The New York Red Bulls’ best, last chance to make something of their season went down in flames at Giants Stadium Wednesday night. Despite a positive 2-2 result from the first leg, and even though they took a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute of the return leg, the team just couldn’t get it done. Instead, New York pulled one of its typical self destruction acts in the waning minutes of the first half, yielding a pair of goals after falling asleep at the switch. The second goal was undoubtedly the more infuriating of the two, coming as a result of a Kevin Goldthwaite brainfart in stoppage time. The second half saw no goals and the Red Bulls ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 final score (4-3 in aggregate) that sees them exit the CONCACAF Champions League in the preliminary round.

No words can really do justice to this type of performance. In a season marked by bitter disappointment it may suffice to say that the team has once again hit a new low. At least now there is no place further to fall. The MLS playoffs were long ago removed from the equation. The U.S. Open Cup campaign ended before it really began, at the hand of archrivals D.C. United. Now the team’s last vestige of hope, the CONCACAF Champions League, is gone as well. To say a change in leadership is necessary, including the dismissal of not only Juan Carlos Osorio but also Jeff Agoos and ideally Erik Stover, is akin to beating a dead horse. The damage is almost too nauseating to contemplate, especially after the promise of last season’s playoff run and the uncharacteristic tones of optimism in this year’s preseason. Now it’s all over. A half dozen home games remain until the curtain can finally fall on 14 years of tortured history. Will the last one to leave remember to shut the lights?

Videos

The following were shot by ASN at the conclusion of Wednesday’s match. More ASN videos can be seen on our YouTube page.

Juan Carlos Osorio’s initial reaction in the postgame press conference:

John Wolyniec gives his thoughts on the game:

Woly addresses the team’s propensity for allowing goals in the last five minutes of a half:

Kevin Goldthwaite, whose gaffe in first half stoppage time ended up costing the Red Bulls the game, does not seem terribly perturbed by it here. He also says the club lacks “leadership” while adding he would hate to see Osorio lose his job. His thoughts on Osorio seem perfectly genuine but see for yourself.

Danny Cepero: “It’s awful. It’s frustrating…feels like we’re in quicksand”

Jeremy Hall is asked if he feels “a change is needed at the top” of the organization:

The New York Red Bulls trained for the first time since arriving in California Friday in preparation of their first MLS CUP Finals appearance.

Besides the beautiful weather (and that just to make people back home envious) there was not a lot of news to come from the training session or ensuing media session. ASN did not notice any injury to Juan Pablo Angel, as was discussed on the Big Soccer sewing circle, but he was also one of very few players we did not speak to. Some soundbytes below. We’ll be there tomorrow with bells on (and more importantly, a camera man in tow).

Kevin Goldthwaite, on the changes with Danny Cepero between the sticks:
“We had a tough situation with Conway being suspended but Cepero’s come in and done very well…I know a little bit of his [Cepero’s] tendencies but it’s a little bit different in the games you have to get used to some of the things he gets used to…communication is the most important thing as a goalie…it was tough because Conway was such a boisterous guy in the back, always shouting always telling me something and to get used to having a different voice behind you is something to get used to.”

Chris Leitch:
“Obviously it’s a final so both teams are going to be chomping at the bit to bring back some hardware back to their respective cities. Both clubs will be equally hungry to fill a trophy case that doesn’t have any hardware in it. So I’m expecting a very hard-fought battle.”

Dave van den Bergh:
“I like what I saw today because we seem to be very loose which is key at this point. It’s good to be out here.”

Osorio:
“This is nice. It’s a great opportunity. There’s only one thing I’m in football for, to win as many matches as possible. This is an opportunity to win another one and the players are up for the challenge. I think we realize Columbus is a very good team with a very good coach. That in itself motivates us to go and compete against them on Sunday.”

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.

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

A master-class in tactical soccer and a first half goal from Kevin Goldthwaite were more than enough to lift the New York Red Bulls to a 1-0 victory over FC Dallas in front of the largest crowd since opening day at the Giants Stadium. The win was New York’s second straight home victory by the same score and vaulted them into a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

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.

Defensive lapses cost the New York Red Bulls three first half goals and an otherwise decent effort was wasted in a 4-1 loss at RFK Stadium Saturday night. Chris Leitch, starting his seventh game this season, was the goat on two goals, but he was by no means the only culprit among the team’s back four.

Kevin Goldthwaite failed to anticipate a telegraphed pass on the first goal, a mistake that was compounded by Leitch leaving eventual goal scorer Luciano Emilio unmarked and Boyens getting lost in no-mans land. On DC’s second goal, 26 minutes into the game, the defense appeared to suffer a collective bout of narcolepsy, as Clyde Simms walked in unchallenged to the edge of the penalty area to tee up a shot from about 20 yards that beat Jon Conway in the Red Bulls’ goal. On the stroke of halftime, DC got another, this time on a breakaway. Conway did well to fend off an initial shot but Emilio was lurking (again, unchallenged) to put in the rebound.

Dave van den Bergh, probably New York’s best player on the night, clawed one back for the visitors and the Red Bulls had a period of pressure on Zach Wells’ goal to briefly make things interesting. But this predictably left New York exposed at the back and sure enough it was Emilio again, completing his hat trick on the 59 minute mark to put the game out of reach.

Juan Carlos Osorio’s men do not have much time to regroup. The team faces New England at Foxboro, Mass., on Wednesday night. The Revolution, it bears noting, have the best record in the league and have not lost a game to New York since before the franchise belonged to the Austrian energy drink maker.

Two early goals and a stingy rearguard lifted the New York Red Bulls to a 2-0 victory in their season opener over the Columbus Crew Saturday night at Giants Stadium. The win marked a successful New York debut for Juan Carlos Osorio, who led his side to victory despite the absence of teenage phemon Jozy Altidore due to injury.

New York was the last team to open their 2008 MLS campaign, and they came out firing as Dave van den Bergh opened the scoring after just 46 seconds with a fierce left-footed drive. The goal was the quickest in franchise history, and set Columbus to the thankless task of chasing the game for the most of the evening.

“We wanted to come off strong, have the first shot, have the first tackle, everything,” van den Bergh said after the game. “So I was like ‘all right we battled for the first ball already, let’s have that first shot,’ and it was good enough for a goal.” Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer got a hand to the one-hopper but was unable to parry it clear. “Hesmer needs to make the save,” Crew head coach Sigi Schmid said bluntly, when asked about the event in the post-game locker room.

Have your say:

Before Schmid’s side could find their legs, their deficit was doubled. Claudio Reyna’s energetic dash to the endline earned his team a corner, and van den Bergh’s far post service was flicked back across the goal mouth by Juan Pablo Angel, where Goldthwaite was able to bundle home. “Right place, right time,” said Goldthwaite on his first goal in a Red Bull uniform and second of his MLS career.

“The first 25 minutes, (we were) playing very well and playing good football from the back,” said Osorio. “We got two goals that were well deserved.”

After their initial burst, New York continued to dictate the game, with debutant Oscar Etcheverry and Reyna applying pressure high up the field, preventing the Crew from maintaining any possession. Their dominance nearly paid off in the 22nd minute, as only a terrific double save from Will Hesmer on Angel and Etcheverry prevented the game from being sealed.

Columbus eventually began to work themselves back into the game, creating several half- chances through Guillermo Baros Schellotto, whose 26th minute blast forced an awkward parry by Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway, who saw very little action in the first half.

Osorio made one change at the half, bringing on rookie Danleigh Borman for Sinisa Ubriparipovic, who had picked up a yellow card after a cynical challenge near the end of the first half. The Red Bulls didn’t miss a beat, and had a golden chance to add to their lead when Etcheverry superbly turned his man at the top of the penalty area and was pulled to the ground by Columbus defender Danny O’Rourke. Angel’s penalty attempt was saved off the post by Hesmer.

Any spark that Columbus might have picked up from that save was quickly snuffed out by a solid New York defense. The three man backline of Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke and Chris Leitch were under pressure to perform for their new boss, who spent the better part of his tenure with the club promising to bring in replacements. With the exception of Parke’s 82nd minute sending off for a second bookable offense, Osorio was full of praise for his backline, singling out Goldthwaite as the top performer on the night.

“He only gave away one ball in the first half,” said Osorio of Goldthwaite. “He’s very competitive and very good in one-on-one situations.”

The praise was a marked departure from Goldthwaite’s experience last year in New York, which was filled with injuries and disappointments. “I came down here with high expectations and high hopes to do well. It didn’t gel that well.” he recalled. “But that’s in the past. I wanted to come in here and start fresh and get a good game under my belt which is something I think we did today.”

Goldthwaite also gave credit back to the new coach. “He’s worked with my confidence and composure and professionalism with letting things go when you make a mistake,” he said of Osorio.

As effective as Goldthwaite and his backline mates were, the toothless Columbus attack was as much a part of the shutout. Lacking any dynamic threat up front, the Crew depended on the guile of Schelloto to create their chances, and when he was withdrawn in the 62nd minute his team looked out of ideas.

Schmid said the decision to pull his Argentine playmaker was partly due to Scheloto not being “90 minutes fit” yet at this early stage of the season, but also for tactical reasons. “We changed to a 3-5-2 and the decision was if we don’t take Guillermo out then going to have to take Gaven or Rogers,” Schmid said. “We felt Rogers could still give us something on the flank, which he did. We felt that Gaven, when you’re playing on a field like this one when the ball’s not really on the ground and the ball’s bouncing up in the air and it becomes more about duels at times, we felt that somebody who could maybe win some of those 50-50 duels would be a better way for us to go.” The coach did not regret his decision. “When you look at the pressure that we put on them in the last half hour you can’t say it was the wrong decision,” he said.

The Red Bulls should face a sterner test next week, as they travel to FC Dallas for their first road game of the season. Columbus host Chivas USA.

stat sheet

Columbus Crew (1-1-0) vs. New York Red Bulls (1-0-0)
April 05, 2008 — Giants Stadium

Scoring Summary:
NY — Dave van den Bergh 1 (Sinisa Ubiparipovic 1) 1
NY — Kevin Goldthwaite 1 (Juan Pablo Angel 1, Dave van den Bergh 1) 8

Columbus Crew — Will Hesmer, Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O’Rourke, Stefani Miglioranzi (Ezra Hendrickson 66), Robbie Rogers, Brian Carroll, Adam Moffat (Brad Evans 61), Eddie Gaven, Alejandro Moreno, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Nicolas Hernandez 62).

Substitutes Not Used: Jason Garey, Andy Gruenebaum, Andy Iro, Duncan Oughton

New York Red Bulls — Jon Conway, Jeff Parke, Kevin Goldthwaite, Chris Leitch, Luke Sassano, Claudio Reyna (Mike Magee 79), Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Danleigh Borman 46), Oscar Echeverry (John Wolyniec 71), Juan Pablo Angel.

Substitutes Not Used: Jozy Altidore, Chris Megaloudis, Carlos Mendes, Zach Thornton

Misconduct Summary:
NY — Sinisa Ubiparipovic (caution; Tackle from Behind) 41
NY — Jeff Parke (caution; Tackle from Behind) 66
NY — Jeff Parke (ejection; Second Caution) 81

Referee: Alex Prus
Referee’s Assistants: Greg Barkey; Bill Dittmar
4th official: Jorge Gonzalez
time of game: 1:50
attendance: 17,119
weather: Cloudy -and- 54 degrees

The New York Red Bulls played the Charleston Battery to a 1-1 tie in their make-up opener to the 2008 Carolina Challenge Cup at Charleston, S.C.’s Blackbaud Stadium Sunday. Trialist Kevin Mesa scored for Red Bull in the 78th minute, only four minutes after being subbed in for rookie Danleigh Borman. Sinisa Ubiparipovic, himself a second half substitute, got the assist. “The defender wasn’t marking me very well and I took the opportunity, made a run, got the ball…and just flicked it in,” Mesa told ASN after the game.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Battery countered on the very next play. David Kenga grabbed the unassisted equalizer for the hosts and the 1-1 score remained until the final whistle. “We had plenty of chances to win the game,” assistant coach Richie Williams said afterwards. “Unfortunately we didn’t…but overall it’s an exhibition game and we’re building for the season. It would have been nice to win but a draw’s okay and hopefully we’ll build on this for the next two games.” With Juan Carlos Osorio away “scouting players in South America,” as the team’s official word states (rumors are he will come back with one or maybe even two new signings), Williams assumed head coaching duties for the day. Osorio will be back “in the next couple of days,” Williams said, presumably in time for the team’s next game Wednesday night.

New York was short four starters, with Jozy Altidore and Hunter Freeman on national team duty, Dane Richards injured and Dave van den Bergh absent for undisclosed reasons. Altidore was replaced by Oscar Echeverry, the team’s sole veteran acquisition so far this off-season.

Kevin Goldthwaite started for Freeman on the back line, with a pair of rookies, Luke Sassano and Danleigh Borman, filling in for Richards and van den Bergh, respectively. Borman, a 23 year-old South Africa native selected in the Supplemental Draft out of the University of Rhode Island, has impressed in pre-season and did so again today. “Danleigh was good,” said Williams of the rookie’s performance today. “His crossing was good. He served up some good balls for our forwards.” Williams and Red Bull personnel implied Borman would factor into the team’s regular season lineup as well, perhaps as a starter. The team is thin at left wing and Borman’s solid fundamentals (a rarity from left-footers in MLS) and pace are a nice fit.

Borman saw a lot of touches and was responsible for many of New York’s best chances in the first half. Several times placing crosses directly onto the foreheads of Red Bull forwards. In the 19th minute he found Juan Pablo Angel, who headed the ball narrowly over the bar. In the 37th, his freekick from the right flank found Mike Magee, whose header hit the outside post. Borman also took the team’s corners from the right side.
“I think it was a good exercise in general,” Angel said of the game. “We need to get ourselves match fit–that’s probably the main concern right now.” Claudio Reyna echoed Angel’s sentiments. “Today Charleston did very well to make it difficult for us…it takes time when you have three or four guys getting their feet wet it’s not going to just happen overnight, but it was encouraging; a lot of guys did well.”

Reyna said he was hopeful for better luck with his health this season. “I feel very strong at the moment. I’ve been working out very hard. This preseason, I haven’t missed a day of training–I feel very good. I just want it to continue.”

With the tie, the teams are tied for second place after one round of play in the tournament. The expansion San Jose Earthquakes, with three points from Saturday’s victory over Toronto FC, are first. Red Bull faces Toronto next, on Wednesday night, before concluding the tournament against San Jose Saturday.