MLS Red Bull New York

New York Red Bulls Weekly Update

Published on October 20, 2008 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Red Bull New York News Release


RED BULLS HOPE TO PUNCH TICKET TO PLAYOFFS: The Red Bulls hope that they can clinch their sixth-straight playoff appearance on Thursday, when they take on the Chicago Fire on national television at Toyota Park at 9 PM ET in both teams' final game of the regular season (TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; Radio: WADO 1280 AM).

The formula is simple: a win would clinch a playoff spot for the Red Bulls, where they would either play the Columbus Crew as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference or the Houston Dynamo as the fourth seed in the Western Conference depending on other results in the League. A tie or loss would complicate matters as five teams are currently battling for the remaining three playoff spots.

The top three teams in each conference qualify and are seeded 1, 2 & 3 in their respective four-team playoff conference brackets. The two MLS teams with the next most points, regardless of conference, receive "wildcard" berths. If the postseason were to start today, the playoff picture would look as follows:

EASTERN CONFERENCE (After 29 of 30 MLS games)

Rk. Team GP Points

1. Columbus* 29 54

2. Chicago* 29 43

3. New England* 29 43

4. Kansas City 29 39

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Rk. Team GP Points

1. Houston* 29 50

2. Chivas USA* 29 42

3. Real Salt Lake 29 39

4. New York 29 39

NON-PLAYOFF TEAMS

Rk. Team (Conf.) GP Points

T-9. Colorado (West) 29 37

T-9. D.C. United (East) 29 37

T-11. FC Dallas (West)& 29 35

T-11. Toronto FC (East)& 29 35

13. Los Angeles (West)& 29 32

14. San Jose (West)& 29 30

* - Clinched playoff spot.

& - Eliminated from playoff contention.

The two wildcard teams will be seeded according to conference first. If more than four teams qualify from one conference, the team finishing lower than fourth in its conference will shift over to the other conference bracket. A team switching conference brackets will be seeded below all other teams in its new conference playoff bracket.

Kansas City, D.C. United, Real Salt Lake and Colorado all are in contention with New York for the final three playoff spots. Real Salt Lake and Colorado play at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday, where a Real Salt Lake win or tie would clinch the third seed in the West while a Rapids win would clinch their spot in the postseason.

Kansas City could clinch the fourth seed in the East with a win at New England on Saturday. The Wizards own the first tiebreaker over New York (head-to-head). D.C. United would only have a chance to clinch a poseason berth if they win at Columbus on Sunday. The Red Bulls and United are tied in the first tiebreaker (head-to-head) but currently have a better goal differential than D.C. - the component which is the second tiebreaker. New York currently has a -3 goal differential and D.C. has a -7 goal differential. If D.C. wins by more than four goals over Columbus and New York ties, they would clinch a playoff spot over New York. If D.C. wins by four goals, then United would win the next tiebreaker over the Red Bulls (total goals scored). Here are the tiebreaker procedures:

Tie-Breaking Procedures:

The team awarded the highest position in the MLS standings will be the team with the greatest number of points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss). In the event that two teams finish the regular season with an equal number of points, the following system will be used to break the tie:

1) The highest position shall be awarded to the team with the better win/loss record in current regular season games against all other teams equal in points. (head-to-head competition).

2) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the greater goal difference against all other teams during the regular season. (goal differential)

3) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team scoring the greatest number of total goals against all other teams during the regular season. (total goals)

4) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played on the road by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (road 1-3)

5) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the procedures described in this section shall be applied only to games played at home by each team against all other teams during the regular season. (home 1-3)

6) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position shall be awarded to the team with the fewest team disciplinary points in the League Fair Play table during the regular season.

7) If the teams are still equal in the standings, the highest position in the standings shall be determined by the toss of a coin.

8) The first tiebreaker in a three-way tie is also head-to-head, but it is determined via points-per-game versus the other two teams. If two teams are tied in points-per-game head-to-head, the next tiebreaker is goal difference.

NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format.

FIRE PRESENTS STERN TEST: If the Red Bulls want to continue their season, they have to face the Chicago Fire, who have already clinched a playoff spot and will take on the New England Revolution in the first round of the postseason.

The Fire is heading into this match without a win in its last three games. Last Saturday, the Fire dropped a 3-2 decision at Toronto FC. Amado Guevara and Rohan Ricketts gave the hosts the lead at BMO Field but Justin Mapp pulled a goal back in the 25th minute. Ricketts scored his second goal in first half stoppage time for the eventual game-winner. Fire Designated Player Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored the other goal for Chicago.

Chicago won the first two encounters against New York this season. On May 25, the Fire dominated the Red Bulls at Giants Stadium en route to a 5-1 win. Former Fire forward Chad Barrett scored a pair of goals while Blanco notched a goal and three assists in the win. Former Red Bull Jozy Altidore scored the lone goal for New York. Then on Sept. 6, a Stephen King first half goal was enough to give Chicago a 1-0 win over the Red Bulls at Toyota Park.

This match will mark Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio's second trip to Chicago since becoming New York's head coach on Dec. 18, 2007. Osorio was Chicago's head coach last season, joining the Fire on July 9, 2007. He helped guide Chicago to a 6-3-6 record and an appearance in the Eastern Conference Final.

LAST WEEK:

Red Bulls 3 vs. Columbus Crew 1 at Giants Stadium on Oct. 18

THIS WEEK:

Red Bulls at Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on Oct. 23 at 9 PM ET (TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; Radio: WADO 1280 AM) END OF REGULAR SEASON

NEXT WEEK:

TBD

RED BULLS RUSH PAST CREW, 3-1: Captain Juan Pablo Angel was the difference as he scored the first two Red Bulls goals and New York defeated MLS-leading Columbus, 3-1, before a crowd of 18,564 at Giants Stadium on Saturday night. Goalkeeper Danny Cepero, making his MLS debut, scored the Red Bulls' third goal on a direct kick from over 80 yards out to seal the game. It was the first time in MLS history that a goalkeeper has scored a goal.

Angel opened the scoring three minutes into the second half when he put in a through ball from Macoumba Kandji. Columbus leveled the game 14 minutes later in the 62nd minute when Steven Lenhart headed in a Guillermo Barros Schelotto free kick from the left side past Cepero. But Angel scored again for the Red Bulls when he chested down a Seth Stammler header and blasted it past goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum in the 76th minute. Then, history was made in the 83rd minute when Cepero took a direct kick from just outside his own penalty area that sailed over the players and then bounced in front of Columbus 'keeper Gruenebaum, over his head and into the net.

JUAN IS ON: Forward Juan Pablo Angel has scored 11 goals in his last 14 games and has been one of the hottest players in the League. Angel, who has 13 goals this season, leads the Eastern Conference in goals after scoring a pair against the Columbus Crew, including the game-winner, in the Red Bulls' 3-1 win on Saturday. Angel is tied with Houston's Brian Ching for fourth in goals in MLS.

Since joining the Red Bulls last season, Angel has scored at a historic rate, as he has found the back of the net 32 times in 46 games played for New York. That works out to a 0.696 strike rate for the Colombian international, a number that is the best all-time for the New York franchise (minimum of 35 games played). Players with strike rates over .400 are listed.

Rank Name Goals Games Strike Rate

1. Juan Pablo Angel 32 46 0.696

2. Giovanni Savarese 41 85 0.482

3. Clint Mathis 39 93 0.419

4. Adolfo Valencia 21 48 0.438

5. Rodrigo Faria 20 49 0.408

6. Alex Comas 15 37 0.405

Jozy Altidore 15 37 0.405

Juan Pablo Angel is racing up New York's all-time goals scored list. Entering this season (his first full season with the organization), Angel ranked seventh all-time, but has steadily climbed the list this season and moved into a tie for third place with Amado Guevara. (Players with 20 or more goals scored in a New York uniform listed).

Rank Name Goals GP

1. Giovanni Savarese 41 85

2. Clint Mathis 39 93

T-3. Juan Pablo Angel 32 46

T-3. Amado Guevara 32 103

5. John Wolyniec 24 119

6. Mike Magee 23 128

7. Adolfo Valencia 21 48

8. Rodrigo Faria 20 49

Angel is also second in Red Bulls history in multi-goal games after his two-goal performance against Columbus, surpassing Clint Mathis.

Rank Name Multi-Goal Games

1. Giovanni Savarese 10

2. Juan Pablo Angel 7

3. Clint Mathis 6

DREAM DEBUT: With goalkeeper Jon Conway missing due to suspension, Danny Cepero made his first-ever MLS start for the Red Bulls against Columbus last Saturday and he made the most of his opportunity. Cepero made two saves in New York's 3-1 win over Columbus to keep their playoff hopes alive.

To top it off, Cepero made history in the 83rd minute, scoring a goal on a free kick that was over 80-yards long. Cepero became the first goalkeeper in MLS' 13-year history who had scored a goal.

The second-year goalkeeper, drafted by the Red Bulls in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft in the fourth round (46th overall) from the University of Pennsylvania, was loaned to the Harrisburg City Islanders of the United Soccer Leagues Second Division earlier this year. In Harrisburg, he started in 18 games, earning a 1.00 goals against average and six shutouts. Cepero returned to the Red Bulls from Harrisburg on Aug. 20.

TRIO RETURNS: Red Bulls Jorge Rojas, Gabriel Cichero and Dane Richards were all on the bench for Saturday's clash against Columbus after missing the Red Bulls' 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake last Thursday due to international duty. Richards and Rojas both came into the match as substitutes.

Richards was called into the Jamaican National Team's squad for their 2010 World Cup Qualifying Matches in Kingston, Jamaica against Mexico and Honduras on Oct. 11 and 15, respectively. Richards was on the bench but did not play in Jamaica's 1-0 win over Mexico. However, Richards did play as a substitute in Jamaica's 1-0 win over Honduras on.

In his second season with New York, Richards has played in 21 games, starting in 18. The former Clemson University standout has scored three goals and tallied a team-high five assists. A 2007 MLS Rookie of the Year finalist, Richards has earned six caps for the Jamaican National Team and was last called into camp in November 2007 for friendlies against El Salvador and Guatemala. Jamaica is 2-2-1 (7 pts.) in its CONCACAF group, two points behind second place Honduras. The top-two teams in the group advance to the final qualifying stage.

Rojas and Cichero were called up by the Venezuelan National Team for their 2010 World Cup Qualifying Matches against Brazil and Ecuador on Oct. 12 and Oct. 15, respectively. Rojas played the full 90 minutes against Brazil in a 4-0 loss while Cichero was not included in the 18-man roster. However, Cichero played the full 90 minutes in Venezuela's 3-1 win over Ecuador. Rojas came into that match as a second half substitute.

Second all-time in country history in caps with 88 and currently the national team captain, Rojas joined the Red Bulls on July 17, 2008. The former Caracas FC midfielder has tallied five assists in 10 appearances for New York this season. Rojas was also called up to the Venezuelan National Team in September for a pair of World Cup Qualifying losses to Peru (0-1) and Paraguay (0-2).

Cichero, 24, has earned 13 caps for the Venezuelan National Team, scoring one goal. He signed with the Red Bulls on Aug. 6, 2008 and has made seven starts for New York after coming to MLS from Deportivo Italia of the Venezuelan First Division.

Venezuela (3-6-1, 10 pts.) is currently eighth in the 10-team South America World Cup Qualifying group. The top four teams qualify for the 2010 World Cup while the fifth placed team enters a home-and-away playoff with the fourth place team from the CONCACAF region.

CONWAY, PARKE SUSPENDED/FINED: Major League Soccer announced on Thursday, Oct. 16, that New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke have been suspended for 10 MLS games, including regular season and playoffs, effective immediately, and each has also been fined 10 percent of their annual salary. The suspension and fines are the result of testing positive for androstatriendione (ATD) and boldenone metabolites -- performance enhancing substances.

"Jon and Jeff have been valuable members of the Red Bulls organization, both on the field and in the Greater New York community," said Red Bull New York Managing Director Erik Stover. "This is a sad day for our club and our fans. We are extremely disappointed that Jon and Jeff have tested positive for a substance banned by MLS's policy. We have met with both players and they informed us that they ingested an over-the-counter supplement that unknowingly contained a banned substance. However, the Red Bulls support MLS' policy and believe that performance enhancing drugs have no place in professional sports."

Parke released a statement on Saturday, Oct. 18:

"To all of my family, teammates, coaches, friends and fans, I apologize for the events that have taken place that have led to this decision by Major League Soccer. I share their belief that there is no room for performance enhancing substances in sports. However, it is important for me to share with you that I was unaware of the fact that the supplement I took had any ingredients that would put me in the place that I am today. I do take full responsibility for what has happened and realize that I should have made sure by consulting with the appropriate team staff before taking the supplement. Purchasing an over the counter product at a nationally recognized retail chain ultimately led me to where I am today. I can only hope that this can be prevented in the future and be a learning experience for all players. Again, my apologies to my teammates, coaching staff, Red Bull, family, friends and fans."

MBUTA MAKES FIRST START: Red Bulls midfielder Matthew Mbuta made his first MLS start Saturday night against Columbus. Mbuta, who has scored one goal, signed with the Red Bulls on Sept. 15 after MLS agreed to personal terms and a fee with Crystal Palace Baltimore of the United Soccer Leagues' Second Division. Mbuta appeared in 17 games for Crystal Palace Baltimore, tallying two goals and two assists while helping the club to the USL-2 semifinals. In 2006, Mbuta was named to the USL-2 All-League First Team, playing in 16 games and scoring five goals and seven assists.

PIETRAVALLO RETURNS: Red Bulls midfielder Juan Pietravallo will return into contention for a spot on the squad after he served a one-game suspension for a red card earned against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 9. Pietravallo missed the Red Bulls' match against the Columbus Crew last Saturday. The Argentinean midfielder has played in 12 games, starting in 11, and has one assist this season.

2009 SEASON TICKETS ARE ON SALE: New York Red Bulls 2009 season tickets are on sale now to the general public through the Red Bulls front office and team website (www.newyorkredbulls.com). By becoming a season ticket holder - a Red Bulls Member - in 2009, fans will be assigned a Priority Number for the seat relocation process which will guarantee each Red Bulls Member a seat in the Red Bulls new 25,000-seat soccer-specific stadium -- Red Bull Arena, under construction in Harrison, New Jersey. Red Bulls Members with a Priority Number will have the first chance to pick their seat locations at Red Bull Arena based on their number. To purchase 2009 season tickets, please call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

As a Red Bulls Member, fans receive a ticket to all 2009 Red Bulls Matches, including playoffs, a Priority Number for Red Bull Arena, Members-only access to the Bulls' Corner Pub both pre-game and post-game, a Ticket Exchange Program for unused tickets, invitations to exclusive Meet the Team Day Events, a RBNY hooded sweatshirt made by adidas (one per seat on account), access to the Red Bulls priority purchase windows for select international matches at Giants Stadium and much more. As a Bull's Eye Member, fans receive all the same benefits, plus access to a private lounge for complimentary pre-game hospitality and a season parking pass.

Red Bull New York also announced that there will be no increase in season ticket pricing from 2008. Plus, for 2009, the Red Bulls announced a new price category - Endline Bull's Eye seating -- of which there are only 56 available seats. For just $882 per seat, a fan can sit in the front row in the East End Zone and enjoy all of the benefits of a Bull's Eye Membership.

Pricing for Full Season Tickets for 2009 are as follows:

Seat Location Price Per Seat

Bull's Eye Memberships

Bull's Eye (North and South Touchlines) $1,088

*NEW*Endline Bull's Eye (East End Zone) $882

Red Bulls Memberships

Midfield (Adult) $528

Midfield (Youth) $352

Sideline (Adult) $368

Sideline (Youth) $256

Corner Flag $272

PLAYOFF TICKETS ON SALE TOO: Tickets for the New York Red Bulls' potential home playoff match are on sale through the Red Bulls ticket office by calling 1.877.RBSOCCER, by logging onto the official Red Bulls web site, www.newyorkredbulls.com, or through TicketMaster. Individual tickets to the home playoff match are priced at $25 per seat, while groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets for $20 per seat.

New for 2008, the Red Bulls are also offering a Playoff Ticket Pack for just $94.95, whereby fans receive four tickets to the match and an 8x10 matted Juan Pablo Angel photo.

MAGEE MOVING UP: Just 24-years-old, midfielder Mike Magee made his 129th appearance for the Red Bulls against Columbus last Saturday. Magee is the longest-tenured Red Bull, as he has been with the team since 2003.

Games Played (All-Time)

1. Mike Petke (134)

2. Jeff Parke (132)

3. Mike Magee (129)

4. Tony Meola (125)

5. Steve Jolley (120)

6. John Wolyniec (118)

7. Tab Ramos (112)

8. Amado Guevara (103)

RED BULLS HONOR FAN, CLUB OF THE YEAR: Prior to the Red Bulls' match against Columbus last Saturday, the Red Bulls honored Edison United Soccer Association for being the 2008 Red Bulls Club of the Year and John Russo as 2008 Red Bulls Fan of the Year.

Representatives from Edison United were honored on the field prior to Saturday's game against the Columbus Crew, as they took part in the ceremonial coin toss at the center of the field. Edison United, located in Edison, NJ, participated in the Red Bulls' Student of the Game program, which is designed to provide players, coaches and parents of youth soccer clubs in the tri-state area with a variety of resources that will help them learn, play, and teach the game.

Russo has been a season ticket holder for five years and the Fanwood, NJ native has traveled to every single home game since. He is also a member of Raging Bull Nation, one of the team's supporters' groups.

ABREU VISITS BULLS: New York Yankee outfielder Bobby Abreu participated in a ceremonial first kick prior to the New York Red Bulls match with the Columbus Crew last Saturday. The native Venezuelan was presented with a Red Bulls jersey by Managing Director Erik Stover and was a special guest on the WADO 1280 AM Spanish language broadcast of the match with Ernesto Motta and Robert Sierra.

Earlier this year, fellow Venezuelan Jorge Rojas exchanged jerseys with Abreu following a game at Yankee Stadium. Rojas, a midfielder, along with defender Gabriel Cichero, are members of the Venezuelan National Team.

Abreu, who represented Venezuela at the 2006 World Baseball Classic, just completed his second full season with the Yankees, and has been a consistent offensive threat over the course of his career. He is a two-time all-star with a career batting average of .300, and has won a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award. He has tallied 100 or more runs batted in over each of the last six years and seven of the last eight

Abreu is also very active in the community. In 2001, he was the Honorary Chairman for the American Red Cross Blood Drive and also spent over $10,000 of his own money to purchase Phillies tickets for children as part of his "Abreu's Amigos" organization during the 2003 and 2004 seasons while playing in Philadelphia. He was the 2004 recipient of the Phillies Community Service award and the Phillies' representative for MLB's Roberto Clemente Award. In 2008, Abreu made a contribution to the Police Athletic League of New York City though his Abreu's Finest charity to provide boys and girls with recreational, educational, cultural and social programs.

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 20, 2008


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