Fifteen games down, fifteen left to play, and it is without question that New York fans are anxiously awaiting the Fifteenth of July. That is when the MLS international transfer window opens, and the Red Bulls have numerous additions waiting to make their mark on the struggling club.

         The last week has not been a pleasant one for New York fans, as the team has suffered one embarrassing defeat after another. There was the match against Chivas USA; where an errant back pass lead to an equalizing goal and a draw in lieu of a much deserved win.

Three days later the Bulls weakly bowed out of the US Open Cup against Crystal Palace Baltimore. The USL-2 side defeated New York’s team of reserves 2-0, despite playing a man down for almost two-thirds of the game. Head coach Juan Carlos Osorio cited fixture congestion as the reason for fielding a starting lineup composed mostly of reserves, opting to rest the club’s starters for the July 4^th showdown with the Colorado Rapids.    

Osorio’s decision proved to backfire as Colorado thrashed an uninspired New York team 4-0. Following the match Osorio ripped into the team and stated the need for a change of personnel and attitude. “I can’t wait for the 15^th of July, when we can sign some players and make a competitive team,” said Osorio. “Because at the moment, I think all of our players have had the chance to shine and stake a claim and a lot of them refuse to do so.”

Offensively the team has suffered greatly from the injury to Juan Pablo Angel. As a result, New York hasn’t scored more than two goals in any game this year, and hasn’t scored more than one in its previous nine league games. And without a viable striker after the sale of Jozy Altidore, New York has really looked clueless in front of goal. While veteran John Wolyniec is best suited as a hard-working substitute, newcomer Oscar Echeverry has displayed an awful first touch and poor decision-making, and both have yet to score a goal this year.

In addition to this, there has been little to none creativity out of the midfield. Claudio Reyna’s transition to the attacking midfield position has been disastrous, as he has appeared in only five matches the entire season. Mike Magee is slowly playing his way out of the squad, and Sinisa Ubiparipovic has been effective only in flashes.

In the back, pathetic blowouts have been intertwined with critical mistakes to keep frustrating fans beyond belief. This dramatic amount of inconsistency at the back, coupled with the club’s inability to score, has sparked Osorio into making numerous additions to the team.

Osorio has been promising to make changes to the team since his inception as head coach, but trialists have come and gone without anything coming to fruition. All that has changed in the last couple weeks; here is a rundown of Osorio’s signings and future targets, and what they can bring to the team:

Jorge Rojas: Midfielder, status: signed. Rojas is a 31 year old midfielder from Venezuela, who is capable of playing out on the left or in the central midfield position. He arrives in MLS after spending years playing in Colombia and Venezuela, including for South American powerhouse Caracas FC. The second most capped player and captain of the Venezuelan national team, Osorio has dubbed Rojas as a playmaker whose vision and passing ability are second to none. He is also very effective on set pieces. Look for him to sit behind the strikers and become the attacking threat out of midfield that the Red Bulls so desperately need. Another possibility is to play him out on the left wing, but Osorio has hinted that he wants him to take over a playmaker role.

Juan Pietravallo: Defensive Midfielder, status: signed. New York’s struggle maintaining possession in the midfield makes this Argentine’s signing intriguing. Osorio describes Pietravallo as a classic #5 player; somebody who is apt at holding the ball and breaking up attacks. He joins the club from Veria in Greece after beginning his career at Velez Sarsfield. Given Claudio Reyna’s prolonged absence and questionable return to the club, Pietravallo should most likely link up with Seth Stammler to form an effective defensive midfield combination.

Diego Jimenez: Defender, status: signed. Signed from Mexican side Tecos, the 22 year old Jimenez has represented Mexico at the U21 level. He is your prototypical left back. Jiminez has finally signed after over a month of negotiations, and is back training with the club after rejecting their initial offer. Jiminez will take up the left back position, allowing Kevin Goldwaithe to slide over to central defense; a position he seems much more comfortable at. This should also end the speculation of leading scorer Dave Van den Bergh moving to left back, allowing him to remain in the midfield.    

Gabriel Cichero: Defender, status: negotiating. New York and Cichero’s club, Deportivo Italia in Venezuela, are currently negotiating a loan deal that would bring in the 24 year old defender for the remainder of this season as well as the 2009 campaign. Cichero, who began his career in Uruguay before brief stints in Italy and Bulgaria, is a left-footed central defender. Reports indicate that he is keen to moving to MLS and furthering his career in New York. Cichero is a talented young player, as he has been capped ten times for the Venezuelan national team. Look for him to provide depth in central defense if he is indeed signed.

         Osorio is still looking to sign a striker to compliment Juan Pablo Angel, but as of now nothing substantial has presented itself. What remains to be seen is if these new signees will be able to mesh together with existing players. Because the MLS transfer window does not open until July 15^th, Rojas, Pietravallo, and Jimenez will not be eligible to play until New York’s July 19^th home game against the LA Galaxy. And that may eventually be too late to make a substantial push for the playoffs. Looking at teams like DC United this season, it took their international signings a couple months to adapt to MLS’ style of play, something which hindered the team’s initial results.

         The Red Bulls are rapidly changing face in a season that is in desperate need of a lift. New York’s history of ineptitude still has many fans doubting whether or not these new players will make a difference, and still find themselves asking why theses upgrades didn’t come sooner rather than later.

Popularity: 17%

Lost in the midst of Wednesday’s news of Jozy Altidore’s transfer to Villarreal was the Red Bulls impending match with Chivas USA on Thursday night. Playing without the teenage striker, the team managed to scratch and claw their way to an unattractive, yet important, 1-0 victory. Juan Pablo Angel’s 75th minute header proved decisive, and Jon Conway made several key saves to preserve the club’s third clean sheet of the season.New York opened the match in the following 4-5-1 formation, with Conway in goal. 

——————–Angel———————–

Borman———–Magee————Richards

——Van Den Bergh—–Stammler———-

Goldthwaite—————————Leitch

—————–Parke—Boyens————-

The first half of the match saw both teams struggle to createany significant chances or gain control of midfield. New York seemed resigned to playing long balls up top, and struggled to maintain any significant attacking possession. But while the team struggled to produce any significant offensive threats, they did show their ability to defend effectively as a team; shutting down a potent Chivas attack.

The first significant scoring chance occurred in the last minute of the first half. Off of a throw-in, Jesse Marsch slipped a pass to Sascha Kljestan between two defenders, but his breakaway attempt was stopped brilliantly by Conway’s outstretched foot. 

The Red Bulls finally broke through in the 75^th minute. Dane Richards picked up the ball on the right hand side, and sent a perfect cross into the middle of the box. An unmarked Angel proceeded to calmly head the ball into the left hand side of the goal, just eluding Chivas keeper Brad Guzan. 

Chivas then began to attack in numbers, with substitute Ante Razov having several clear long range shots. However, New York successfully prevented any substantial scoring chances and left with a 1-0 victory.

Man of t he Match: Throughout this young season, injuries and absences have prevented the Red Bulls from establishing a constant lineup or any significant rhythm. But one player who has started every game so far is goalkeeper Jon Conway, and his steady performances have eliminated any lingering thoughts that he is not ready to carry the burden of being the team’s number one. Conway’s keys save at the end of the first half single handedly kept the game level going into halftime.

Key Matchup: The right side of the field was quite busy in the second half, as Dane Richards made it the focal point of the team’s attack. Opposing him was Francisco Mendoza, and the two diminutive midfielders exchanged blows throughout the game. Richards would beat him one play; Mendoza would put in a strong tackle the next; but it was certainly entertaining to see these two pacey players go head to head.

Up Next: The Red Bulls will travel to Washington to face archrival DC United next Saturday, giving New York some time to rest and recharge. Several players are struggling to regain form due to injury, including Juan Pablo Angel who is suffering from a sore back and hamstring; he was noticeably limping towards the end of last night’s match. But these extra couple days of rest should hopefully allow the team to get healthy for the match against United. 

Scoring Summary:NY — Juan Pablo Angel 2 (Dane Richards 2, Chris Leitch 1) 75

Chivas USA — Brad Guzan, Carey Talley, Bobby Burling, Jim Curtin, Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Atiba Harris, Jorge Flores (Ante Razov 59), Justin Braun (Anthony Hamilton 66).

New York Red Bulls — Jon Conway, Chris Leitch, Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke, Kevin Goldthwaite, Dane Richards (Carlos Mendes 92+), Danleigh Borman (Luke Sassano 77), Mike Magee (John Wolyniec 65), Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh, Juan Pablo Angel, 

Misconduct Summary:CHV — Jesse Marsch (caution; Pushing, Holding) 30CHV — Atiba Harris (caution; Tackle from Behind) 40NY — Mike Magee (caution; Professional Foul) 45CHV — Paulo Nagamura (caution; Tackle from Behind) 52

Referee: Alex PrusReferee’s Assistants: C.J. Morgante; Jeff Muschik4th official: Jorge GonzalezTime of game: 1:53Attendance: 9,521Weather: Cloudy -and- 72 degrees

Popularity: 21%

Following a 5-1 loss to Chicago last Sunday, the New York Red Bulls head to Houston to face-off against the Dynamo. After having their five game unbeaten streak snapped in embarrassing fashion, New York will be looking to take advantage of a significantly weakened Houston side that will be missing numerous significant players. Star midfielder Dewayne DeRosario and goalkeeper Pat Onstad will be away on international duty with Canada as they play Brazil, and defender Eddie Robinson faces a one game suspension after picking up two yellow cards in Houston’s 2-2 draw with FC Dallas on Wednesday. The Dynamo, sitting on eleven points after ten matches, lie in fifth place in the Western conference, although they are only three points behind first place Los Angeles. 

There is no doubt that New York will be looking to improve defensively after surrendering five goals to Chicago, and will certainly be aided by the return of midfielder Seth Stammler from injury. Stammler’s tenacious tackling and ball-winning prowess was certainly missed last Sunday. Talking about Chicago midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Claudio Reyna said, “Without blaming anyone, every time I turned around I couldn’t believe how much time he had. Juan (Pablo Angel) and I sat at halftime and said we never have time like that. He just seemed to be running into spaces and didn’t really know why he was so open at time. Pace isn’t his thing and he was getting wide open on the ball.” Stammler is excellent at closing out passing lanes and establishing control of the midfield, while also providing support to the backline. 

Two notable absences will be Claudio Reyna, who will not make the trip west due to a hamstring injury, and midfielder Dave Van den Bergh. Van den Bergh will miss his second consecutive game, as his wife is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s second child in the coming days. 

Another intriguing combination to keep an eye on is the Red Bull’s strike force, which has struggled to establish itself this season. The duo of Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore was predicted to be one of the most prolific goal-scoring pairs in recent MLS history, but early injuries have plugged up the expected deluge of goals. Juan Pablo Angel has suffered from an underwhelming offensive supporting cast, as well as opponents becoming more familiar with him and marking him tightly with double teams. Red Bulls officials have also started to become concerned with the attitude of Jozy Altidore, who seems to be a bit distracted by all of the attention he is receiving from high profile international clubs. The team has also been suffering from an effective third option up top, but will be reinforced by the return of Columbian striker Oscar Echeverry. Considering the talent of this group, it is not a question of if the goals will begin to flow, but when. 

Popularity: 55%

Scottish central defender Chris Innes arrived in New York on Tuesday in preparation for a two week trial with the club. The 31 year old former Gretna player, made redundant due to the serious financial problems brought on by the SPL cellar dwellers, participated in team training on Wednesday. Innes was an integral part of a Gretna side that won three successive promotions, culminating in a place in the Scottish Premier League, and reached a Scottish Cup Final in 2006. Previous experiences in Innes’ footballing career include stops at Kilmarnock and Dundee United, in addition to brief loan stints at Falkirk and St. Mirren. Despite having several offers from clubs in England, Innes decided to follow the footsteps of two former Gretna teammates, Kenny Deuchar (Real Salt Lake) and Tony Caig (Houston Dynamo), across the Atlantic. Due to Innes’ unique situation, MLS’ April 15^th transfer deadline will not affect the Red Bulls’ decision to sign him.

Reports out of Red Bulls’ training on Wednesday indicate the Innes is fit and had a very good performance. Playing mainly in central defense, he showed good ability in the air and was very vocal. He seems to be impressed with the organization as a whole, as well as the standard of play experienced in training. I would say that it is a good bet that Innes is signed, especially considering the Red Bulls’ desire for depth in defense.

So what does the impending Innes signing mean for the current members of the Red Bulls? I would say that it is a safe bet that Innes would take over the starting role in the middle of the three man backline, with Jeff Parke sliding out right to replace Chris Leitch. There is no doubt that adding a veteran defender will help stabilize and add depth to what is considered to be New York’s primary weakness.   

Popularity: 7%

Year three under the Red Bull brand kicks off Saturday when the Columbus Crew visit Giants Stadium, and New York/New Jersey soccer fans hope that this year’s team can rise above the mediocre performances of recent campaigns. 

New York enter their new season with a new head coach and a new philosophy, but with mostly the same core group of players as last year’s team that bowed out of the playoffs in the first round at the hands of the New England Revolution. New head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has placed an emphasis on improving a defense that allowed 46 goals last season, third worst in all of Major League Soccer. Osorio has gone about implementing a 3-5-2 formation, and the team is slowly but surely grasping the nuances of playing with a three man backline.

Reports out of Red Bull camp reveal that Osorio is leaning towards a backline composed of Kevin Goldwaithe on the left, Jeff Parke in the middle and Chris Leitch on the right in place of incumbent Carlos Mendes, who had been receiving much of the playing time there in preseason. With Dane Richards out with an MCL tear and Hunter Freeman nursing a right ankle sprain, rookie Luke Sassano seems poised to make his MLS debut on the right side of midfield, along with fellow rookie Danleigh Borman on the left as both have been impressive. All in all, I think that we might see the following starting lineup Saturday night:

————Angel———–Altidore————

Borman————Reyna————-Sassano

——Van Den Bergh—–Stammler———-

Goldthwaite——-Parke————–Leitch

——————-Conway———————-

Columbus arrives in New York coming off an impressive 2-0 win, albeit against a weak Toronto F.C. team, and is looking to defeat the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium for the first time since 2003. 

Keys to the game: It will certainly be interesting to see how the Red Bulls operate defensively in their opening game. Have they made the necessary strides and adjustments while playing in this new system? Preseason performances have certainly indicated that there is still much work to be done in perfecting the 3-5-2, and Columbus will be looking to exploit this inexperience. Going along with this, the 3-5-2 places even more emphasis on team defending, with the midfield support and backtracking essential for success. Rookies Danleigh Borman and Luke Sassano will have to help contain Columbus’ Eddie Gaven and Robbie Rogers on the flanks, as both are formidable attacking players. 

Key Matchup: Seth Stammler vs. Guillermo Baros Schelotto. Sticking with a defensive theme, everyone knows the skill that Columbus’ playmaker Schelotto possesses, as well as his ability to start an attack and adequately support the forwards. The question is how New York will go about disrupting Schelotto, which will invariably slow down Columbus’ attack. Seth Stammler looks to be New York’s answer, as he provides the bite in the defensive midfield duo of him and Dave Van den Bergh. Stammler is exceptional in his ability to cover vast amounts of ground, taking away passing lanes and sticking his tackles well. Look for him to provide the necessary energy in support of the three man backline.

Key Player: Claudio Reyna. Employed in a new attacking role for the coming season, this will be many fans’ first look at the rejuvenated Reyna. I firmly believe that, if healthy, Reyna will emerge as a viable attacking option. Reyna’s new role allows him to enjoy a certain amount of free range, as he is positioned behind the two forwards. He will be called upon to link the midfield and forwards, and to provide quality service to Angel and Altidore. With Reyna’s field vision and ball control skills, I believe that he will flourish in this new role.

Popularity: 10%

A first half strike from midfielder Dave Van den Bergh gave the New York Red Bulls a well-deserved 1-0 victory over the Carolina Railhawks Saturday night in Cary, NC. The 5,500 fans that showed up to Wake-Med Soccer Park were treated to a dominating performance by New York, who controlled possession throughout the match and created the majority of the scoring chances. The Red Bulls opened the game with the following starting lineup: 

Conway

          Leitch                       Parke                     Goldwaithe

Ubiparipovic            Van den Bergh

  Sassano                                                                       Borman

Reyna

   Altidore                      Echeverry

Forward Juan Pablo Angel did not make the trip down to North Carolina due to a viral infection. 

The Red Bulls got off to a quick start, recording their first shot on goal in the 3^rd minute. A long ball from rookie winger Luke Sassano found Jozy Altidore behind the Carolina defense, but his one time shot was directly at Carolina keeper Chris McClellan. Eight minutes later, off a bad Carolina giveaway, Altidore slid a pass from the right wing to Claudio Reyna in the center of midfield. With an ample amount of space, the former United States international took a couple touches and unleashed a left-footed drive that was brilliantly pushed over the crossbar by McClellan. 

Early portions of the first half were characterized by New York’s definitive edge in possession and complete control of the midfield. New York finally broke through in the 27^th minute, off a Claudio Reyna corner kick. His inswinger to the far post was headed out by defender Kevin Goldwaithe to a wide open Dave Van den Bergh, about twenty yards from goal. The Dutch midfielder waited for the ball to drop to him, and his powerful left-footed volley found its way through traffic and into the upper left corner of the net.  

In the 41^st minute New York carved out another quality scoring opportunity. Good passing buildup in the midfield led to a Van den Bergh cross from the left that fell to Ubiparipovic far right. A clever pull back found Altidore in space, and his clever chip into the middle of the box was headed just over by Danleigh Borman. Two minutes later the Red Bulls hit the crossbar through newly signed forward Oscar Echeverry’s one time strike off of a low cross from Borman, and the MLS side entered the half a goal up on Carolina.

The second half was largely uneventful, with Carolina putting a bit more pressure on New York, but failing to construct any substantial attack. New York’s goalkeeper Jon Conway was tested a couple times by speedy Railhawk midfielder Martin Nunez, but managed to make a couple fine sliding stops on breakaway attempts. The diminutive Nunez, who was in fact in Red Bull’s training camp earlier this year, was by far the most impressive player on the field for Carolina. His pace and skill on the ball allowed him to get behind New York’s backline a few times, and he proved to be the only real threat for the Railhawks throughout the match.

A dull second half came to life in the 78^th minute, as newly introduced forward Chris Megaloudis picked up the ball on the left and cut back to the byline. But his left-footed near post strike was covered by McClellan. A minute later, John Wolnyiec’s shot from the top of the box flew just over the crossbar. 

The highlight of New York’s victory had to be the work of the backline, which severely limited any quality chances for Carolina. Central defender Jeff Parke displayed his dominant abilities, using his combination of speed and strength to control the defense. Midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic showed a lot of bite in central midfield, getting in his tackles and tracking back very well. This combination of a well-functioning backline and the support the midfield defensively helped preserve New York’s first clean sheet of the preseason. 

The Red Bulls will now prepare to host the Columbus Crew at Giants Stadium next Saturday April 5^th in their first game of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. 

Scoring Summary:NY: Van den Bergh (unassisted) 27′ 

Disciplinary SummaryNY: Ubiparapovic (caution) 13′ CAR: Stokes (caution) 87′ 

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (GK), Kevin Goldthwaite, Jeff Parke, Chris Leitch, Danleigh Borman (Kevin Mesa 72′), Dave van den Bergh, Sinisa Ubiparapovic, Luke Sassano (Carlos Mendes 57′), Claudio Reyna (Eric Brunner 76′), Jozy Altidore (John Wolyniec 57′), Oscar Echeverry (Chris Megaloudis) 

Substitutes Not Used: Zach Thornton, Seth Stammler 

Carolina RailHawks: Chris McClellan (GK), David Stokes, Steven Curfman, Frankie Sanfilippo, Richard Perdomo (Zeke Dombrowski 72′), Kupono Low, Martin Nunez, Chris Lemons, David Lilly (Santiago Fusilier 37′), Jacob Coggins (Marty Johnston 62′), Joel Bailey (Connally Edozien 37′) 

Popularity: 7%

The New York Red Bulls announced on Wednesday March 26^th, 2008 that they have signed forward Oscar Echeverry. The 31 year old Colombian forward had been brought into training camp to provide cover at the forward position, primarily in preparation for star Jozy Altidore’s impending national team duty this summer. The 5-10 Echeverry broke into the professional ranks with hometown club Deportivo Cali in the Colombian first division and his subsequent professional experience includes stops at Once Caldes (Colombia), Deportivo Pasto (Colombia), Deportivo Pereira (Colombia), BSC Young Boys (Switzerland) and Caracas FC (Venezuela), with whom he won the Venezuelan league title in 2004. Echeverry then settled down with Athletico Nacional in Colombia, playing with the Medellin based club for four seasons. In 203 career games in the Colombian first division, Echeverry recorded a total of 27 goals. His international experience includes appearances with the Colombian U23 team, and he will be counted as an international on the Red Bulls’ roster. 

Echeverry joined the club back in February, and has accompanied the team in its preseason travels to Salzburg and Carolina. He opened the scoring for New York in its 3-1 preseason win over Swedish side Hammarby back on February 15^th, and all indications point to him becoming the team’s third striker behind Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore. Terms of the deal have not been released by Major League Soccer. 

Popularity: 7%

Coming into this year’s edition of the Carolina Challenge Cup, every winner since the preseason tournament was founded in 2004 has gone on to hoist either the Supporters Shield or MLS Cup. Needless to say, fans of the New York Red Bulls saw this competition as a spring board to bigger and better things for the 2008 campaign. But after a pair of 1-1 draws and a 3-0 loss to the Charlotte Battery, Toronto FC and San Jose Earthquakes respectively, the clubs’ third place finish now has many people preparing for yet another season of mid table mediocrity and playoff failure. 

However, the notoriously demanding population of tri-state area soccer fans should not take the results of this tournament as a signal of yet another trophy-less season for the New York franchise. Although a strong preseason can often be indicative of good things to come, it is also a time of player evaluation and finding the right mix of players that will achieve the best results. Results are important, but they certainly are not everything in preseason. In the case of the Red Bulls, who made a total of seventeen substitutions over the three matches, evaluating players and mixing and matching formations were certainly at the forefront of head coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s and assistant coach Richie Williams’ mind. Following the 3-0 loss to San Jose, Osorio expressed what he and the coaching staff can take away from the game and tournament in general: “We gave a lot of minutes to the guys that we picked from the draft, and some of them have shown very good things, some of them maybe not. So now I have a better and a clearer opinion of my players in general.” 

In addition to this, New York was playing without star striker Jozy Altidore and midfielder/defender Hunter Freeman, both representing the United States U23 team at Olympic Qualifying. Altidore, the eighteen year old phenom who scored nine goals in twenty-two league games last season, is a lock to start alongside veteran Juan Pablo Angel up top. Freeman, a University of Virginia graduate who spent last season at right back, will almost certainly be plugged into the right midfield spot vacated by the injured Jamaican international Dane Richards. 

Although the final results of the tournament may not have been exactly what most fans wanted, the fact of the matter is that preseason is simply just preseason. The season is certainly not lost due to a poor showing in a few exhibition games or tournament. Some quick, common observations that could turn out to impact the upcoming season, however, became apparent thanks to the Red Bull’s trip to Carolina. We’ll start with the good:

Claudio Reyna- The captain and New Jersey native has been having a good (and more importantly, healthy) preseason. Given more free range in Osorio’s 3-5-2 formation, Reyna showed that he has the ability to be the commanding midfield presence that prompted the team to use a Designated Player spot on him. Playing in a more advanced role and linking well with Juan Pablo Angel, Reyna looks as if he can be a serviceable attacking midfielder if Osorio does not sign anyone before the start of the season.

Dave Van den Bergh- The 31 year old left-footed midfielder no longer has the pace to be effective out on the wing, but he seems to have found a home in central midfield. Although a bit of a liability on defense, he remains one of the best passers on the team. He showed great vision and calmness on the ball in the two games he played, and a partnership with defensive stalwart Seth Stammler in the middle would help compensate for his shortcomings defensively.

The Rookies- Once again it looks as if New York struck gold in this year’s draft. Danleigh Borman, selected in the first round of the supplemental draft, is a good left footed player who could potentially start on the left side of the field. He showed the ability to provide good crosses into the middle, in addition to a quick first step. The team’s third round SuperDraft selection out of Berkeley, midfielder Luke Sassano, played most of the tournament out on the right wing. Sassano displayed good technical skill, but struggled with his crosses, indicating that he may be better suited to provide cover in central midfield. Defender Eric Brunner, a second round pick from Ohio State, looks solid and will be a serviceable backup option in defense.

Now for the not so good:

The Defense- Growing pains can be expected from a group that is adapting to Osorio’s new 3-5-2 formation, but the team gave away too many bad goals throughout the tournament. Long passes breaking open the defense and bad giveaways occurred far too often, and in general opposing attackers had acres of space to work with. This could be caused by a lack of familiarity with the system, insinuating that there is definite room for improvement. Jeff Parke and Carlos Mendes provide a solid foundation, as both are above average MLS defenders. Kevin Goldwaithe, however, is not the answer at left back. His string of uninspiring performances was highlighted by cheap giveaways and an overall poor level of play.

Oscar Echeverry and Juan Pablo Angel- Juan Pablo at times looked visibly frustrated by the lack of quality service to him, and failed to score in any of the three games. While this in itself is not too concerning, given his pedigree and level of commitment shown last year, his partnership with fellow Colombian Oscer Echeverry is. Signed by Osorio from Atlético Nacional, Echeverry is expected to be the main cover for Altidore when he leaves in the summer for Olympic duty. However the two did not seem to be on the same page playing together, and some of Echeverry’s decisions were indeed questionable. He seemed too eager to take on defenders instead of opting for the simple pass. What makes the Altidore/Angel partnership work so well is Jozy’s ability to hold up the ball and Juan Pablo’s clever runs away from the ball. Echeverry does not seem like the ideal target man that would make Angel effective.

Popularity: 8%