of new players who have excelled to this point.  Julius James was picked up off the smoldering heap that was DC United’s 2010 backline and has seen a career resurgence.  Rookie Rich Balchan has started all five games and played extremely well.  In net, Will Hesmer has played very well after some uncertainty this offseason as to who would be the starter due to injuries.  The team has not allowed a goal in four matches, a team record and an incredibly accomplishment.  In their last match, Dilly Duka had as many shots on goal (2) as all of the Kansas City players combined.

Another reason for their positive play has been Robbie Rogers, their one consistent offensive threat.  The rift that existed between Rogers and head coach Robert Warzycha has seemingly been resolved; the Crew team on the pitch in DC looked lost and without a real offensive threat until Rogers stepped on the pitch.  So far this year Rogers has scored as many goals (2) as he has the past two seasons.

The upcoming schedule also should be a reason for optimism among Columbus fans.  This weekend, they visit a Toronto team in flux then host the expansion Whitecaps and struggling Sounders (although the Sounders may be finally turning their season around).  Things get tough with back-to-back trips to San Jose and Portland, but they end May by hosting Chivas.  Conceivably, the Crew should pick up at least 12 points through the end of May.

But the reason why Rogers has been so good for the Columbus offense is that the play of the Crew forwards and midfield have been terrible.  Consider that Portland scored as many goals in its home opener as the Crew have scored this season, and that two of those goals came from penalties.  Eddie Gaven has been ok but not really good up front, and while it is still early Andres Mendoza has been a disappointment.  Jeff Cunningham looks his age and fails to convert quality chances.

So can the Crew continue this run and qualify for the playoffs?  In an Eastern Conference with few clear favorites, it is not out of the realm of possibility for them to grab a top three spot if their defense continues to play well.  But for this team to challenge New York for first or even challenge a resurgent Philadelphia or DC, they need to find more consistent offense.  Without a goal scorer either emerging or being acquired this summer, Columbus could be on the outside looking in this September.

Our long national nightmare is over.  The MLS schedule is out.

About a month before the beginning of the season, MLS finally released the entire schedule for all 18 MLS teams.  Previously, only each team’s first home game was known, and some clubs like the LA Galaxy got an early jump on releasing the schedule by leaking the dates and opponents of some key matches.  But finally, you can plan your life around your favorite team’s schedule and start buying your plane tickets for those away trips.  See the league schedule here.

As for the long awaited television deal… it will be a bit longer of a wait.  But MLS did release the ESPN schedule for the year.  ESPN will broadcast 21 matches, 17 on ESPN2 and 4 on the Worldwide Leader.  All of them fortunately will be available on ESPN3.com and ESPN Deportes.  Eight matches will feature the Red Bulls, six the Galaxy, and five Seattle, including the opening match pitting the Galaxy at the Sounders.  Absent from the TV schedule?  New MLS team Vancouver, rebuilding Columbus, new management Toronto, and MLS Cup contender Dallas.  Odd that MLS couldn’t fit a new club and one of its better clubs on the TV schedule.  See when your favorite team is on ESPN here.

The schedule also goes out of its way to emphasize regional rivalries.  We knew ahead of time about the Cascadia Cup pitting Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland, but the league didn’t schedule the games back-to-back as promised.  In addition to this Northwest rivalry, the league has created a I-95 Corridor rivalry (D.C. United, Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bull, and New England Revolution), the SuperClasico (the Los Angeles derby), the Rocky Mountain Cup (Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids), and the Battle for El Capitan (Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas).

So what do you think?  Do you like your team’s schedule?  Excited for the Rocky Mountain Cup or sad your team isn’t involved in a Cup contest?  Sound off below.

As winter settles in and the MLS offseason is in full swing, it is not too soon to plan those warm weather summer tours where international teams play MLS squads.  The advantages to both sides are obvious – MLS teams can show they can compete with their international colleagues while the international team can entertain their American fans.  And both sides usually benefit financially from the games.  Last season, the following English teams made the trip across the pond – Bolton, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, and (gulp) Portsmouth.

And one club has already begun to plan a 2011 summer tour – EPL Talk reported Manchester United has already begun planning a visit.  Rumor has it that one of the matches will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, which not-so-coincidentally is the headquarters city of Man U sponsor Aon.  No other details have been announced, but on the heels of a successful visit last year you can expect the team to be in high demand.

Here are five other English clubs I’d like to see visit the U.S. this summer, with a recommended location and opponent.  Below is a poll where you can vote on which clubs you would like to see this summer.  Over the coming weeks I will post polls for other leagues and nations, so stay tuned.

Arsenal – Rumor has it that Arsene Wenger does not want to tour the U.S. and finds more value in the club’s training in Austria and occasionally Asia.  No team however would benefit more from a visit to the U.S. than the Gunners.  They have a huge U.S. fanbase, many of whom have never seen the club in person, and would be guaranteed to sell out their matches.  In addition, their majority owner is an American, so a U.S. tour makes perfect sense.  Dream match – Arsenal v. Colorado Rapids (same majority owners) at Invesco Field, Denver.

Chelsea – The defending EPL champions visited the U.S. in 2009 and played in the World Football Challenge against, among others, AC Milan.  This is another club with a huge American following that skipped last year, making their reappearance good for ticket sales.  If they win the league this season, it would make their matches even more marketable.  Dream match – MLS All Stars v. Chelsea.  Because Man U did it, so should Chelsea.

Everton – Really there is one reason, possibly two, why an Everton tour would make sense: Tim Howard and, if he makes an England move, Landon Donovan.  American soccer fans who want to follow an EPL team naturally have to consider the club because of the American national team keeper and Donovan’s time with the club.  Everton should take advantage of having Howard and schedule a tour while America he’s still on the club.  Dream match – Everton v. New York Red Bulls at New Meadowlands, NJ.  A homecoming for Tim Howard.

Liverpool – Despite having a down season, the club is still one of the most popular in the world.  And now is the perfect time for them to come over as they were recently purchased by John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox, and he could show off his nice new purchase to his American supporters.  In fact, this dream match-up is a no-brainer: Liverpool v. Revolution in Fenway Park.

Tottenham Hotspur – The club’s recent resurgence has attracted a lot of attention from casual soccer fans and attracted some American fans looking to attach themselves to an EPL team.  The emergence of Gareth Bale gives them a marketable young star, and the other big names on the team make them a compelling matchup for any American club.  Dream match – Tottenham v. Seattle Sounders in Seattle.

On the eve of the beginning of the 2010 playoffs, MLS announced the finalists for the end-of-season awards.  While it does not have the international prestige of the Ballon D’Or, there is always a good lively debate about the nominees, who deserves what, and who got left out.  The winners will be announced beginning on November 3 and then continuously leading up to the MLS final.

As they say in Hollywood: and the nominees are…….

MVP: Edson Buddle (Galaxy), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Wondolowski is the Golden Boot winner this year and the major reason San Jose is in the playoffs this weekend.  Ferreira contributed 8 goals and 13 assists this season for Dallas.  But my vote would go to Edson Buddle because of the three, he is the player this year who seemed to dominate the pitch every time he was on it.  I remember attending the DC United/Galaxy match after his sub-par World Cup performance and watching him just control play every time the ball was in United’s half.  He only finished with one goal and could have finished with more, and that was the kind of season he had.  I think he was the most valuable player of this year.  Kudos to MLS for thinking outside the box and not picking Donnovan.

Newcomer of the Year: Joel Lindpere (Red Bulls), Thierry Henry (RedBulls), Alvaro Saborio (Real Salt Lake)

As an Arsenal fan I will always love Henry and am so glad he is playing in the United States.  But he may have been the fourth best newcomer on his own team!  If he wins it will be because of name recognition.  Lindpere was a great pickup for New York from the soccer powerhouse nation of Estonia.  But Saborio looks to be the favorite for this award, after providing a team-high 12 goals on the season.

Coach of the Year: Hans Backe (Red Bulls), Schellas Hyndman (FC Dallas), Jason Kreis (Real Salt Lake)

If you go simply by points, the award would go to Kreis whose club has 56 points and finished just behind LA.  And I don’t think that would be a bad choice.  Backe was able to integrate a number of new players successfully to take the Eastern Conference.  Hyndman guided the club through 19 straight matches without a loss and had the club challenging for the Supporters’ Shield.  But Kreis has molded a team that many consider the favorite to win the championship and that is a good quality in a coach of the year.

Rookie of the Year: Danny Mwanga (Philadelphia Union), Andy Najar (DC United), Tim Ream (Red Bulls)

Danny Mwanga is the front runner for this award, scoring 7 goals this season and becoming an early star for the expansion franchise.  Ream benefited from excellent teammates and still made a name for himself by playing in every match as a rookie.  But Andy Najar would get my vote just because on a team that was abysmal most of the year, Najar was a definite bright spot.  Najar, who is 17, was DC United’s primary offensive threat and made plays from the wing that hide his true age.  He definitely deserves the award for a combination of age, skill, and performance.

The rest of the nominees after the break:

Defender of the Year:

Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake)
Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake)
Omar Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Goalkeeper of the Year:

Kevin Hartman (FC Dallas)
Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Donovan Ricketts (Los Angeles Galaxy)

Comeback Player of the Year:

Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
Bobby Convey (San Jose Earthquakes)
Chris Albright (New York Red Bulls)

Referee of the Year:

Mark Geiger
Kevin Stott
Baldomero Toledo

Fair Play:

CJ Brown (Chicago Fire)
Sebastian Le Toux (Philadelphia Union)
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year:

Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards)
Seth Stammler (New York Red Bulls)

Note: I will be Tweeting during the Columbus/Colorado match this evening.  If you want to chat, follow @roberthayjr

It’s been rumored for quite some time, and today, it finally happened.

Thierry Henry is now an official member of the New York Red Bulls.

“It is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls,” Henry said. ”I am fully aware of the team’s history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship.

“Knowing Red Bull’s significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed.”

Henry is the latest European international to jump the pond and sign with a MLS club, joining David Beckham and Freddie Ljungberg.

Henry has had an eventual few months, ranging from his falling out of favor with Barcelona, his blatant hand ball that put Ireland out of and France into the World Cup and his role in that French team’s massive implosion in South Africa.

A fresh start seems to be in order.

So, what do you think?

Is Henry’s move to MLS good for the Red Bulls, good for him or both?

This year’s baseball season is shaping up to have more MLS cities in contention than in past years.  The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are off to really good starts, and this is not good news for MLS.  Currently, both teams sit in first place of their respective divisions.  These two cities have drawn better at the gate than any other MLS teams, but will it continue if their baseball counterparts continue to position themselves for a playoff push?

In Toronto on Saturday, Soccer outdrew baseball.  According to MLS-daily.com’s attendance and YahooSports attendance figures for boxscores in baseball, Toronto FC had 19,998 and the Toronto Bluejays had 18,331.

The one city MLS need not worry about in baseball is Washington, D.C.  The Nationals are the worse team in baseball.  But on Saturday, they still outdrew arguably the proudest MLS team.  They drew 19,9950 to the United’s 14,225.  Go figure that one.

The biggest story in baseball so far has been the Los Angeles Dodgers.  They look like they might run away with the division.  If they do, ultimately, that could be better for the 2 LA soccer teams.  But, surely they will be a story to watch for Southern California sports fans this summer.  It also looks like the LA Angels will hang around to try and win the division as they have hung around pretty well for each of the last 10 years , either winning divisions or making it close. 

The Dodgers drew 47,000 Saturday, while the Galaxy drew 21,000.  Surely, the Galaxy would have done better head to head Saturday had Manny not signed that big contract, and had Beckham stuck to the plan. 

At Wrigley Field, the Cubs drew 40,000, probably to be expected, knowing the history there.  The Cubs are a decent team this year and they carry a more than 100 year relationship with sports.  Their drout makes them always the lovable loser and an interesting team when they win.  It would be better for the Fire, who drew 10,000 on Saturday, if the Cubs have a crappy season, but that’s not happening apparently.   

The Fire need to be compared head to head to the White Sox too, who also seem to be contending.  In fact, because of parity, it seems many MLS cities are competing in baseball this year, like the Astros and Rangers.  But, maybe they’ll sail out of contention as the year moves on. 

The Royals of Kansas City would definitely seem a likely candidate to sail out of contention, but it doesn’t help MLS or the Wiz that the Royals are having a decent season.  They have been bad for a long time, so when they are good, it seems an anomaly, and fans start to pay attention. 

One team who won’t fall out of contention this year is the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending champs.  They are riding a wave in which the core of the team is sticking around.  The Phillies have reestablished themselves with their fans via a new stadium and may make it rough on the newest expansion team for MLS next year. 

In Colorado, the Rockies seem to be in the decline, and it appears it will be a long season for their fans.  But, the Nuggets of the NBA are picking up the slack, pulling out John Elway of Arena Football League fame to announce their starting 5 in a crazed playoff atmosphere last night.  The hockey team had a bad year and the Broncos had an unusual year, so as the Rapids average 11,000 in attendance, is it maybe a result of too much sports for one town?  5 pro teams may be one too many. 

Colorado seems a good case for general managers from MLS to look to not schedule head to head against rival sports leagues. 

It seems it is best to hold back on any judgement on the Red Bulls as everyone awaits their new stadium, which looks appealing.  Next year will be interesting to see how they do head to head versus the Mets and Yankees.