NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



New York Red Bulls

New York Red Bulls Weekly Update

January 25, 2010 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
New York Red Bulls News Release


RED BULLS IN SPAIN FOR PRESEASON: The Red Bulls are currently in La Manga, Spain on a two-week preseason trip. Under new head coach Hans Backe, the Red Bulls tied Russia's CSKA Moscow, 1-1, on Monday. They will also play Poland's Lech Poznan on Jan. 27 and Norway's Stromsgodset on Feb. 1. The squad arrived to La Manga last Thursday, and has held its first official training sessions. The team returns to New York on Feb. 4.

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

Lech Poznan qualified for the UEFA Europa League but it was knocked out by Belgium's Club Brugge in qualifying rounds on penalty kicks after the teams were tied 1-1 on aggregate. Stromsgodset, a Norwegian Premier League team based in Drammen, are currently 12th in the league standings with 36 points.

Fans can follow the team on a daily basis by logging onto www.newyorkredbulls.com or on Red Bulls Reader, the team's official blog - www.redbullsreader.com.

RED BULLS TAKE ON SANTOS IN RBA GRAND OPENING: The Red Bulls will face Brazilian club, Santos, on March 20, 2010 in the official Grand Opening of Red Bull Arena, located in Harrison, NJ. Kickoff time will be announced at a future date. The exhibition match is included in the 2010 Red Bulls Full Season Ticket packages at no additional cost. Beginning this Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 10:00 AM, Season Ticket Holders will also receive an exclusive three-day pre-sale window to purchase additional discounted seats to this match and the Red Bulls MLS Home Opener against the Chicago Fire on March 27.

The Red Bulls, who will also host a soft opening at a date to be determined, will offer "The Stage is Set" two-game ticket package, which goes on sale on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 3:00 PM. The plan gives fans a seat at both the Grand Opening and the MLS Home Opener and starts at $35 per package.

"We are excited to invite one of the most prestigious clubs in South America to help us properly open our new home," said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "Santos has a tremendous following globally, including within the vibrant areas located directly near Red Bull Arena. We're thrilled to face a quality squad that features elite players including Fábio Costa and Neymar in the lead-up to the MLS regular season."

"Our team has had the chance to open many stadiums around the world. To be part of the Grand Opening of Red Bull Arena allows us to celebrate another chapter of that history and move forward with the globalization of our brand," said Luis Alvaro de Oliveira Ribeiro, President of Santos.

Founded in 1912, Santos has a storied history in Brazil. Winners of 17 Paulista Championships, including in 2006 and 2007, Santos is renowned as being the first club where Pele - one of the greatest players in the sport's history - started his career in 1956 when he was 15 years old. Santos has also won two Brazilian Championships in 2002 and 2004. Along with Pele, Santos has had many Brazilian stars in its ranks including Robinho, Giovanni and Elano.

RED BULLS, SPORTING CHANCE TO RAISE MONEY FOR HAITI: Red Bull New York and midfielder Seth Stammer's charitable nonprofit organization, Sporting Chance Foundation (SCF), will raise money for the victims of last week's earthquake in Haiti by offering fans exclusive tours of the team's new home, Red Bull Arena, in Harrison, NJ. Every fan who donates $100 to SCF will receive two tickets to an intimate tour of Red Bull Arena with a Red Bull player. All of the proceeds will go to SCF, which will send the funds to Haiti as part of the worldwide relief effort.

Reservations for the tour can be made from Jan. 18-Feb. 5 by contacting Christina Giunta at 201.583.7017 (Christina.Giunta@newyorkredbulls.com) or Kate Brewster-Duffy at 201.583-7000 ext. 7123 (Comm.Coord@newyorkredbulls.com). The tours will take place the week of Feb. 8-13. Because of high demand, the Red Bulls have opened more tour slots, but space is still limited.

About Sporting Chance Foundation: Sporting Chance Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was created in 2007 after Stammler and former teammates, Jozy Altidore and Jerrod Laventure, traveled to the Caribbean nation on a six-day service trip in late 2006. The two missions of SCF are to provide clean, potable water and academic scholarships to the Haitian people. In his first trip since he started SCF, Stammler and teammate, Jeremy Hall, went to Haiti in Dec. 2009 to grant academic scholarships to 60 students and visit the first water well that SCF helped build. For more information on SCF or to make a contribution, log onto www.sportingchancefoundation.org.

NEW YORK TO PLAY IN DISNEY CLASSIC: New York is one of four MLS teams that will compete in the inaugural Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic on Feb. 25 and 27 at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex outside of Orlando, FL. The Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, which will also feature the Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas and Toronto FC, kicks off the re-launch of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and is part of the 2010 ESPN The Weekend presented by Dick's Sporting Goods. The Red Bulls will travel to Bradenton, FL on Feb. 15 and train at the IMG Academy prior to the tournament.

The Red Bulls take on the Dynamo on Feb. 25 at 6:00 PM ET and FC Dallas and Toronto FC will tangle later that evening. Two days later, the losers of the two matches will face off at 6:00 PM, while the winners play at 8:30 PM in the championship game.

"Bringing four Major League Soccer teams to Central Florida to play in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic is very exciting and a big win for all of our local soccer players, fans, parents and spectators," said Disney Sports Area Manager Patrick Dicks. "ESPN The Weekend is serving as a major platform for these teams to prepare for the upcoming season and we are proud to have them be a part of this re-branding weekend."

Disney Sports plays host to some of the top youth soccer tournaments worldwide. Disney's Soccer Showcase is one of the largest and most elite recruiting tournaments in the country, pulling in over 500 boys and girls youth soccer teams that compete for both medals and collegiate scholarships. The Disney Cup International is one of the premier international youth soccer tournaments in the world and since 1999 has brought in teams from more than 20 countries.

Opened in 1997, the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is a premier multi-sport venue for amateur and professional sports in the United States and has recently undergone changes to incorporate signature ESPN elements, ultimately taking the sports experience to the next level. High-definition video cameras, along with high-definition video screens and two Jumbotrons, have been added throughout the complex. Game highlights and action will be broadcast across the complex, in all Walt Disney World Resort rooms and will also feed into a new state-of-the-art digital center with a direct uplink to ESPN in Bristol, CT.

Daily tickets to the Disney Pro Soccer Classic will include admission to the complex for both games and entrance to ESPN The Weekend events that are taking place at the complex. Tickets can be bought on-site at the complex box office or through Ticketmaster. For a full list of ESPN The Weekend events and ticket packages, visit www.disneysports.com and www.espntheweekend.com.

RED BULLS TO COMPETE IN NPSL: Red Bull New York announced today that it will field an Under-23 team in the National Premier Soccer League.

"We are very excited to enter the NPSL, which is one of the top men's amateur leagues in the country," said Red Bulls Director of Youth Programs Bob Montgomery. "It gives the Red Bulls a chance to keep the top homegrown players through their college careers."

The league has 32 teams from around the country competing in four conferences. The New York Red Bulls will join the Atlantic Division of the Northeast Conference. The Maine Sting, New Hampshire Rapids, New York Athletic Club, Morris County Colonials, Brooklyn Italians and Long Island Academy FC comprise the remainder of the Atlantic Division. The Red Bulls will play home and away fixtures with each divisional team for a total of 12 regular season games. Division champions will compete in Conference Championship on July 17 or 18, with the winner advancing the National Finals from July 29-31.

The team's roster will include the core players from the 2009 Super-20 League National Championship team that defeated Chivas USA 7-0 in the final on Aug. 2.

FULL SEASON PLANS ARE ON SALE: The Red Bulls will open its regular season slate at Red Bull Arena on Saturday, March 27, 2010, when they host the Chicago Fire at 7:00 PM ET for the start their 2010 MLS Regular Season slate. The game will be telecast nationally on ESPN2.

Full Season Ticket Plans for the New York Red Bulls' first season at Red Bull Arena, in Harrison, NJ, are on sale now. Midfield seats in the 100-Level and sideline sections 107 and 112 are already sold out, but good seats are still available. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

Fans are urged to secure their season tickets and seat locations as soon as possible. Ticket prices for the 2010 season range from just $272 to $585 per seat. Seating at Red Bull Arena is as close as seven yards from the touchline and all seats are covered underneath a dynamic 360-degree roof. Club Seats for the 2010 season are also on sale. For just $3,000 per seat, these premium seats are located behind the team bench, and enjoy several unique features, including access to a private club for all-inclusive food and beverage service.

The prices for 2010 Full Season Ticket Plans are as follows:

Club Seats: $3,000

Midfield: $585

Sideline: $425

Corner Flag: $335

Endline: $299

Supporters: $272

Check out the New York Red Bulls Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Major League Soccer message board...

Major League Soccer Stories from January 25, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central