Rating: 3(Likely)

According to several reports out of Norway, IK Start are close to capturing New York Red Bulls defender Hunter Freeman. According to reports, Freeman would join the Norwegian side in January, after his 4 year contract with NYRB is up. Freeman has been capped at the U-23 level, and has made 11 appearances so far this season. IK Start are currently in 2nd place in Norway’s 2nd Division after being relegated last season. The 23 year old joined New York from Colorado in 2006, and has since been one of New York most consistent performers. What do you think? Would this be a good move for New York? Hunter?

Popularity: 10%

Hello Fans!

Well it definitely has not been the best couple of weeks for the team.  Two losses, and on top of that an embarrassing loss at home (I won’t try to sugar coat it).  Needless to say, all of us are not pleased with the past two results.  Obviously the Chicago game was a rough one for all who were involved, be it a fan or a player.  I am not going to sit here and try to make excuses for our poor performance.  I don’t think there was one person on the field who was the least bit pleased with their performance that game, and how could any of us have been pleased.  In a game that was talked about for a while (and blown a bit out of proportion by some fans and media) we simply did not show up.  Plain and simple!  A loss at home is always tough to swallow, but be it against a rival and a butt whooping…I can’t think of a worse case scenario.  About the only thing you want to do after that game is forget about it.  There are clearly many things we can take from that game; mistakes we made and lack of concentration.  However, at the end of the day every guy on the team knows that performance was terrible and we have to do much, much better.  So we have to put it in the past, and make sure that we do not have a repeat performance.

Last week we were in Houston, a place that especially in June, is not a very fun place to play at.  It was another hot and humid night, and even though Houston was missing some key players, they were still able to field a solid team capable of getting a result.  Although we were missing some key players ourselves (JP, Dave, and Claudio), we still had plenty of experience and talented players on the field to at least grab a point from that game.  It was not the prettiest of games, but it was a game that we were definitely in a good position to get at least a point.  We had talked all week about how Houston’s main strengths are their competitiveness and their set pieces.  Needless to say, conceding a goal on a play that we discussed during the week in practice was frustrating.  Give credit to them, they were aware of us turning our backs, and quickly put the ball back in play.  Next thing we know, the ball is in the back of our net and we find ourselves down 1-0.  Like I said earlier, I am not going to try and sugar coat or make excuses for why we lacked concentration at that particular moment.  We, as a team, simply have to do better and limit the small mental mistakes that we are making, and costing us precious points.  

Tomorrows game presents us with another good challenge against a team who is having their troubles with injuries, but have got great results in their past few games.  Having said that, I believe that we have more then enough experience, speed, and skill to win this game.  We just need to do a better job of possessing the ball; knowing the right times to attack, and the right times when maybe it is not on to go forward right away and just keep the ball.  I think sometimes we try and force the ball forward to quickly right after we have won it from our opposition.  More times then not, the opposition is most vulnerable when the ball is first turned over (because they have committed numbers forward and some players may be caught out of position).  However, sometimes it is simply not on.  You may not have the lane to pass the ball, or there may not be enough players forward to take advantage of the other team.  Soccer is a balancing act of patience (keeping possession) and urgency (knowing when to attack the opponent at speed).  If we can do a better job of balancing the two, I think we will find ourselves back in the win column.

On a lighter note, I would like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Dave Van Den Bergh and his wife for the birth of their new baby boy, Max.  Both Dave’s wife and son are healthy and doing great.  I know they are both happy and relieved that it is over with.  Although, you can already tell that Dave is not getting as much sleep as he was.  Guess that goes with the territory!  

Well, I really hope to see you guys out at the game tomorrow.  I know it is a weekday and many of you work, but we really do appreciate all of your support and we are eager to show you that our last two games are behind us and we are back to our winning ways!

As always, here are some of your questions:

Hello Hunter, what positions do you think need most strengthening in  

the RBNY squad? I know the popular opinion among fans would be Left  

footed defender, and center attacking mid, would you agree?

-Melanie K

Melanie,

It is no secret that the positions we are probably the thinnest at would be left footed defender, left footed midfielder, and now with the move of Jozy I would say forward.  Those are three areas that I would think are possibilities for us to improve in during the upcoming transfer window.

Hunter, who’s your pick to win the upcoming Euro 2008 tournament? Have

a dark horse pick?

-Steven J

Steve, 

My favorite to win would be Italy…and dark horse, the Swiss.

Hey Hunter, there are lots of rumors about Jozy slacking in training  

a little bit, what is your opinion? Think he’s doing alright?

-John K

John, 

Well needless to say, I think if you have been reading anything on the Internet today you have seen that Jozy has been sold to Villarreal.  Needless to say, he will not be with us much longer and I only wish him the best.  Definitely a dream come true, and I am excited for him.

Hunter, do you ever play pickup games on the side for fun? or are you  

a little sick of soccer during your off time?

-Carey F

Carey,

I don’t usually play soccer in my off time.  I get quite a bit of soccer in every other day!  Although, I have been known to play soccer tennis with my friends occasionally.  That’s as close as I get to playing soccer in my off time.

  Do you have any questions, comments, mixtapes or anything else to say to Hunter? Send them to Hunter@americansoccerreader.com  

Popularity: 37%

Greetings fans,

What more can I say, other then you cannot ask for a better start to the season then we had last Saturday.  The weather was beautiful, the goals came early, and we earned three points.  Oh yes, the fans!!!!  There were 17,000 plus and as vocal as I can remember.  So from my teammates and I, you the fans earn a BIG “thank you!”  

Personally, it was great to see Dave and Goldy open up their accounts on opening day.  Two guys who have been doubted the most by fans and media definitely proved their worth on Saturday.  

This week we have a good test in Dallas.  It will be our first test on the road, and against a good opposition who definitely have some individuals that are capable of punishing you.  Like us, Dallas has switched its formation to a 3-5-2 as well.  Although, so far it looks as they still have some things to sort out in the back having given up 4 goals in 2 games.  Only time will tell, as we will know how things shake out on Saturday evening. 

If you are a European soccer fan, this week Champions league games have been quite entertaining.  Although, I think it is safe to say that the hands down winner of match of the week has to be Arsenal vs Liverpool.  I wont go into detail on the match as I am sure most of you watched the match, but if you have not I suggest you do.  

As for my injury, it is progressing nicely.  Saw the Doc at the game this weekend and he was quite surprised to see how well my ankle has come along.  He is keeping me in the boot for at least another week.  I was not too happy about that, as the boot is annoying and my ankle feels good.  Yet, he knows more then I do so I will do what he suggest.  After my ankle injury last year, I learned not to rush back!  As I make more progress or get any more good news, I will definitely pass it on.

Once again as I did last week, I will end with answers to your questions.  It is always great reading your questions and seeing what is on your minds.  Some questions make me think, and some must make me laugh.  As always though, I will do my best to answer all them.  Enjoy your weekend, and look forward to seeing you back out at Giants Stadium on the 19^th.

Hello Hunter, we’ve all heard that Chris Innes is training with RBNY,  

have you had a chance to see him/talk with him? Any impressions/ 

thoughts on him/his play so far? 

Noah Z, 

I have met Chris as his has been training with the team since Tuesday.  I cannot give you my honest opinion about his play, as I have only seen him play in training for about 15 mins.  He looks as if he has some quality, is vocal, and good in the air.  

Hi Hunter, since we all know of your great talent on the field, do you have any hidden talents we may not know about? 

Alisha K,

Hidden talents huh?  Not sure I really do have any hidden talents.  I thought long and hard about this question, but cannot seem to come up with anything.  

Bonjour Mr. Freeman, big fan of the blog so far! Who would you say is the biggest jokester in the locker room, which player is the joker of the bunch? My guess is Conway or Woly. 

Steven S,

As you can probably guess, being in a locker room amongst teammates every day there are always jokes and pranks going on.  Usually the rookies catch the brunt of the jokes, but everyone is fair game.  As for who is the joker of the bunch????  I would have say Dave Van Den Bergh.  You are pretty close though with your two guesses, as Wolly is pretty neck and neck with Dave.  Wolly tends to lay low and just wait until you say something that makes absolutely no sense, and then he just murders you for it and makes sure everyone else in the locker room knows what you said as well.

Hey Hunter, I was at the opener on Saturday, I was happy with the result, and very impressed by the crowd, made alot of noise, 101 was amazing as usual! Are you enjoying being coach by JCO? He looks like a very passionate committed manager, definitely a night and day difference from Arena on the touchline.

Anthony S,

You hit it right on the nose; the crowd, atmosphere, and result were all amazing this past weekend.  As I mentioned last week and again this week, you the fans make all the difference in the world.  As for Juan Carlos, he is without a doubt fully committed to the task at hand.  I don’t believe I have ever seen a coach spend more time jotting down ideas, tactics, drills on a piece of paper then Juan Carlos.  Unfortunately, my time away with the Olympic Team and my recent injury have not allowed me to work with him very much.  For the few training sessions I have been able to train with the team I have been pleased.  The sessions are long and intense, but everything we do has a purpose.  There is no time wasted!

Hello Hunter, what sports do you follow very closely, other than soccer? Any favorite TV shows at the moment? Keep up the good work!

Dan G,

Being from Texas I am a huge Football (American Football) fan, and I love my Cowboys.  I know that probably will not sit well with a lot of you because of the Giants, but I stick with my team.  As I tell all my friends, they aren’t called “America’s Team” for nothing.  As far as a favorite TV show at the moment, no question it would have to be Rob and Big.

Thanks again to all of you for reading the blog and submitting questions.  Look forward to meeting some of you throughout the year at the games.  Until next week, take care and enjoy your weekend!

-Hunter

Popularity: 34%

Hello Fans,

This is my first dip into the blogging world.  I will do my best to not disappoint!  In the weeks, and months to come I will try to give you a players view as to what all goes on during the week leading up to a game.  As we all know, opening weekend is just around the corner and we the players are just as excited as, you the fans are about getting things started.

It definitely has not been a normal preseason for me.  I have spent a total of about two weeks with the team.  For the past month I have been with the Olympic Team preparing for qualifying games.  Although it would have been nice to be with my teammates longer, the competition and games that I have had while with the Olympic Team have been very good.  As you all probably know by now, we did qualify for the Olympics along with Honduras.  Everyone was happy and relieved at the same time.  You could tell everyone definitely felt the pressure to qualify once the tournament started, especially after the disappointment of missing out on the last Olympics.  All of our opponents during qualification approached playing against us with the same mentality.  It was clear from the kick off in each game that they were going to sit in, defend, and try to counter.  To be honest, a lot of the teams had success with this approach but at the same time we still managed to create numerous chances in all of our games.  As always though, when you are playing a team that bunkers it in, the earlier you can score a goal the better.  That forces them to change their tactics and they have to open up and push the game a bit.  All in all, we set out and accomplished our goal, which was qualifying for the Olympics in Beijing.  

I am currently sitting in the Nashville airport, getting ready to board a flight back to Newark.  I have been away for a month now, and I am definitely looking forward to getting back and sleeping in my own bed.  Not to mention, I have plenty of laundry to do as well!  

Red Bull has the day off today, but will get back to training tomorrow.  I look forward to getting back with the team and seeing all of the guys.  It will be interesting to see how the team has come together since the last time I was with them in LA for preseason. 

As always if you have any questions or ideas for the blog feel free to let us know.  Hope you guys enjoy, and look forward to seeing you guys out at Giants Stadium this year to root us on!!!

-Hunter 

Have questions, comments, or any other feedback for Hunter? email them to hunter@americansoccerreader.com. 

Popularity: 28%