2011 New York Red Bulls season
Encyclopedia
The 2011 New York Red Bulls season was the club's seventeenth year of existence, as well as its sixteenth season in Major League Soccer
, the top-flight of American soccer.
After a successful turnaround season in 2010, in which Red Bulls finished in third place overall before losing in the quarterfinals of the post-season tournament, the club started 2011 hoping to find consistency, make a deeper run in the MLS Cup Playoffs
, and vie for the Supporters Shield. By season's end it was clear the club failed on all three fronts. Red Bulls were labeled the biggest underachievers in MLS after performing with a maddening inconsistency, struggling even to earn the 10th and final spot in an expanded playoff field, and falling again in the playoff
quarterfinals.
Prior to the 2011 MLS season, New York Red Bulls manager Hans Backe
declared that the club's goal for the season was to win the Shield, claiming that it was more of a test for the league title rather than the MLS Cup, which he called a crapshoot. As this goal drifted out of reach, Backe backtracked from his Supporters' Shield emphasis and remarkably blamed international call-ups due to the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
as the reason the Shield was unobtainable. New York ended the season 21 points shy of the Shield. At the conclusion of the season, Backe acknowledged that he didn't know the biennial CONCACAF tournament was being held in 2011. That lack of awareness seemed to haunt the club throughout the season, both on field and off.
, the roster changes began immediately. The playoff loss marked the end of the careers for defender Mike Petke
and midfielder Seth Stammler
, each of whom had announced his retirement upon completion of the season. Petke joined the Red Bulls front office in January; Stammler pursued an MBA degree at the University of Chicago
.
On 22 November, the Red Bulls traded midfielder/defender Jeremy Hall
to the expansion Portland Timbers
in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
. Two days later the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft
was held but neither Portland nor fellow expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps selected an available Red Bulls player.
The coaching staff saw assistant Coach Goran Aral
leave the club after one season.
Internationally, forward Juan Agudelo
and defender Tim Ream
each earned their first senior caps with the U.S. National Team
on 17 November. Playing in Cape Town
against South Africa
, Ream started and played 67 minutes while Agudelo came on as a 60th minute substitute. Agudelo then scored the game's only goal in the 85th minute, winning the match and becoming the youngest scorer in U.S. Men's Team history at 17 years, 359 days. Agudelo bested the mark previously held by Jozy Altidore
, who also set the mark while a member of New York Red Bulls.
was made official when Red Bulls declined his 2011 contract option and he opted to participate in the inaugural MLS Re-Entry Draft
. Midfielder Luke Sassano
and defender Carey Talley
also elected to participate in the Re-Entry draft when their 2011 contract options were declined. On 15 December, Los Angeles Galaxy
traded up in the draft order to select Ángel. On 19 January the sides agreed terms on a multi-year, Designated Player contract.
Sassano was also selected by Los Angeles Galaxy
in the Re-Entry Draft but his rights were traded to Sporting Kansas City later that same day. He signed with Sporting KC on 12 January 2011. Talley was not selected and subsequently announced his retirement on 19 January 2011. Red Bulls did not select any players in the Re-Entry draft.
On 17 December, the club announced a trade with Houston Dynamo
in which Red Bulls received an undisclosed amount of allocation money. In return, Houston received New York's natural third-round selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft
and the rights to defender Hunter Freeman
, whom Houston immediately signed. Red Bulls had traded Freeman to Toronto FC
for the last months of the 2008 MLS season even though Freeman had already agreed a pre-contract with IK Start of the Norwegian Premier League
. The trade with Toronto included a provision that Red Bulls retain Freeman's MLS rights should he return to the league.
In international duty, midfielder Dane Richards
scored three goals over five games to help Jamaica
win the 2010 Caribbean Cup
.
and English forward Luke Rodgers
were finalized on 26 January and 28 January, respectively. The club also signed young Brazilian midfielder Marcos Paullo, who had trialed with New York in 2010, on 30 January.
Red Bulls announced the signing of two more Homegrown players from Red Bull Academy in January: midfielder Matt Kassel
and defender Šaćir Hot
. Kassel and Hot joined prior Academy signings Juan Agudelo
and Giorgi Chirgadze on the Red Bulls roster.
At the 13 January 2011 SuperDraft
, the club selected Generation adidas
forward Corey Hertzog
in round one, English midfielder John Rooney
(brother of English international Wayne Rooney
) and defender Tyler Lassiter
in round two, and defender Billy Cortes
in round three. The following week, Red Bulls selected goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer
and defender Teddy Schneider
in the 2011 Supplemental Draft
. Of the draft choices, Hertzog and Rooney were immediately added to the club's roster as both had already signed contracts with Major League Soccer
. Lassiter, Cortes, Maurer, and Schneider were not guaranteed contracts and were invited to preseason training camp to earn a spot on the club's final roster.
On 17 January, the club announced that Jan Halvor Halvorsen
had been hired as assistant coach, replacing Goran Aral
.
In the final week of January, the club announced that midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović
and defender Andrew Boyens
would not be returning to the club in 2011. Boyens signed with Chivas USA
in early February.
The club announced its preseason schedule would include training stints in Cancún
, Guadalajara
, Fort Lauderdale, and Arizona
. The list of preseason opponents included Mexico's Chivas
, D2 side Miami FC
, plus Chicago Fire, Sporting Kansas City, and FC Dallas
of MLS.
on 27 July when the MLS All-Stars would take on perennial Premier League power Manchester United
for the second consecutive season.
On 9 February, the preseason schedule kicked off when the Red Bulls defeated Mexican side Atlante F.C.
0–0 (4–3 penalties) in Cancún
. Preseason continued with very little to report in roster changes or injuries. The club brought in a few trialists, most notably Teemu Tainio
, and late in the month released third-round SuperDraft pick Billy Cortes
.
A major shake-up occurred on 28 February when Red Bulls fired longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams
and Des McAleenan
. Williams was a popular figure among club supporters and guided the club as caretaker manager in two different seasons. His MLS experience had been credited with helping Sporting Director Erik Solér
and Head Coach Hans Backe
adjust to the peculiarities of the league, such as the MLS SuperDraft
. Williams had played the 2001 and 2003 seasons for the club before returning as assistant coach in 2006. McAleenan had been goalkeeping coach since 2002, a remarkable run given the ownership change and constant turnover around him in the coaching and front office ranks.
and midfielder Irving Garcia
. While neither made an impact during the 2010 regular season
, each performed well as part of the "Baby Bulls" squad in the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
.
A few injuries did hit the squad as preseason came to an end. Strikers Luke Rodgers
and Juan Agudelo
battled nagging injuries which limited their participation in exhibition matches. The club announced on 8 March that defender Chris Albright
had undergone knee surgery and would miss 4–6 weeks. On 9 March, Red Bulls announced the signings of two trialists, midfielder/defender Teemu Tainio
and defender Stephen Keel
. Tainio was penciled in for a starting role while Keel was signed to provide defensive depth from the bench.
The club released Giorgi Chirgadze, its first ever homegrown player signing, on 15 March. Though Chirgadze signed with the club in 2009 he never did appear in a league match with Red Bulls.
The 2011 Major League Soccer season
officially kicked off for Red Bulls when the club hosted Seattle Sounders FC
on 19 March. New York dominated possession 63%-37% and out-shot Seattle 13-8 en route to a 1-0 victory. The lone goal was scored in the 70th minute by Juan Agudelo
off a long ball by MLS debutante Teemu Tainio
.
Two days later the club announced it had waived forward Salou Ibrahim
which was a bit surprising given New York's thin ranks at forward. Ibrahim's release left only four forwards on the roster: Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry, Luke Rodgers, and Corey Hertzog. Salou spent the 2010 season with Red Bulls, scoring 3 goals in 19 league games (8 starts).
Red Bulls signed second-round SuperDraft
choice Tyler Lassiter
on 23 March. The rookie defender earned much praise from the club in pre-season, with coach Hans Backe stating, "The way he started this preseason, he looks better in February than Tim Ream
did when he arrived." Ream went on to be an MLS Rookie of the Year finalist. The club also signed Alex Horwath
as the third-string goalkeeper on 25 March. Horwath was immediately placed into action on 26 March at Columbus Crew
due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Greg Sutton
and the international call-up of backup keeper Bouna Coundoul
. Horwath and a lineup sprinkled with reserves earned a point with a 0-0 draw. Injuries kept Sutton and Thierry Henry
from traveling with the club, while international duty removed Coundoul, Juan Agudelo, Tim Ream, Dane Richards
, and Rafael Marquez
from the Red Bulls lineup. In addition to Horwath, forward Luke Rodgers
made his Major League Soccer
debut, backups Carlos Mendes
and Stephen Keel
started in central defense, and backup Danleigh Borman
started in midfield. Rookie Corey Hertzog
made his MLS debut as a late substitute.
Several Red Bulls players enjoyed productive spells with their national sides during the late March international window. Forward Juan Agudelo
came on as a second-half substitute and scored the tying goal for the United States
in its 1-1 draw with Argentina
on 26 March. Three days later, Agudelo and defender Tim Ream
went the full 90 for the U.S. in its 1-0 loss to Paraguay
. Midfielder Dane Richards
scored two goals for Jamaica
in a 3-2 victory over El Salvador
on 29 March while defender Rafael Marquez
earned his 100th cap for Mexico
when he captained El Tri to a victory over Paraguay on 26 March.
MLS Results for March: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses; 4 points, 7th overall through 2 matches
, defender Danleigh Borman
, and a first-round pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft
to Toronto FC
in exchange for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario
. The deal provided New York with its most dangerous midfield playmaker since Amado Guevara
left the squad in 2006. The trade of De Rosario by his hometown side was predicated on his demand for a new contract. The money issue was solved by Red Bulls with De Rosario's agent stating, “We have a very satisfactory agreement with NY and Dwayne can't wait to get on the field for them.’’ Press reports also stated that Toronto would pay “a significant amount” of De Rosario's salary for 2011 and that De Rosario possesses a U.S. green card so he would not occupy an international roster slot for New York.
De Rosario debuted for New York as a second half substitute versus Houston on 2 April. His assist to Dane Richards proved the lone New York goal in a 1-1 draw. One week later, Red Bulls fell at Philadelphia Union by a 1-0 score, the lone goal a result of a horrible gaffe by defender Tim Ream.
Red Bulls then dominated the next two matches, winning by scorelines of 3-0 over San Jose Earthquakes
and 4-0 at D.C. United
. Luke Rodgers was named MLS Player of the Week for his 2 goal, 1 assist performance against San Jose. The thrashing of rivals D.C. United was especially sweet for Red Bull fans, marking New York's first 4-goal margin of victory on the road since 1996 and the largest ever margin of victory against DC. New York finished the month with a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City with Rodgers again supplying the goal, giving him 3 goals in 3 matches. Likewise, strike partner Thierry Henry
closed the month with a tally of 4 goals in 4 matches.
The club signed Supplemental Draft
pick Teddy Schneider
on 12 April to provide defensive cover. Two days later Red Bulls added Todd Hoffard as goalkeeping coach. Sporting Director Erik Solér stated, "Todd has a great deal of experience in American soccer and will be a valuable asset to our coaching squad."
Red Bulls also announced on 28 April that the club would go to London in late July to participate in the Emirates Cup
, hosted by English Premier League side Arsenal
. Red Bulls would become the first MLS club to participate in the tournament. It was widely viewed that the invitation came due to the storied past of New York Designated Player Thierry Henry
with Arsenal. Opponents were announced as Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
MLS Results for April: 3 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss; 14 points, 2nd overall through 7 matches
. For the first time ever five designated players were on the field for a league match: Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez for Red Bulls and Landon Donovan
, David Beckham
, and former Red Bull Juan Pablo Ángel
for Los Angeles. The game did not disappoint. Henry's early goal was matched by a Donovan score just before half. Tim Ream made an outstanding goal-line clearance, winning MLS Save of the Week, to thwart a second Donovan scoring chance before the break. The match ended a 1-1 draw, a fair result for Red Bulls against a quality opponent.
From Los Angeles, the club traveled cross-continent to Montreal
for a mid-week friendly versus Montreal Impact
. The timing of the match, which New York lost 1-0, left fans perplexed as Red Bulls had an upcoming match versus Chivas USA in just 4 days time. Sure enough, Red Bulls lost at home to Chivas USA in a driving rain by a 3-2 scoreline. Two Goats' goals came from set pieces, which quickly emerged as Red Bulls largest defensive failing for the rest of the season.
The remaining three matches of May all resulted in draws: at Houston 2-2, home to Colorado 2-2, and at Vancouver 1-1.
Near month's end, five players were called to international duty for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
: Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream for the United States, Rafa Marquez for Mexico, Dane Richards for Jamaica, and Dwayne De Rosario for Canada. New York faced the prospect of losing the services of these 5 players for the entire month of June.
MLS Results for May: 0 victories, 4 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 6 draws, 2 losses; 18 points, 5th overall through 12 matches
On 10 June, Red Bulls saw their first victory in over a month when they defeated New England
2–1 at Red Bull Arena
. GK Greg Sutton played hero as he saved a penalty
in the 33rd minute.
Off the field, the club announced on 10 June that Chris Heck, a former National Basketball Association
executive, would take over business operations from Erik Stover, who had overseen the construction of Red Bull Arena. As the season progressed, Heck expanded marketing and promotions geared more toward casual fans and families, including the use of Groupon.
The club signed rookie defender Mike Jones
on 12 June. Jones was released earlier in the season by Sporting Kansas City.
On 19 June, Red Bulls made a fighting comeback against Portland Timbers
to draw 3–3. After being down 3–1 and with less than 20 minutes to play, Henry started the comeback with a goal in the 73rd minute and De Rosario sealed the draw with a penalty goal in extra time by converting the spot kick in the 96th minute.
From Portland, Red Bulls traveled to Seattle Sounders FC
and left with a tough 4–2 loss in front of a crowd of over 46,000. Seattle forward Roger Levesque
came off the bench to score two goals within 10 minutes to assure his side's victory. GK Greg Sutton this time played goat, conceding one goal while arguing with the referee and another after being stripped of possession under little pressure. Also, New York played without Henry after the captain was controversially red carded late in the Portland match.
The road warrior segment of the schedule continued with a 26 June match at Chicago Fire. The match ended in a 1–1 draw with Joel Lindpere
scoring the Red Bulls goal.
Internationally, the Gold Cup concluded with Rafa Marquez's Mexico squad beating Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo's United States side in the final on 25 June.
On 28 June, the first New York Derby was contested when Red Bulls faced F.C. New York
in the third round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
. The match ended with a 2–1 Red Bulls victory at Red Bull Arena. Rookies Corey Hertzog
and John Rooney
were the Red Bull goal scorers.
The shock of the month - if not the season - was provided on 27 June when the club announced it traded Dwayne De Rosario to rivals D.C. United for midfielder Dax McCarty
. Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler said "Dax is an exciting young player who will immediately add his dynamic style of play to our midfield," and "he is an excellent two-way player who will contribute both to our defense and to our attack for seasons to come." The trading of perennial All Star De Rosario after only three months with New York stunned fans and media alike. That the club received only McCarty, who was left exposed in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft
just months earlier and had since fallen out of favor with his new D.C. club, was difficult to understand as captured in this actual column title from a Washington Post article: D.C. United trades McCarty for De Rosario, New York watches, giggles. The bewildering trade left Red Bull fans questioning the competence of General Manager Erik Soler. With only one league victory in the past two months, the abilities of Coach Hans Backe also became a growing subject of consternation.
MLS Results for June: 1 victory, 3 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 5 victories, 9 draws, 3 losses; 24 points, 6th overall through 17 matches
at Stanford Stadium
. Joel Lindpere saved the point for New York with his first brace of the season. He earned MLS Player of the Week for his performance.
On 6 July, the team emphatically beat Toronto 5–0 with goals from Henry, Rodgers, Lindpere and a brace by Agudelo. The win was the club's biggest of the season and gave hope heading into the 9 July home match against D.C. United and De Rosario. The hope was misplaced, as a De Rosario goal gave D.C. a 1–0 victory at Red Bull Arena. This match would also prove to be the last started by Luke Rodgers for two months as the striker battled plantar fasciitis
.
The league announced on 10 July that forward Thierry Henry and defenders Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream were selected to the 2011 MLS All-Star Game to be held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Later in the month MLS Commissioner Don Garber
announced that Juan Agudelo had been added to the MLS All-Star Game roster and that Joel Lindpere had been added as an inactive participant.
Another season low point was reached on 12 July when Red Bulls were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by a 4–0 thrashing at Chicago Fire in a quarterfinal match-up. Despite the fact that New York is the only original MLS club to never win a major trophy, team management decided that the U.S. Open Cup was not a priority and sent a squad lacking any regular starters to Chicago. Making matters worse, neither Coach Backe nor top assistant Jan Halvor Halvorsen traveled to Chicago. Instead, first-year assistant coach Mike Petke
and injured player Carl Robinson
were assigned to coach the squad of reserves against the Chicago starters. The ambivalence toward the Open Cup quarterfinal match infuriated Supporters Groups.
The following day, Red Bulls announced the signing of veteran German goalkeeper Frank Rost
from Bundesliga
club Hamburger SV
. General Manager Erik Soler stated "Frank is a very experienced goalkeeper who will provide a strong presence in-between the posts for our club during our quest for a MLS title," and "we are thrilled that he has decided to join us in the middle of our campaign and look forward to his contributions for the remainder of the season." Rost became the club's third Designated Player.
The club traveled west to face Chivas USA
on 16 July and came away with yet another draw, this one scoreless, in Rost's debut.
Off the field that same day, the club announced that goalkeeper Greg Sutton
, made redundant with the arrival of Frank Rost, had been loaned to North American Soccer League side Montreal Impact
for the remainder of the season. This marked a homecoming of sorts for Sutton, a native Canadian who spent six years with Montreal earlier in his career. The club also announced that it had acquired an international roster slot from D.C. United for future considerations. Two days later, the future considerations were confirmed as second-year midfielder Austin da Luz
. Supporters were again confused by the move, this time for trading an inexpensive, capable, domestic player to rivals D.C. for an international slot that reverts back to D.C. at season's end.
Coach Backe did not help his standing with the fanbase by publicly conceding his preseason goal of winning the Supporters Shield. Backe told the New York Post on 18 July: "...even if I wanted to win the Shield, but that is gone."
The downward spiral continued with a 4-1 loss at Colorado on 20 July. Three days later, Red Bulls did rescue a point from FC Dallas in a 2-2 home draw. Playing in stifling heat, Thierry Henry scored a late equalizer after Dane Richards had been sent off for his caution. That concluded league play for the month, with Red Bulls having now won 2 league matches in 3 months and having slipped to 9th place overall.
The All-Star game was held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Coach Backe managed the MLS squad to a 4–0 defeat at the hands of English Premier League champions Manchester United
.
On 31 July, Red Bulls did manage to win a {meaningless) trophy: the 2011 Emirates Cup. After defeating Paris Saint-Germain of French Ligue 1
on 30 July by a 1–0 scoreline, Red Bulls then drew 1–1 against hosts, Arsenal
of the English Premier League. Returning hero Thierry Henry was warmly received by Arsenal fans.
MLS Results for July: 1 victory, 3 draws, 2 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 12 draws, 5 losses; 30 points, 9th overall through 23 matches
. Red Bulls showed the effects of the long journey from England, losing badly 3–0. The loss dropped New York back to a dead even won-lost record. To make matters worse, new goalkeeper Frank Rost was removed at halftime due to an injury he suffered while sitting on the airplane on the flight from London to America.
Draws by a 2–2 scoreline followed against Chicago on 13 August and New England on 20 August, Dane Richards netting both goals in the latter game. The Chicago game featured emergency goalkeeper Chris Konopka
as starter due to Rost's injury, the loan of Greg Sutton, an international call-up for Bouna Coundoul
, and an apparent lack of faith by Coach Backe in third-string keeper Alex Horwath
. It proved to be Konopka's only appearance of the season.
The marquee match of the month, the visit by first place Los Angeles Galaxy on 28 August, was postponed until 4 October due to Hurricane Irene
.
During August, Red Bulls traded a 2013 MLS SuperDraft
pick to Sporting Kansas City for midfielder Stéphane Auvray
and loaned rookie defender Tyler Lassiter
to North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks
. The club also continued its shakeup of staff members, relieving athletic trainer Rick Guter of his duties following 5 years of service. A replacement was not named.
The consistent lack of victories resulted in a continued fall in the standings. At month's end, Red Bulls had fallen to 11th place through 26 rounds. For the first time all season the club was outside the playoff picture.
MLS Results for August: 0 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 14 draws, 6 losses; 32 points, 11th overall through 26 matches
was injured while playing internationally for Costa Rica
on 6 September. Miller missed two weeks. The club did regain the services of Luke Rodgers after 2 months out of the starting lineup.
Red Bulls hosted last place Vancouver on 10 September and earned another draw, this time 1–1. One week later Rodgers scored the only goal in a surprising 1–0 victory at Dallas. The joy of a victory was short-lived as the club returned home on 21 September and fell flat versus Salt Lake, losing 3–1. All 3 Salt Lake goals were conceded in the first 21 minutes of play.
After the Salt Lake match, Designated Player Rafa Marquez, who had been singled out recently by fans for his indifferent performance and lack of hustle, gave a scathing interview in which he denigrated his teammates, Tim Ream specifically. Among Marquez's statements were: "I think I am playing at my maximum level, and doing everything I can. I don’t have, unfortunately, four defenders on my level that can help me out."; "Tim is still a young player with a lot to learn. He still has quite a lot to learn, and well, he has committed errors that are very infantile and cost us goals."; and "I think that this is a team game, and unfortunately, there isn’t an equal level between perhaps (Thierry Henry) and myself, and our teammates." Despite Marquez's initial claims that he was misquoted, the interview was videotaped and posted in its entirety at a fan website. Two days later the club suspended Marquez for one match.
Red Bulls won the match that Marquez missed, beating Portland 2–0 on 24 September. This result meant that Marquez had not played in any of the four most recent Red Bulls victories or in any of the four most recent Red Bulls shutouts. The win moved the club back into playoff position, 9th overall.
MLS Results for September: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 8 victories, 15 draws, 7 losses; 39 points, 9th overall through 30 matches
The re-scheduled home match against Los Angeles was played on 4 October. Red Bulls looked sharp and earned a 2–0 victory which placed them on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot. However, in the inconsistent manner exhibited by the club all season long, a flat New York squad next fell at Kansas City 2–0. Henry was issued a straight red card in the match, causing him to miss the final league match with the club needing a result to ensure a playoff spot.
Prior to the final match, General Manager Erik Soler told The New York Times that Coach Hans Backe would return for 2012. Soler also addressed the June trade of Dwayne De Rosario to D.C. United, deflecting blame by stating: "He didn’t work out, he didn’t score. He’s a great player as long as he has the ball, and we already have those kinds of players here. Our problem is not scoring goals, our problem is defensive mistakes. He’s not a guy who likes to play a complementary role. He didn’t fit in. I’m happy for him. He’s a great guy, but he wouldn’t score 15 goals here. We know that Thierry Henry needs the ball, and on a smaller scale DeRo is the same. It’s not our mistake. It just didn’t work out."
The last league match was home to Philadelphia on 20 October. An early Dane Richards goal proved enough for a 1–0 victory that clinched the 10th and final playoff spot for Red Bulls.
MLS Results for October: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Regular Season (Final): 10 victories, 16 draws, 8 losses; 44 points, 10th overall
New York opened the postseason with a one-game Wild Card round playoff at Dallas. Goals by Joel Lindpere and Thierry Henry led Red Bulls to a surprising 2–0 win.
The victory over Dallas earned New York a two-game series with Supporters Shield winners Los Angeles Galaxy. The first match was played 30 October at Red Bull Arena. Former Red Bull Mike Magee
scored the game's lone goal to win the match for Galaxy. After the match, a skirmish erupted when Marquez threw the ball at Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, hitting the American international in the foot. Nearby Galaxy player Adam Cristman
took offense and confronted Marquez, who responded by punching (and missing) wildly and seemingly attempting to headbutt Cristman. Other players joined the fray, with Los Angeles midfielder Juninho
landing an elbow to the face of unsuspecting Red Bulls defender Stephen Keel
. Marquez inexplicably grabbed his face and flopped to the ground when other players approached, though no player was near enough to make contact with him. He and Juninho were both shown red cards for their actions, causing them to miss the return leg in Los Angeles. Two days later, the league suspended Marquez an additional two matches for: "attempting to head butt Adam Cristman, attempting to punch Adam Cristman; striking Cristman, and simulating that he had been struck in the face." The extra suspension ended Marquez's 2011 season.
MLS Playoff Results: Wild Card victory over FC Dallas
; trailing 1–0 in aggregate to Los Angeles Galaxy
was forced out with injury at 16 minutes. From there, the match turned toward Los Angeles with Galaxy finally regaining the aggregate lead on a Mike Magee goal minutes before halftime. A second-half goal by Landon Donovan cemented the series victory for Los Angeles and ended another disappointing season for New York Red Bulls.
On 9 November the club announced team awards for 2011: Most Valuable Player - Thierry Henry
; Newcomer of the Year - Luke Rodgers
; Defender of the Year - Jan Gunnar Solli
; Humanitarian of the Year - Stephen Keel
.
To add insult to injury, Dwayne De Rosario
, discarded after less than three months with New York, was named 2011 Most Valuable Player of Major League Soccer.
Rafa Marquez's suspension will carry over to the first two matches of 2012.
MLS Playoff Results: Conference Semifinal defeat to Los Angeles Galaxy
Updated October 21, 2011
Statistics for MLS league matches through October 21, 2011.
{ class="wikitable sortable"
No
Nat
Player
Pos
Games
Starts
Minutes
Goals
Assists
1
Frank Rost
GK}}
11
11
945
0
0
0
0
18
Bouna Coundoul
GK}}
12
11
1035
0
0
0
0
24
Greg Sutton
GK}}
10
10
900
0
0
1
0
31
Alex Horwath
GK}}
1
1
90
0
0
0
0
40
Chris Konopka
GK}}
1
1
90
0
0
0
0
3
Chris Albright
DF}}
8
6
482
0
0
0
0
4
Rafael Márquez
DF}}
19
19
1684
0
5
5
0
5
Tim Ream
DF}}
28
28
2520
0
1
2
0
7
Roy Miller
DF}}
30
30
2699
0
3
5
0
8
Jan Gunnar Solli
DF}}
31
31
2643
0
6
1
1
12
Tyler Lassiter
DF}}
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
22
Stephen Keel
DF}}
16
13
1226
0
2
3
0
23
Mike Jones
DF}}
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
44
Carlos Mendes
DF}}
18
16
1505
0
0
3
0
39
Teddy Schneider
DF}}
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
91
Šaćir Hot
DF}}
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
-
Danleigh Borman
*
DF}}
2
1
91
0
0
0
0
2
Teemu Tainio
MF}}
28
28
2407
0
2
7
1
10
Mehdi Ballouchy
MF}}
29
17
1519
2
1
4
0
11
Dax McCarty
MF}}
16
14
1175
0
3
1
0
15
Matt Kassel
MF}}
2
0
82
0
0
0
0
16
John Rooney
MF}}
5
0
48
0
0
0
0
19
Dane Richards
MF}}
27
27
2333
7
7
5
1
20
Joel Lindpere
MF}}
34
34
3048
7
7
4
0
21
Brian Nielsen
MF}}
1
0
4
0
0
0
0
25
Stéphane Auvray
MF}}
6
1
124
0
0
0
0
32
Marcos Paullo
MF}}
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
33
Carl Robinson
MF}}
2
0
54
0
0
0
0
-
Tony Tchani
*
MF}}
2
1
112
0
0
0
0
-
Dwayne De Rosario
*
MF}}
13
12
1113
2
4
2
0
-
Austin da Luz
*
MF}}
7
4
367
1
1
2
0
6
Corey Hertzog
FW}}
5
0
35
0
0
0
0
9
Luke Rodgers
FW}}
23
20
1560
9
3
6
0
14
Thierry Henry
FW}}
26
26
2266
14
4
3
2
17
Juan Agudelo
FW}}
27
12
1364
6
2
1
0
Total
34
3060
50**
50
55
5
* = No longer with the club.
** = Goals total includes 2 own goals scored by opposition.
Statistics for MLS league matches through October 21, 2011.
{ class="wikitable sortable"
No
Nat
Player
Games
Starts
Minutes
Record (W-D-L)
GA
GAA
SO
1
Frank Rost
11
11
945
4-3-4
14
1.33
5
18
Bouna Coundoul
12
11
1035
3-6-2
13
1.13
3
24
Greg Sutton
10
10
900
3-5-2
15
1.50
2
31
Alex Horwath
1
1
90
0-1-0
0
0.00
1
40
Chris Konopka
1
1
90
0-1-0
2
2.00
0
Total
34
3060
10-16-8
44
1.29
11
.
player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club’s ranking.
on 2 March 2009. Press reports did not indicate if or when this roster spot was to revert back to San Jose. New York acquired a second additional spot from Houston Dynamo
on 17 March 2009. It is not known if or when this roster spot is to revert back to Houston. The club also acquired a spot from Colorado Rapids
on 14 September 2010 in the Macoumba Kandji
trade. The trade of this spot was not included in the press release and it is not known when this spot reverts back to Colorado. The club acquired a fourth additional international spot from D.C. United
on 16 July 2011. This spot will return to D.C. after the 2011 season.
There is no limit on the number of international slots on each club’s roster. The remaining roster slots must belong to domestic players. For clubs based in the United States, a domestic player is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder) or the holder of other special status (e.g., refugee or asylum status).
Future picks traded: 2012 SuperDraft Round 1
pick traded to Toronto FC
; 2012 Supplemental Draft Round 1
pick traded to Houston Dynamo
; 2013 SuperDraft Round 2
pick traded to Sporting Kansas City.
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, the top-flight of American soccer.
After a successful turnaround season in 2010, in which Red Bulls finished in third place overall before losing in the quarterfinals of the post-season tournament, the club started 2011 hoping to find consistency, make a deeper run in the MLS Cup Playoffs
MLS Cup Playoffs
The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season...
, and vie for the Supporters Shield. By season's end it was clear the club failed on all three fronts. Red Bulls were labeled the biggest underachievers in MLS after performing with a maddening inconsistency, struggling even to earn the 10th and final spot in an expanded playoff field, and falling again in the playoff
2011 MLS Cup Playoffs
The 2011 MLS Cup Playoffs will be the sixteenth post-season tournament culminating the Major League Soccer regular season. The tournament began on October 26 with the play-in round and will conclude on November 20 with the championship match. It will be the first playoff-series to include ten...
quarterfinals.
Prior to the 2011 MLS season, New York Red Bulls manager Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
declared that the club's goal for the season was to win the Shield, claiming that it was more of a test for the league title rather than the MLS Cup, which he called a crapshoot. As this goal drifted out of reach, Backe backtracked from his Supporters' Shield emphasis and remarkably blamed international call-ups due to the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
as the reason the Shield was unobtainable. New York ended the season 21 points shy of the Shield. At the conclusion of the season, Backe acknowledged that he didn't know the biennial CONCACAF tournament was being held in 2011. That lack of awareness seemed to haunt the club throughout the season, both on field and off.
Team uniform
November 2010
On 4 November, due to the 2010 season ending with a disappointing home playoff loss to San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, the roster changes began immediately. The playoff loss marked the end of the careers for defender Mike Petke
Mike Petke
Mike Petke is a former American soccer player who is now an assistant coach with New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
and midfielder Seth Stammler
Seth Stammler
Seth Stammler is a retired American soccer player.-College:Stammler attended Gahanna Middle School East and Gahanna Lincoln High School, and played four years of college soccer at the University of Maryland, captaining the team in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons...
, each of whom had announced his retirement upon completion of the season. Petke joined the Red Bulls front office in January; Stammler pursued an MBA degree at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
On 22 November, the Red Bulls traded midfielder/defender Jeremy Hall
Jeremy Hall (soccer)
Jeremy Hall is an American soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College:...
to the expansion Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011....
in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
. Two days later the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft
2010 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2010 MLS Expansion Draft took place on November 24, 2010, and was a special draft for the Major League Soccer expansion teams Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers.-Format:...
was held but neither Portland nor fellow expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps selected an available Red Bulls player.
The coaching staff saw assistant Coach Goran Aral
Göran Aral
Göran Aral is a former Swedish footballer.Göran Aral was born in 1953 and is a product of the Djurgården youth system. At the beginning of the 1970s he was considered such a promising player that he was selected to go to London and train with Chelsea FC...
leave the club after one season.
Internationally, forward Juan Agudelo
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
and defender Tim Ream
Tim Ream
Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:...
each earned their first senior caps with the U.S. National Team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
on 17 November. Playing in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
against South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, Ream started and played 67 minutes while Agudelo came on as a 60th minute substitute. Agudelo then scored the game's only goal in the 85th minute, winning the match and becoming the youngest scorer in U.S. Men's Team history at 17 years, 359 days. Agudelo bested the mark previously held by Jozy Altidore
Jozy Altidore
Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore is an American soccer player currently playing for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and for the United States national team....
, who also set the mark while a member of New York Red Bulls.
December 2010
The departure of captain Juan Pablo ÁngelJuan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel Arango is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:...
was made official when Red Bulls declined his 2011 contract option and he opted to participate in the inaugural MLS Re-Entry Draft
2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
The two-stage 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 8, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The Stage 1 Draft of the Re-Entry Process took place on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 p.m. ET via teleconference. The Stage 2 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 15, at 2 p.m. ET...
. Midfielder Luke Sassano
Luke Sassano
Luke Sassano is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. Sassano has played at various positions including as a holding midfielder, right back and central defender.-Youth and College:Sassano began his career at Lamorinda Soccer Club...
and defender Carey Talley
Carey Talley
Carey Talley is a former American soccer player.-College:Talley played high school soccer for Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee. His team won the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association soccer championship his junior and senior years in 1993 and 1994. He played his club soccer...
also elected to participate in the Re-Entry draft when their 2011 contract options were declined. On 15 December, Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
traded up in the draft order to select Ángel. On 19 January the sides agreed terms on a multi-year, Designated Player contract.
Sassano was also selected by Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
in the Re-Entry Draft but his rights were traded to Sporting Kansas City later that same day. He signed with Sporting KC on 12 January 2011. Talley was not selected and subsequently announced his retirement on 19 January 2011. Red Bulls did not select any players in the Re-Entry draft.
On 17 December, the club announced a trade with Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
in which Red Bulls received an undisclosed amount of allocation money. In return, Houston received New York's natural third-round selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft
2012 MLS SuperDraft
The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players...
and the rights to defender Hunter Freeman
Hunter Freeman
Hunter Freeman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
, whom Houston immediately signed. Red Bulls had traded Freeman to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for the last months of the 2008 MLS season even though Freeman had already agreed a pre-contract with IK Start of the Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
. The trade with Toronto included a provision that Red Bulls retain Freeman's MLS rights should he return to the league.
In international duty, midfielder Dane Richards
Dane Richards
Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
scored three goals over five games to help Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
win the 2010 Caribbean Cup
Caribbean Cup
The Caribbean Cup, formerly known as the Copa Caribe, is the championship tournament for national association football teams that are members of the Caribbean Football Union. The first competition was contested in 1989 in Barbados. The Caribbean Cup also serves as a qualification tournament among...
.
January 2011
The club was active in January 2011 with a number of players coming and going. The long-rumored acquisitions of Norwegian midfielder Jan Gunnar SolliJan Gunnar Solli
Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team....
and English forward Luke Rodgers
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999...
were finalized on 26 January and 28 January, respectively. The club also signed young Brazilian midfielder Marcos Paullo, who had trialed with New York in 2010, on 30 January.
Red Bulls announced the signing of two more Homegrown players from Red Bull Academy in January: midfielder Matt Kassel
Matt Kassel
Matt Kassel is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:Kassel attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School...
and defender Šaćir Hot
Šaćir Hot
Sacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s...
. Kassel and Hot joined prior Academy signings Juan Agudelo
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
and Giorgi Chirgadze on the Red Bulls roster.
At the 13 January 2011 SuperDraft
2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
, the club selected Generation adidas
Generation adidas
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
forward Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
in round one, English midfielder John Rooney
John Rooney (footballer)
John Richard Rooney is an English footballer.He is the younger brother of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney...
(brother of English international Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
) and defender Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State...
in round two, and defender Billy Cortes
Billy Cortes
Guillermo Arturo “Billy” Cortes is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United U-23 of the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...
in round three. The following week, Red Bulls selected goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer
Jimmy Maurer
Jimmy Maurer is an American soccer player currently playing for Atlanta Silverbacks in the North American Soccer League.-College and Amateur:...
and defender Teddy Schneider
Teddy Schneider
Teddy David Schneider is an American soccer player.-College and amateur:Schneider attended Delbarton School, and played four years of college soccer at Princeton. He initially began his career as a midfielder but was converted to Left/Right Back during his third year at Princeton...
in the 2011 Supplemental Draft
2011 MLS Supplemental Draft
The 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft is a secondary draft that was held by Major League Soccer on January 18, 2011. The draft consisted of three rounds with each of the 18 MLS clubs participating. The return of the Supplemental Draft after a two-year hiatus coincided with the return of the MLS Reserve...
. Of the draft choices, Hertzog and Rooney were immediately added to the club's roster as both had already signed contracts with Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. Lassiter, Cortes, Maurer, and Schneider were not guaranteed contracts and were invited to preseason training camp to earn a spot on the club's final roster.
On 17 January, the club announced that Jan Halvor Halvorsen
Jan Halvor Halvorsen
Jan Halvor Halvorsen is a former Norwegian football player, who is currently an assistant coach with the New York Red Bulls.-Club career:...
had been hired as assistant coach, replacing Goran Aral
Göran Aral
Göran Aral is a former Swedish footballer.Göran Aral was born in 1953 and is a product of the Djurgården youth system. At the beginning of the 1970s he was considered such a promising player that he was selected to go to London and train with Chelsea FC...
.
In the final week of January, the club announced that midfielder Siniša Ubiparipović
Siniša Ubiparipovic
Siniša Ubiparipović is a Bosnian footballer who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Early life:...
and defender Andrew Boyens
Andrew Boyens
Andrew Victor Boyens is a New Zealander international footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer, and has represented New Zealand at the international level.-College:...
would not be returning to the club in 2011. Boyens signed with Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada....
in early February.
The club announced its preseason schedule would include training stints in Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Fort Lauderdale, and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The list of preseason opponents included Mexico's Chivas
C.D. Guadalajara
Club Deportivo Guadalajara , is a Mexican professional football club based in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and is the most successful club in Mexican football, having won 11 First Division titles, 7 Campeón de Campeones and 2 Copa México...
, D2 side Miami FC
Miami FC
Fort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
, plus Chicago Fire, Sporting Kansas City, and FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
of MLS.
February
On 1 February, MLS announced that Red Bull Arena would host the 2011 MLS All-Star GameMLS All-Star 2011
The 2011 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, held on July 27, 2011, was the 16th consecutive Major League Soccer All-Star Game, a soccer match involving all-stars from Major League Soccer. The MLS All-Stars faced Manchester United of the English Premier League for the second year running in the...
on 27 July when the MLS All-Stars would take on perennial Premier League power Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
for the second consecutive season.
On 9 February, the preseason schedule kicked off when the Red Bulls defeated Mexican side Atlante F.C.
Atlante F.C.
Club de Fútbol Atlante, is a Mexican professional football club, currently playing in the Mexican First Division League. The club is based in Cancún, Mexico as of the start of the 2007-08 season, when they relocated from Mexico City, and plays its home games in Estadio Andrés Quintana Roo.-Domestic...
0–0 (4–3 penalties) in Cancún
Cancún
Cancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
. Preseason continued with very little to report in roster changes or injuries. The club brought in a few trialists, most notably Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
, and late in the month released third-round SuperDraft pick Billy Cortes
Billy Cortes
Guillermo Arturo “Billy” Cortes is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United U-23 of the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...
.
A major shake-up occurred on 28 February when Red Bulls fired longtime assistant coaches Richie Williams
Richie Williams
Richie Williams is an American former professional soccer player and coach.Known for his diminutive height and his dogged tackling, Williams spent the vast majority of his playing career in the United States, playing one season in the National Professional Soccer League, two in USISL, two in the...
and Des McAleenan
Des McAleenan
Des McAleenan was the longtime goalkeeping coach for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Born in Ireland, he was with the MetroStars franchise from 2002 until his firing on 28 February 2011. He played his schoolboy football in Dublin with the famous nursery Stella Maris Football Club...
. Williams was a popular figure among club supporters and guided the club as caretaker manager in two different seasons. His MLS experience had been credited with helping Sporting Director Erik Solér
Erik Solér
Erik Francisco Solér is a former Norwegian football player, a former football agent and currently a football commentator for Champions League and national team games on Norwegian TV as well as General Manager/Sporting Director of New York Red Bulls on a part time basis...
and Head Coach Hans Backe
Hans Backe
Hans Backe is a Swedish former soccer player. He is currently the head coach of New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
adjust to the peculiarities of the league, such as the MLS SuperDraft
MLS SuperDraft
The MLS SuperDraft is an annual event, taking place in January of each year, in which the Major League Soccer teams select players who have graduated from college or otherwise been signed by the league...
. Williams had played the 2001 and 2003 seasons for the club before returning as assistant coach in 2006. McAleenan had been goalkeeping coach since 2002, a remarkable run given the ownership change and constant turnover around him in the coaching and front office ranks.
March
The club met the 1 March official MLS roster compliance of 30 players by waiving two second-year players, forward Conor ChinnConor Chinn
Conor Chinn is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Atlanta Silverbacks in North American Soccer League.-College and amateur:...
and midfielder Irving Garcia
Irving Garcia
Irving Garcia is an American soccer player who is currently without a club.-College and Amateur:Garcia attended San Luis High School and played college soccer at Yavapai College from 2006 to 2007 before transferring to UC Irvine in 2008...
. While neither made an impact during the 2010 regular season
2010 New York Red Bulls season
The 2010 New York Red Bulls season was their fifteenth in Major League Soccer, and in their existence.Following a dismal 2009 season, the Red Bulls saw the arrival of Swedish head coach Hans Backe...
, each performed well as part of the "Baby Bulls" squad in the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 97th edition of the oldest competition in American soccer, running from June through early October.The tournament proper featured teams from the top five levels of the American Soccer Pyramid...
.
A few injuries did hit the squad as preseason came to an end. Strikers Luke Rodgers
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999...
and Juan Agudelo
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
battled nagging injuries which limited their participation in exhibition matches. The club announced on 8 March that defender Chris Albright
Chris Albright
Christopher John Albright is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Albright attended William Penn Charter School...
had undergone knee surgery and would miss 4–6 weeks. On 9 March, Red Bulls announced the signings of two trialists, midfielder/defender Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
and defender Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
. Tainio was penciled in for a starting role while Keel was signed to provide defensive depth from the bench.
The club released Giorgi Chirgadze, its first ever homegrown player signing, on 15 March. Though Chirgadze signed with the club in 2009 he never did appear in a league match with Red Bulls.
The 2011 Major League Soccer season
2011 Major League Soccer season
The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
officially kicked off for Red Bulls when the club hosted Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
on 19 March. New York dominated possession 63%-37% and out-shot Seattle 13-8 en route to a 1-0 victory. The lone goal was scored in the 70th minute by Juan Agudelo
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
off a long ball by MLS debutante Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
.
Two days later the club announced it had waived forward Salou Ibrahim
Salou Ibrahim
Salou Ibrahim is a Ghanaian footballer who is currently without a club.-Early career:...
which was a bit surprising given New York's thin ranks at forward. Ibrahim's release left only four forwards on the roster: Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry, Luke Rodgers, and Corey Hertzog. Salou spent the 2010 season with Red Bulls, scoring 3 goals in 19 league games (8 starts).
Red Bulls signed second-round SuperDraft
2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
choice Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State...
on 23 March. The rookie defender earned much praise from the club in pre-season, with coach Hans Backe stating, "The way he started this preseason, he looks better in February than Tim Ream
Tim Ream
Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:...
did when he arrived." Ream went on to be an MLS Rookie of the Year finalist. The club also signed Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury...
as the third-string goalkeeper on 25 March. Horwath was immediately placed into action on 26 March at Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Greg Sutton
Greg Sutton (soccer)
Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
and the international call-up of backup keeper Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:...
. Horwath and a lineup sprinkled with reserves earned a point with a 0-0 draw. Injuries kept Sutton and Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
from traveling with the club, while international duty removed Coundoul, Juan Agudelo, Tim Ream, Dane Richards
Dane Richards
Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
, and Rafael Marquez
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder....
from the Red Bulls lineup. In addition to Horwath, forward Luke Rodgers
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999...
made his Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
debut, backups Carlos Mendes
Carlos Mendes
Carlos Mendes is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
and Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
started in central defense, and backup Danleigh Borman
Danleigh Borman
Danleigh Borman is a South African footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
started in midfield. Rookie Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
made his MLS debut as a late substitute.
Several Red Bulls players enjoyed productive spells with their national sides during the late March international window. Forward Juan Agudelo
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
came on as a second-half substitute and scored the tying goal for the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in its 1-1 draw with Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
on 26 March. Three days later, Agudelo and defender Tim Ream
Tim Ream
Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:...
went the full 90 for the U.S. in its 1-0 loss to Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
. Midfielder Dane Richards
Dane Richards
Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
scored two goals for Jamaica
Jamaica national football team
The Jamaica national football team is the national team of Jamaica and is controlled by the Jamaica Football Federation. After decades in CONCACAF obscurity, they gained many fans throughout the world after they qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup...
in a 3-2 victory over El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
on 29 March while defender Rafael Marquez
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder....
earned his 100th cap for Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
when he captained El Tri to a victory over Paraguay on 26 March.
MLS Results for March: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 1 victory, 1 draw, 0 losses; 4 points, 7th overall through 2 matches
April
The month started off with a blockbuster trade to acquire the #10 that Red Bull fans have long wanted. On 1 April, the club pulled the trigger and sent second-year midfielder Tony TchaniTony Tchani
Tony Tchani is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Amateur and college:...
, defender Danleigh Borman
Danleigh Borman
Danleigh Borman is a South African footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
, and a first-round pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft
2012 MLS SuperDraft
The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players...
to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
in exchange for midfielder Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
. The deal provided New York with its most dangerous midfield playmaker since Amado Guevara
Amado Guevara
Amado Guevara is a Honduran football player who currently plays for Motagua in the Liga Nacional de Honduras. He is the all-time cap leader for the Honduran national team.-Club:...
left the squad in 2006. The trade of De Rosario by his hometown side was predicated on his demand for a new contract. The money issue was solved by Red Bulls with De Rosario's agent stating, “We have a very satisfactory agreement with NY and Dwayne can't wait to get on the field for them.’’ Press reports also stated that Toronto would pay “a significant amount” of De Rosario's salary for 2011 and that De Rosario possesses a U.S. green card so he would not occupy an international roster slot for New York.
De Rosario debuted for New York as a second half substitute versus Houston on 2 April. His assist to Dane Richards proved the lone New York goal in a 1-1 draw. One week later, Red Bulls fell at Philadelphia Union by a 1-0 score, the lone goal a result of a horrible gaffe by defender Tim Ream.
Red Bulls then dominated the next two matches, winning by scorelines of 3-0 over San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
and 4-0 at D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
. Luke Rodgers was named MLS Player of the Week for his 2 goal, 1 assist performance against San Jose. The thrashing of rivals D.C. United was especially sweet for Red Bull fans, marking New York's first 4-goal margin of victory on the road since 1996 and the largest ever margin of victory against DC. New York finished the month with a 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City with Rodgers again supplying the goal, giving him 3 goals in 3 matches. Likewise, strike partner Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
closed the month with a tally of 4 goals in 4 matches.
The club signed Supplemental Draft
2011 MLS Supplemental Draft
The 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft is a secondary draft that was held by Major League Soccer on January 18, 2011. The draft consisted of three rounds with each of the 18 MLS clubs participating. The return of the Supplemental Draft after a two-year hiatus coincided with the return of the MLS Reserve...
pick Teddy Schneider
Teddy Schneider
Teddy David Schneider is an American soccer player.-College and amateur:Schneider attended Delbarton School, and played four years of college soccer at Princeton. He initially began his career as a midfielder but was converted to Left/Right Back during his third year at Princeton...
on 12 April to provide defensive cover. Two days later Red Bulls added Todd Hoffard as goalkeeping coach. Sporting Director Erik Solér stated, "Todd has a great deal of experience in American soccer and will be a valuable asset to our coaching squad."
Red Bulls also announced on 28 April that the club would go to London in late July to participate in the Emirates Cup
Emirates Cup
The Emirates Cup is an annual two-day pre-season football tournament hosted by English Premier League club Arsenal and held at the Emirates Stadium, the club's home ground...
, hosted by English Premier League side Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. Red Bulls would become the first MLS club to participate in the tournament. It was widely viewed that the invitation came due to the storied past of New York Designated Player Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
with Arsenal. Opponents were announced as Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
MLS Results for April: 3 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss; 14 points, 2nd overall through 7 matches
May
7 May 2011 witnessed the most expensive match in MLS history as New York traveled to play at Los Angeles GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. For the first time ever five designated players were on the field for a league match: Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez for Red Bulls and Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
, David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, and former Red Bull Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel
Juan Pablo Ángel Arango is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:...
for Los Angeles. The game did not disappoint. Henry's early goal was matched by a Donovan score just before half. Tim Ream made an outstanding goal-line clearance, winning MLS Save of the Week, to thwart a second Donovan scoring chance before the break. The match ended a 1-1 draw, a fair result for Red Bulls against a quality opponent.
From Los Angeles, the club traveled cross-continent to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
for a mid-week friendly versus Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
. The timing of the match, which New York lost 1-0, left fans perplexed as Red Bulls had an upcoming match versus Chivas USA in just 4 days time. Sure enough, Red Bulls lost at home to Chivas USA in a driving rain by a 3-2 scoreline. Two Goats' goals came from set pieces, which quickly emerged as Red Bulls largest defensive failing for the rest of the season.
The remaining three matches of May all resulted in draws: at Houston 2-2, home to Colorado 2-2, and at Vancouver 1-1.
Near month's end, five players were called to international duty for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
: Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream for the United States, Rafa Marquez for Mexico, Dane Richards for Jamaica, and Dwayne De Rosario for Canada. New York faced the prospect of losing the services of these 5 players for the entire month of June.
MLS Results for May: 0 victories, 4 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 4 victories, 6 draws, 2 losses; 18 points, 5th overall through 12 matches
June
The loss of the regulars was keenly felt during a 1-1 draw at Columbus on 4 June. A makeshift squad including Mehdi Ballouchy, Stephen Keel, Carlos Mendes, Austin da Luz, and substitute Matt Kassel conceded a 92nd minute goal to drop 2 points. This match exposed the lack of depth on the squad, a shortcoming exacerbated by the reluctance of Hans Backe to give his younger players any meaningful minutes. The lack of depth, the unwillingness to use the bench, and consistently poor set piece defending became the defining points of the 2011 Red Bulls.On 10 June, Red Bulls saw their first victory in over a month when they defeated New England
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
2–1 at Red Bull Arena
Red Bull Arena
Red Bull Arena may refer to one of multiple association football stadiums:* Red Bull Arena , home stadium of German football club RB Leipzig.* Red Bull Arena , home stadium of American soccer club the New York Red Bulls....
. GK Greg Sutton played hero as he saved a penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
in the 33rd minute.
Off the field, the club announced on 10 June that Chris Heck, a former National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
executive, would take over business operations from Erik Stover, who had overseen the construction of Red Bull Arena. As the season progressed, Heck expanded marketing and promotions geared more toward casual fans and families, including the use of Groupon.
The club signed rookie defender Mike Jones
Mike Jones (soccer)
Mike Jones is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Jones attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and appeared in 60 games for the Cougars, recording six goals and two assists from the backline...
on 12 June. Jones was released earlier in the season by Sporting Kansas City.
On 19 June, Red Bulls made a fighting comeback against Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011....
to draw 3–3. After being down 3–1 and with less than 20 minutes to play, Henry started the comeback with a goal in the 73rd minute and De Rosario sealed the draw with a penalty goal in extra time by converting the spot kick in the 96th minute.
From Portland, Red Bulls traveled to Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
and left with a tough 4–2 loss in front of a crowd of over 46,000. Seattle forward Roger Levesque
Roger Levesque
Roger Levesque is an American soccer player who currently plays for Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer....
came off the bench to score two goals within 10 minutes to assure his side's victory. GK Greg Sutton this time played goat, conceding one goal while arguing with the referee and another after being stripped of possession under little pressure. Also, New York played without Henry after the captain was controversially red carded late in the Portland match.
The road warrior segment of the schedule continued with a 26 June match at Chicago Fire. The match ended in a 1–1 draw with Joel Lindpere
Joel Lindpere
Joel Lindpere is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He plays as a midfielder.-Estonia:...
scoring the Red Bulls goal.
Internationally, the Gold Cup concluded with Rafa Marquez's Mexico squad beating Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo's United States side in the final on 25 June.
On 28 June, the first New York Derby was contested when Red Bulls faced F.C. New York
F.C. New York
F.C. New York is an American professional soccer team based in Queens, New York, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the third round of the 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The 2011 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 98th edition of the oldest competition in American soccer, running from June through early October. Seattle Sounders FC, who entered the competition as the two-time defending champions, successfully defended their title again. They became the third team in...
. The match ended with a 2–1 Red Bulls victory at Red Bull Arena. Rookies Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
and John Rooney
John Rooney (footballer)
John Richard Rooney is an English footballer.He is the younger brother of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney...
were the Red Bull goal scorers.
The shock of the month - if not the season - was provided on 27 June when the club announced it traded Dwayne De Rosario to rivals D.C. United for midfielder Dax McCarty
Dax McCarty
Dax McCarty is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
. Red Bulls General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler said "Dax is an exciting young player who will immediately add his dynamic style of play to our midfield," and "he is an excellent two-way player who will contribute both to our defense and to our attack for seasons to come." The trading of perennial All Star De Rosario after only three months with New York stunned fans and media alike. That the club received only McCarty, who was left exposed in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft
2010 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2010 MLS Expansion Draft took place on November 24, 2010, and was a special draft for the Major League Soccer expansion teams Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers.-Format:...
just months earlier and had since fallen out of favor with his new D.C. club, was difficult to understand as captured in this actual column title from a Washington Post article: D.C. United trades McCarty for De Rosario, New York watches, giggles. The bewildering trade left Red Bull fans questioning the competence of General Manager Erik Soler. With only one league victory in the past two months, the abilities of Coach Hans Backe also became a growing subject of consternation.
MLS Results for June: 1 victory, 3 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 5 victories, 9 draws, 3 losses; 24 points, 6th overall through 17 matches
July
Red Bulls opened July in similar fashion as June, with a 2-2 draw against San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
at Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium
Stanford Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium on the Stanford University campus, the home of Stanford Cardinal college football team. It originally opened in 1921 as a football and track stadium, an earthen horseshoe with wooden bleacher seating and flooring upon a steel frame...
. Joel Lindpere saved the point for New York with his first brace of the season. He earned MLS Player of the Week for his performance.
On 6 July, the team emphatically beat Toronto 5–0 with goals from Henry, Rodgers, Lindpere and a brace by Agudelo. The win was the club's biggest of the season and gave hope heading into the 9 July home match against D.C. United and De Rosario. The hope was misplaced, as a De Rosario goal gave D.C. a 1–0 victory at Red Bull Arena. This match would also prove to be the last started by Luke Rodgers for two months as the striker battled plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammatory process of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the sole of the foot.Longstanding cases of plantar fasciitis often demonstrate more degenerative changes than inflammatory changes, in which case they are termed plantar fasciosis. The suffix...
.
The league announced on 10 July that forward Thierry Henry and defenders Rafa Marquez and Tim Ream were selected to the 2011 MLS All-Star Game to be held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Later in the month MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Don Garber
Donald Garber is the commissioner of Major League Soccer, CEO of Soccer United Marketing, and a member of the United States Soccer Federation board of directors. Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, television and league...
announced that Juan Agudelo had been added to the MLS All-Star Game roster and that Joel Lindpere had been added as an inactive participant.
Another season low point was reached on 12 July when Red Bulls were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by a 4–0 thrashing at Chicago Fire in a quarterfinal match-up. Despite the fact that New York is the only original MLS club to never win a major trophy, team management decided that the U.S. Open Cup was not a priority and sent a squad lacking any regular starters to Chicago. Making matters worse, neither Coach Backe nor top assistant Jan Halvor Halvorsen traveled to Chicago. Instead, first-year assistant coach Mike Petke
Mike Petke
Mike Petke is a former American soccer player who is now an assistant coach with New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
and injured player Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson is a Welsh footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Wolverhampton Wanderers:...
were assigned to coach the squad of reserves against the Chicago starters. The ambivalence toward the Open Cup quarterfinal match infuriated Supporters Groups.
The following day, Red Bulls announced the signing of veteran German goalkeeper Frank Rost
Frank Rost
Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
from Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
club Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. General Manager Erik Soler stated "Frank is a very experienced goalkeeper who will provide a strong presence in-between the posts for our club during our quest for a MLS title," and "we are thrilled that he has decided to join us in the middle of our campaign and look forward to his contributions for the remainder of the season." Rost became the club's third Designated Player.
The club traveled west to face Chivas USA
C.D. Chivas USA
Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada....
on 16 July and came away with yet another draw, this one scoreless, in Rost's debut.
Off the field that same day, the club announced that goalkeeper Greg Sutton
Greg Sutton (soccer)
Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
, made redundant with the arrival of Frank Rost, had been loaned to North American Soccer League side Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
for the remainder of the season. This marked a homecoming of sorts for Sutton, a native Canadian who spent six years with Montreal earlier in his career. The club also announced that it had acquired an international roster slot from D.C. United for future considerations. Two days later, the future considerations were confirmed as second-year midfielder Austin da Luz
Austin da Luz
Austin da Luz is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:Da Luz attended St...
. Supporters were again confused by the move, this time for trading an inexpensive, capable, domestic player to rivals D.C. for an international slot that reverts back to D.C. at season's end.
Coach Backe did not help his standing with the fanbase by publicly conceding his preseason goal of winning the Supporters Shield. Backe told the New York Post on 18 July: "...even if I wanted to win the Shield, but that is gone."
The downward spiral continued with a 4-1 loss at Colorado on 20 July. Three days later, Red Bulls did rescue a point from FC Dallas in a 2-2 home draw. Playing in stifling heat, Thierry Henry scored a late equalizer after Dane Richards had been sent off for his caution. That concluded league play for the month, with Red Bulls having now won 2 league matches in 3 months and having slipped to 9th place overall.
The All-Star game was held at Red Bull Arena on 27 July. Coach Backe managed the MLS squad to a 4–0 defeat at the hands of English Premier League champions Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
On 31 July, Red Bulls did manage to win a {meaningless) trophy: the 2011 Emirates Cup. After defeating Paris Saint-Germain of French Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
on 30 July by a 1–0 scoreline, Red Bulls then drew 1–1 against hosts, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
of the English Premier League. Returning hero Thierry Henry was warmly received by Arsenal fans.
MLS Results for July: 1 victory, 3 draws, 2 losses
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 12 draws, 5 losses; 30 points, 9th overall through 23 matches
August
The next league match was 6 August at Real Salt LakeReal Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
. Red Bulls showed the effects of the long journey from England, losing badly 3–0. The loss dropped New York back to a dead even won-lost record. To make matters worse, new goalkeeper Frank Rost was removed at halftime due to an injury he suffered while sitting on the airplane on the flight from London to America.
Draws by a 2–2 scoreline followed against Chicago on 13 August and New England on 20 August, Dane Richards netting both goals in the latter game. The Chicago game featured emergency goalkeeper Chris Konopka
Chris Konopka
Christopher Konopka is an American soccer player who plays goalkeeper. He is presently a league 'pool' goalkeeper in Major League Soccer based with the New York Red Bulls. He holds both United States and Polish citizenship...
as starter due to Rost's injury, the loan of Greg Sutton, an international call-up for Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:...
, and an apparent lack of faith by Coach Backe in third-string keeper Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury...
. It proved to be Konopka's only appearance of the season.
The marquee match of the month, the visit by first place Los Angeles Galaxy on 28 August, was postponed until 4 October due to Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
.
During August, Red Bulls traded a 2013 MLS SuperDraft
2013 MLS SuperDraft
The 2013 MLS SuperDraft will be the fourteenth SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer.-2013 SuperDraft Trades:* Round 2, FC Dallas → Philadelphia Union. 18 February 2011: Philadelphia Union acquired a second-round selection in the 2013 SuperDraft from FC Dallas in exchange for midfielder...
pick to Sporting Kansas City for midfielder Stéphane Auvray
Stéphane Auvray
Stéphane Auvray is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He plays as a midfielder and currently serves as captain of the Guadeloupe national team...
and loaned rookie defender Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State...
to North American Soccer League side Carolina RailHawks
Carolina RailHawks FC
Carolina RailHawks FC is an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
. The club also continued its shakeup of staff members, relieving athletic trainer Rick Guter of his duties following 5 years of service. A replacement was not named.
The consistent lack of victories resulted in a continued fall in the standings. At month's end, Red Bulls had fallen to 11th place through 26 rounds. For the first time all season the club was outside the playoff picture.
MLS Results for August: 0 victories, 2 draws, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 6 victories, 14 draws, 6 losses; 32 points, 11th overall through 26 matches
September
With 8 matches to go and fighting for the playoffs, New York could ill afford to lose a starter but they did just that when Roy MillerRoy Miller (footballer)
Roy Miller Hernández is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Costa Rica national football team.-Club:...
was injured while playing internationally for Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
on 6 September. Miller missed two weeks. The club did regain the services of Luke Rodgers after 2 months out of the starting lineup.
Red Bulls hosted last place Vancouver on 10 September and earned another draw, this time 1–1. One week later Rodgers scored the only goal in a surprising 1–0 victory at Dallas. The joy of a victory was short-lived as the club returned home on 21 September and fell flat versus Salt Lake, losing 3–1. All 3 Salt Lake goals were conceded in the first 21 minutes of play.
After the Salt Lake match, Designated Player Rafa Marquez, who had been singled out recently by fans for his indifferent performance and lack of hustle, gave a scathing interview in which he denigrated his teammates, Tim Ream specifically. Among Marquez's statements were: "I think I am playing at my maximum level, and doing everything I can. I don’t have, unfortunately, four defenders on my level that can help me out."; "Tim is still a young player with a lot to learn. He still has quite a lot to learn, and well, he has committed errors that are very infantile and cost us goals."; and "I think that this is a team game, and unfortunately, there isn’t an equal level between perhaps (Thierry Henry) and myself, and our teammates." Despite Marquez's initial claims that he was misquoted, the interview was videotaped and posted in its entirety at a fan website. Two days later the club suspended Marquez for one match.
Red Bulls won the match that Marquez missed, beating Portland 2–0 on 24 September. This result meant that Marquez had not played in any of the four most recent Red Bulls victories or in any of the four most recent Red Bulls shutouts. The win moved the club back into playoff position, 9th overall.
MLS Results for September: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Season-to-Date: 8 victories, 15 draws, 7 losses; 39 points, 9th overall through 30 matches
October
Marquez returned for the 1 October match at Toronto and his impact was felt. His early second-half giveaway and failure to hustle back defensively resulted in a Toronto goal. Only a sterling late game finish by Thierry Henry allowed Red Bulls to rescue a point through a 1–1 draw.The re-scheduled home match against Los Angeles was played on 4 October. Red Bulls looked sharp and earned a 2–0 victory which placed them on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot. However, in the inconsistent manner exhibited by the club all season long, a flat New York squad next fell at Kansas City 2–0. Henry was issued a straight red card in the match, causing him to miss the final league match with the club needing a result to ensure a playoff spot.
Prior to the final match, General Manager Erik Soler told The New York Times that Coach Hans Backe would return for 2012. Soler also addressed the June trade of Dwayne De Rosario to D.C. United, deflecting blame by stating: "He didn’t work out, he didn’t score. He’s a great player as long as he has the ball, and we already have those kinds of players here. Our problem is not scoring goals, our problem is defensive mistakes. He’s not a guy who likes to play a complementary role. He didn’t fit in. I’m happy for him. He’s a great guy, but he wouldn’t score 15 goals here. We know that Thierry Henry needs the ball, and on a smaller scale DeRo is the same. It’s not our mistake. It just didn’t work out."
The last league match was home to Philadelphia on 20 October. An early Dane Richards goal proved enough for a 1–0 victory that clinched the 10th and final playoff spot for Red Bulls.
MLS Results for October: 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 loss
MLS Results Regular Season (Final): 10 victories, 16 draws, 8 losses; 44 points, 10th overall
New York opened the postseason with a one-game Wild Card round playoff at Dallas. Goals by Joel Lindpere and Thierry Henry led Red Bulls to a surprising 2–0 win.
The victory over Dallas earned New York a two-game series with Supporters Shield winners Los Angeles Galaxy. The first match was played 30 October at Red Bull Arena. Former Red Bull Mike Magee
Mike Magee (soccer)
Mike Magee is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
scored the game's lone goal to win the match for Galaxy. After the match, a skirmish erupted when Marquez threw the ball at Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, hitting the American international in the foot. Nearby Galaxy player Adam Cristman
Adam Cristman
Adam Cristman is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
took offense and confronted Marquez, who responded by punching (and missing) wildly and seemingly attempting to headbutt Cristman. Other players joined the fray, with Los Angeles midfielder Juninho
Vitor Gomes Pereira Junior
Vitor Gomes Pereira Junior, commonly known as Juninho or Vitor Junior , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, on loan from São Paulo.-Career:...
landing an elbow to the face of unsuspecting Red Bulls defender Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
. Marquez inexplicably grabbed his face and flopped to the ground when other players approached, though no player was near enough to make contact with him. He and Juninho were both shown red cards for their actions, causing them to miss the return leg in Los Angeles. Two days later, the league suspended Marquez an additional two matches for: "attempting to head butt Adam Cristman, attempting to punch Adam Cristman; striking Cristman, and simulating that he had been struck in the face." The extra suspension ended Marquez's 2011 season.
MLS Playoff Results: Wild Card victory over FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
; trailing 1–0 in aggregate to Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
November
Red Bulls faced a daunting task needing to win in Los Angeles, something no visiting club had managed all season. In the return leg on 3 November, an early Luke Rodgers goal tied the series and gave Red Bulls hope. New York carried play until midfielder Teemu TainioTeemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
was forced out with injury at 16 minutes. From there, the match turned toward Los Angeles with Galaxy finally regaining the aggregate lead on a Mike Magee goal minutes before halftime. A second-half goal by Landon Donovan cemented the series victory for Los Angeles and ended another disappointing season for New York Red Bulls.
On 9 November the club announced team awards for 2011: Most Valuable Player - Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
; Newcomer of the Year - Luke Rodgers
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999...
; Defender of the Year - Jan Gunnar Solli
Jan Gunnar Solli
Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team....
; Humanitarian of the Year - Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
.
To add insult to injury, Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, discarded after less than three months with New York, was named 2011 Most Valuable Player of Major League Soccer.
Rafa Marquez's suspension will carry over to the first two matches of 2012.
MLS Playoff Results: Conference Semifinal defeat to Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
Squad
At close of the 2011 season.| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Date of Birth (Age) | Previous Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | |||||
| 1 | Frank Rost Frank Rost Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
 |
GK | June 30, 1973 (age 38) | Hamburg Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
| 18 | Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:... |
 |
GK | March 04, 1982 (age 29) |  ColoradoColorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
| 24 | Greg Sutton Greg Sutton (soccer) Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League... |
 |
GK | April 19, 1977 (age 34) | Toronto Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
| 31 | Alex Horwath Alex Horwath Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury... |
|
GK | March 27, 1987 (age 24) | Unattached |
| Defenders | |||||
| 3 | Chris Albright Chris Albright Christopher John Albright is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Albright attended William Penn Charter School... |
|
RB | January 14, 1979 (age 33) | New England New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
| 4 | Rafael Márquez Rafael Márquez Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder.... |
 |
CB | February 13, 1979 (age 32) |  BarcelonaFC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
| 5 | Tim Ream Tim Ream Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:... |
|
CB | October 05, 1987 (age 24) | St. Louis University Saint Louis Billikens men's soccer The Saint Louis Billikens men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of Saint Louis University. The Billikens compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I... |
| 7 | Roy Miller Roy Miller (footballer) Roy Miller Hernández is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Costa Rica national football team.-Club:... |
 |
LB | November 24, 1984 (age 27) |  Rosenborg |
| 8 | Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team.... |
|
RB | April 19, 1981 (age 30) | Norway Brann |
| 12 | Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State... |
|
CB | April 07, 1989 (age 22) | United States N.C. State University |
| 23 | Mike Jones Mike Jones (soccer) Mike Jones is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Jones attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and appeared in 60 games for the Cougars, recording six goals and two assists from the backline... |
|
LB | April 07, 1988 (age 23) | United States Kansas City |
| 26 | Stephen Keel Stephen Keel Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
|
CB | April 11, 1983 (age 28) | Portland (D2) Portland Timbers (USL) Portland Timbers was an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team played in various leagues at the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, including the USL First Division and the USSF Division 2 Professional League, until the end of... |
| 39 | Teddy Schneider Teddy Schneider Teddy David Schneider is an American soccer player.-College and amateur:Schneider attended Delbarton School, and played four years of college soccer at Princeton. He initially began his career as a midfielder but was converted to Left/Right Back during his third year at Princeton... |
|
CB | November 23, 1988 (age 23) | United States Princeton University Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
| 44 | Carlos Mendes Carlos Mendes Carlos Mendes is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
|
CB | December 25, 1980 (age 31) | Rochester |
| 91 | Šaćir Hot Šaćir Hot Sacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s... |
|
CB | June 10, 1991 (age 20) | Red Bulls Academy New York Red Bull NPSL New York Red Bulls NPSL is an American soccer team based in New York, New York, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Atlantic Division... |
| Midfielders | |||||
| 2 | Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:... |
 |
CM/DM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
November 27, 1979 (age 32) |  Ajax |
| 10 | Mehdi Ballouchy Mehdi Ballouchy Mehdi Ballouchy is a Moroccan footballer. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:... |
 |
CM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
April 06, 1983 (age 28) | United States Colorado Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league... |
| 11 | Dax McCarty Dax McCarty Dax McCarty is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
|
MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
April 30, 1987 (age 24) | DC United |
| 15 | Matt Kassel Matt Kassel Matt Kassel is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:Kassel attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School... |
|
RM/AM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
October 30, 1989 (age 22) | Red Bulls Academy New York Red Bull NPSL New York Red Bulls NPSL is an American soccer team based in New York, New York, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Atlantic Division... |
| 16 | John Rooney John Rooney (footballer) John Richard Rooney is an English footballer.He is the younger brother of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney... |
 |
CM/DM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
December 17, 1990 (age 21) |  Macclesfield TownMacclesfield Town F.C. Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium... |
| 19 | Dane Richards Dane Richards Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
 |
LW/RW Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
December 14, 1983 (age 28) | Clemson University |
| 20 | Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He plays as a midfielder.-Estonia:... |
 |
CM/LW Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
October 05, 1981 (age 30) | Tromsø |
| 21 | Brian Nielsen Brian Nielsen (footballer) Brian Nielsen is a Danish footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, on loan from Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga.... (on loan from Red Bull Salzburg) |
 |
AM/LW Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
February 25, 1987 (age 24) | Vejle Vejle Boldklub Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times.... (loan) |
| 25 | Stéphane Auvray Stéphane Auvray Stéphane Auvray is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He plays as a midfielder and currently serves as captain of the Guadeloupe national team... |
 |
DM/CM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
September 04, 1981 (age 30) | Kansas City |
| 32 | Marcos Paullo |  |
LW/AM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
March 28, 1990 (age 21) | Atlético Paranaense Clube Atlético Paranaense Clube Atlético Paranaense is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba in Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The club won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2001.-History:... |
| 33 | Carl Robinson Carl Robinson Carl Robinson is a Welsh footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Wolverhampton Wanderers:... |
 |
DM/CM Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
October 13, 1976 (age 35) | Toronto Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
| Forwards | |||||
| 6 | Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
|
ST/RW | August 01, 1990 (age 21) | Penn State University Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
| 9 | Luke Rodgers Luke Rodgers Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999... |
|
ST | January 01, 1982 (age 30) | Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... |
| 14 | Thierry Henry Thierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
 |
ST | August 17, 1977 (age 34) | Barcelona FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.... |
| 17 | Juan Agudelo Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
|
ST | November 23, 1992 (age 19) | Red Bulls Academy New York Red Bull NPSL New York Red Bulls NPSL is an American soccer team based in New York, New York, United States. Founded in 2009, the team plays in the National Premier Soccer League , a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Atlantic Division... |
Starting XI
Coundoul Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:... }} |
| . |
Updated October 21, 2011
International players
The following players on the club have received international call-ups during the season or within the previous year:| Country | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
| |
Roy Miller Roy Miller (footballer) Roy Miller Hernández is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Costa Rica national football team.-Club:... |
DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
| |
Dane Richards Dane Richards Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:... |
MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
| |
Rafael Márquez Rafael Márquez Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder.... |
DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
| |
Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team.... |
MF Midfielder A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role... |
| |
Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:... |
GK |
| |
Juan Agudelo Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
FW |
| |
Tim Ream Tim Ream Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:... |
DF Defender (association football) Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking.... |
In
| Date | Player | Position | Previous Club | Fee/Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 13, 2011 | Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
FW | Penn State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
SuperDraft, 1st round | |
| January 13, 2011 | John Rooney John Rooney (footballer) John Richard Rooney is an English footballer.He is the younger brother of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney... |
MF | Macclesfield Town Macclesfield Town F.C. Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium... |
SuperDraft, 2nd round | |
| January 25, 2011 | Matt Kassel Matt Kassel Matt Kassel is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:Kassel attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School... |
MF | Red Bulls Academy |
Free | |
| January 26, 2011 | Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team.... |
MF | Brann |
Free | |
| January 28, 2011 | Luke Rodgers Luke Rodgers Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999... |
FW | Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... |
Undisclosed | |
| January 30, 2011 | Marcos Paullo |
MF | Atletico Paranaense |
Free | |
| January 31, 2011 | Šaćir Hot Šaćir Hot Sacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s... |
DF | Red Bulls Academy |
Free | |
| March 9, 2011 | Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:... |
MF | Ajax |
Free | |
| March 9, 2011 | Stephen Keel Stephen Keel Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
DF | Portland Timbers (USL) |
Free | |
| March 23, 2011 | Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State... |
DF | North Carolina State North Carolina State University North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution... |
SuperDraft, 2nd round | |
| March 25, 2011 | Alex Horwath Alex Horwath Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury... |
GK | Unattached | Free | |
| April 1, 2011 | Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
MF | Toronto Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Acquired for Tony Tchani Tony Tchani Tony Tchani is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Amateur and college:... , Danleigh Borman Danleigh Borman Danleigh Borman is a South African footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... , and a 2012 SuperDraft 1st round pick 2012 MLS SuperDraft The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players... |
|
| April 12, 2011 | Teddy Schneider Teddy Schneider Teddy David Schneider is an American soccer player.-College and amateur:Schneider attended Delbarton School, and played four years of college soccer at Princeton. He initially began his career as a midfielder but was converted to Left/Right Back during his third year at Princeton... |
DF | Princeton Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... |
Supplemental Draft, 2nd round | |
| June 18, 2011 | Mike Jones Mike Jones (soccer) Mike Jones is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Jones attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and appeared in 60 games for the Cougars, recording six goals and two assists from the backline... |
DF | Kansas City |
Free | |
| June 28, 2011 | Dax McCarty Dax McCarty Dax McCarty is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
MF | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Acquired for Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
|
| July 12, 2011 | Frank Rost Frank Rost Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
GK | Hamburg Hamburger SV Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department... |
Free | |
| August 12, 2011 | Stéphane Auvray Stéphane Auvray Stéphane Auvray is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He plays as a midfielder and currently serves as captain of the Guadeloupe national team... |
MF | Kansas City |
Acquired for a 2013 SuperDraft 2nd round pick 2012 MLS SuperDraft The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players... |
|
| August 13, 2011 | Chris Konopka Chris Konopka Christopher Konopka is an American soccer player who plays goalkeeper. He is presently a league 'pool' goalkeeper in Major League Soccer based with the New York Red Bulls. He holds both United States and Polish citizenship... |
GK | Waterford United | Free, signed from MLS Goalkeeper Pool |
Out
| Date | Player | Position | Destination Club | Fee/Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 5, 2010 | Seth Stammler Seth Stammler Seth Stammler is a retired American soccer player.-College:Stammler attended Gahanna Middle School East and Gahanna Lincoln High School, and played four years of college soccer at the University of Maryland, captaining the team in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons... |
MF | None | Retired | |
| November 5, 2010 | Mike Petke Mike Petke Mike Petke is a former American soccer player who is now an assistant coach with New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
DF | None | Retired, now coach with Red Bulls | |
| November 11, 2010 | Carey Talley Carey Talley Carey Talley is a former American soccer player.-College:Talley played high school soccer for Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee. His team won the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association soccer championship his junior and senior years in 1993 and 1994. He played his club soccer... |
DF | None | Released, then retired | |
| November 22, 2010 | Jeremy Hall Jeremy Hall (soccer) Jeremy Hall is an American soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
MF | Portland Timbers Portland Timbers Portland Timbers may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:*Portland Timbers, a Major League Soccer expansion team that began playing in 2011.... |
Traded for a 3rd round SuperDraft pick | |
| December 15, 2010 |  Juan Pablo ÁngelJuan Pablo Ángel Juan Pablo Ángel Arango is a Colombian footballer. He currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Atlético Nacional and River Plate:... |
FW | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Re-Entry Draft 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft The two-stage 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 8, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The Stage 1 Draft of the Re-Entry Process took place on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 p.m. ET via teleconference. The Stage 2 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 15, at 2 p.m. ET... |
|
| December 15, 2010 | Luke Sassano Luke Sassano Luke Sassano is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer. Sassano has played at various positions including as a holding midfielder, right back and central defender.-Youth and College:Sassano began his career at Lamorinda Soccer Club... |
MF | Los Angeles Galaxy Los Angeles Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second... |
Re-Entry Draft 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft The two-stage 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 8, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The Stage 1 Draft of the Re-Entry Process took place on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 p.m. ET via teleconference. The Stage 2 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 15, at 2 p.m. ET... |
|
| January 24, 2011 |  Siniša UbiparipovićSiniša Ubiparipovic Siniša Ubiparipović is a Bosnian footballer who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Early life:... |
MF | Montreal Impact Montreal Impact Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe... |
Option declined, free transfer | |
| January 28, 2011 |  Andrew BoyensAndrew Boyens Andrew Victor Boyens is a New Zealander international footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer, and has represented New Zealand at the international level.-College:... |
DF | Chivas USA C.D. Chivas USA Club Deportivo Chivas USA is an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada.... |
Option declined, free transfer | |
| March 1, 2011 | Conor Chinn Conor Chinn Conor Chinn is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Atlanta Silverbacks in North American Soccer League.-College and amateur:... |
FW | Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won... |
Waived, free transfer | |
| March 1, 2011 | Irving Garcia Irving Garcia Irving Garcia is an American soccer player who is currently without a club.-College and Amateur:Garcia attended San Luis High School and played college soccer at Yavapai College from 2006 to 2007 before transferring to UC Irvine in 2008... |
MF | Waived | ||
| March 15, 2011 |  Giorgi Chirgadze |
FW | Released | ||
| March 21, 2011 |  Salou IbrahimSalou Ibrahim Salou Ibrahim is a Ghanaian footballer who is currently without a club.-Early career:... |
FW | Waived | ||
| April 1, 2011 |  Tony TchaniTony Tchani Tony Tchani is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Amateur and college:... |
MF | Toronto Toronto FC Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.... |
Traded with a 2012 SuperDraft 1st round pick 2012 MLS SuperDraft The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players... for Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
|
 Danleigh BormanDanleigh Borman Danleigh Borman is a South African footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:... |
DF | ||||
| June 28, 2011 | Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne De Rosario Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:... |
MF | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Traded for Dax McCarty Dax McCarty Dax McCarty is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:... |
|
| July 18, 2011 | Austin da Luz Austin da Luz Austin da Luz is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:Da Luz attended St... |
MF | D.C. United D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the... |
Traded for a 2011 international roster slot | |
| August 14, 2011 | Chris Konopka Chris Konopka Christopher Konopka is an American soccer player who plays goalkeeper. He is presently a league 'pool' goalkeeper in Major League Soccer based with the New York Red Bulls. He holds both United States and Polish citizenship... |
GK | Released back to MLS Goalkeeper Pool after emergency loan |
In
| Date | Player | Position | Loaned From | Fee/Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 14, 2010 | Brian Nielsen Brian Nielsen (footballer) Brian Nielsen is a Danish footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, on loan from Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga.... |
MF |  Red Bull Salzburg |
Loan thru 2011 season |
Out
| Date | Player | Position | Loaned To | Fee/Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 16, 2011 | Greg Sutton Greg Sutton (soccer) Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League... |
GK | Montreal Impact Montreal Impact Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe... |
Loan for remainder of 2011 season | |
| August 30, 2011 | Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State... |
DF | Carolina RailHawks Carolina RailHawks FC Carolina RailHawks FC is an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
Loan for remainder of 2011 NASL season |
Player statistics
Statistics for MLS league matches through October 21, 2011.
{
Frank Rost
Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:...
Greg Sutton (soccer)
Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury...
Chris Konopka
Christopher Konopka is an American soccer player who plays goalkeeper. He is presently a league 'pool' goalkeeper in Major League Soccer based with the New York Red Bulls. He holds both United States and Polish citizenship...
Chris Albright
Christopher John Albright is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:Albright attended William Penn Charter School...
Rafael Márquez
Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder....
Tim Ream
Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:...
Roy Miller (footballer)
Roy Miller Hernández is a Costa Rican footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Costa Rica national football team.-Club:...
Jan Gunnar Solli
Jan Gunnar Solli is a Norwegian footballer currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Norway national football team....
Tyler Lassiter
Tyler Lassiter is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Lassiter attended Wake Forest-Rolesville HS, and played four years of college soccer at North Carolina State. He initially began his career as a left back but was converted to center back during his second year at NC State...
Stephen Keel
Stephen Keel is an American soccer player who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
Mike Jones (soccer)
Mike Jones is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Jones attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and appeared in 60 games for the Cougars, recording six goals and two assists from the backline...
Carlos Mendes
Carlos Mendes is an American soccer player who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
Teddy Schneider
Teddy David Schneider is an American soccer player.-College and amateur:Schneider attended Delbarton School, and played four years of college soccer at Princeton. He initially began his career as a midfielder but was converted to Left/Right Back during his third year at Princeton...
Šaćir Hot
Sacir Hot is an American soccer player of Albanian descent currently playing for New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer. He is the son of Salih and Valbona Hot, who migrated to the United States from Montenegro in the 1980s...
Danleigh Borman
Danleigh Borman is a South African footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
*
Teemu Tainio
Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:...
Mehdi Ballouchy
Mehdi Ballouchy is a Moroccan footballer. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
Dax McCarty
Dax McCarty is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
Matt Kassel
Matt Kassel is an American soccer midfielder who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:Kassel attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School...
John Rooney (footballer)
John Richard Rooney is an English footballer.He is the younger brother of Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney...
Dane Richards
Dane Richards is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:...
Joel Lindpere
Joel Lindpere is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He plays as a midfielder.-Estonia:...
Brian Nielsen (footballer)
Brian Nielsen is a Danish footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, on loan from Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Bundesliga....
Stéphane Auvray
Stéphane Auvray is a Guadeloupean footballer who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He plays as a midfielder and currently serves as captain of the Guadeloupe national team...
Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson is a Welsh footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-Wolverhampton Wanderers:...
Tony Tchani
Tony Tchani is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Amateur and college:...
*
Dwayne De Rosario
Dwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
*
Austin da Luz
Austin da Luz is an American soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and college:Da Luz attended St...
*
Corey Hertzog
Corey Hertzog is an American soccer player currently playing for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
Luke Rodgers
Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999...
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
Juan Agudelo
Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
* = No longer with the club.
** = Goals total includes 2 own goals scored by opposition.
Goalkeeper statistics
Statistics for MLS league matches through October 21, 2011.
{
Frank Rost
Frank Rost is a German footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer....
Bouna Coundoul
Bouna Coundoul is a Senegalese footballer who most recently played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer, and for the Senegal national football team.-College:...
Greg Sutton (soccer)
Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
Alex Horwath
Alex Horwath is an American soccer player.-College and Amateur:Horwath began his youth career with D.C. United, remaining with the youth squad from 2001 to 2003. In 2005 he attended college at the University of Connecticut but did not play due to an injury...
Chris Konopka
Christopher Konopka is an American soccer player who plays goalkeeper. He is presently a league 'pool' goalkeeper in Major League Soccer based with the New York Red Bulls. He holds both United States and Polish citizenship...
Club staff
Overall
Results summary
Results by rounds
Pre-season
Kickoff times are in ESTEastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
.
Major League Soccer
Kickoff times are in EDT.Wild Card Round
Conference Semi-finals
Friendlies
2011 Emirates Cup
U.S. Open Cup
Pre-season
Friendlies
Season
MLS Player of the Week
| Week | Player | Week's Statline |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Luke Rodgers Luke Rodgers Luke John Rodgers is an English professional football striker who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He played in England's Football League, starting at Shrewsbury Town in 1999... |
2G (2', 15'), Assist |
| 16 | Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He plays as a midfielder.-Estonia:... |
2G (7', 85') |
MLS Goal of the Week
| Week | Player | Goal | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Agudelo Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
70' | Agudelo GOTW |
| 6 | Juan Agudelo Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
90+' | Agudelo GOTW |
| 8 |  Thierry HenryThierry Henry Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and... |
4' | Henry GOTW |
MLS Save of the Week
| Week | Player | Save | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Tim Ream Tim Ream Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:... |
43' | Ream SOTW |
| 13 | Greg Sutton Greg Sutton (soccer) Greg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League... |
59' | Sutton SOTW |
| 14 | Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio Teemu Tainio is a Finnish footballer, who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.He can play both as a defensive and attacking midfielder and out wide. Tainio also played at right-back under Juande Ramos at Tottenham.-Early career:... |
57' | Tainio SOTW |
MLS All-Stars 2011
| Position | Player | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| DF | Tim Ream Tim Ream Timothy "Tim" Ream is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the United States national team. He usually plays as a central defender.-Youth and college:... |
First XI |
| DF | Rafael Marquez Rafael Márquez Rafael Márquez Álvarez is a Mexican footballer who plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer and the Mexico national team. He plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder.... |
First XI |
| FW | Thiery Henry |
First XI |
| FW | Juan Agudelo Juan Agudelo Juan Sebastián Agudelo is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.... |
Commissioner's Pick |
| MF | Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere Joel Lindpere is an Estonian professional footballer who currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. He plays as a midfielder.-Estonia:... |
Inactive Roster |
Allocation ranking
New York did not use its spot in the MLS Allocation Ranking during the 2011 season. The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National TeamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the league after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is another club’s ranking.
International roster spots
It is believed that New York has 12 international roster spots. Each club in Major League Soccer is allocated 8 international roster spots, which can be traded. New York acquired its first additional spot from San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on 2 March 2009. Press reports did not indicate if or when this roster spot was to revert back to San Jose. New York acquired a second additional spot from Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
on 17 March 2009. It is not known if or when this roster spot is to revert back to Houston. The club also acquired a spot from Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
on 14 September 2010 in the Macoumba Kandji
Macoumba Kandji
Macoumba Kandji is a Senegalese footballer who currently plays for the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.-Early Life and College:Kandji was born in Senegal, raised in The Gambia, and came to the United States in 2003...
trade. The trade of this spot was not included in the press release and it is not known when this spot reverts back to Colorado. The club acquired a fourth additional international spot from D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
on 16 July 2011. This spot will return to D.C. after the 2011 season.
There is no limit on the number of international slots on each club’s roster. The remaining roster slots must belong to domestic players. For clubs based in the United States, a domestic player is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder) or the holder of other special status (e.g., refugee or asylum status).
Future draft pick trades
Future picks acquired: None.Future picks traded: 2012 SuperDraft Round 1
2012 MLS SuperDraft
The 2012 MLS SuperDraft will be the thirteenth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It will be held on January 12, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. . The draft will be reduced from three rounds to two. The 19 MLS clubs will select a total of 38 players...
pick traded to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
; 2012 Supplemental Draft Round 1
2012 MLS Supplemental Draft
The 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft is a secondary draft that will be held by Major League Soccer via conference call on January 17, 2012. The draft will be four rounds with all 19 MLS clubs participating.- Changes from 2011 :...
pick traded to Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
; 2013 SuperDraft Round 2
2013 MLS SuperDraft
The 2013 MLS SuperDraft will be the fourteenth SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer.-2013 SuperDraft Trades:* Round 2, FC Dallas → Philadelphia Union. 18 February 2011: Philadelphia Union acquired a second-round selection in the 2013 SuperDraft from FC Dallas in exchange for midfielder...
pick traded to Sporting Kansas City.