New York Red Bull: In search of goals
Editor's note: ESPNsoccernet will preview all 12 MLS teams as they prepare for the 2006 season.
2005 record and finish: 12-9-11 (6th in MLS)
Rich Schultz/WireImage
Youri Djorkaeff had a MVP-caliber debut season and will look to repeat it.
Key losses: F Ante Razov, F Sergio Galvan Rey, M Michael Bradley, D Tim Ward, D Chris Leitch, D Tim Regan
Key questions facing the team
1. Who will score the goals?
The Red Bulls spent much of the offseason addressing the restructuring of the defense but one need that went unfulfilled was at forward. Amado Guevara's return means Youri Djorkaeff will stay at one forward, but who will be his strike partner? Djorkaeff is dynamic enough to produce goals but he needs some sort of support. Say what you want about Ante Razov and Sergio Galvan Rey, but both forwards did enough last year to keep defenses honest.
The team's inability to land a new forward puts the pressure on Mike Magee, who has looked like a completely different player this offseason. He has shown the nose for goal, quickness and vision expected of him when he was a first-round draft pick in 2003. Magee has shown up in the best shape of his young career and seems determined to establish himself as a force after being a regular member of several U.S. youth national teams.
As good as Magee has looked the Red Bulls are fully aware that they need to add at least one more forward capable of starting. The team may be forced to wait until the summer transfer window to land a top forward. Togo striker Abbe Ibrahim showed some flashes last year and could surprise if given playing time. Rookie Josmer Altidore looks like a future star but he is at least a year away from being a factor in MLS.
2. Which Amado will show up?
The well-documented offseason drama between Amado Guevara and Alexi Lalas appears dead and buried, but will Guevara truly put it all behind him and have another MVP-like season?
Guevara has let his temper and ego get in the way of his form on several occasions through the years, but this year he insists that he has matured and is ready to be a real team leader. What the Red Bulls need more than a leader is a playmaker that isn't going to take games off, which has been a vice of Guevara's.
Head coach Mo Johnston may have found a way to ease Guevara's workload with the acquisition of Canadian defensive midfielder Adrian Serioux. Guevara works best when he can focus on his attacking responsibilities, which will be made easier because of Serioux's solid work rate.
3. Will Eddie Gaven rebound?
Last year the question was whether Eddie Gaven could take the next step and be a true star. For the first half of the 2005 season the answer looked like it would be yes. A rough second half not only left the question unanswered, it made him expendable in the eyes of Red Bull officials who have begun to wonder whether Gaven is the type of player to build a franchise around.
After having numerous trade talks involving Gaven fall through the Metros are looking like they will keep him once the season starts, which raises a serious question. What will Gaven's role be on the team? He appears likely to share wing midfield duties with Chris Henderson, with the two switching sides in order to make them more difficult to keep track of.
Gaven held his own at times playing in a wing role under Johnston late last season, but his defensive deficiencies were exposed, which is part of the reason he was shopped around in the offseason. That aside, he remains a dynamic offensive player who, when on form, is one of the league's most dangerous. Will he be able to show that side playing in Johnston's system or will he have to go to another team to truly shine. The Red Bulls are likely to keep shopping him through the year and will do their best to showcase him.
Biggest X-factor: Adrian Serioux.
One of the weaknesses of last year's midfield was fulfilling its defensive responsibilities, which was due in large part to the lack of a truly defensive-minded central midfielder. Enter Serioux, a hard tackling and dynamic defensive midfielder who could develop into the Red Bulls' version of Shalrie Joseph.
New York is gambling on Serioux not only being able to handle the ball-winning duties in the midfield, but to also provide support for a defense that could struggle at times. He does have a penchant for getting forward and will have to adapt to being a true stay-at-home defensive midfielder. He could also see some time as a central defender.
The team's other high-quality foreign signing, Peter Canero, could also emerge as a star. He is dynamic enough to play either fullback spot defensively, as well as the right wing midfield role. The Red Bulls are convinced Canero could be an All-Star caliber right back, which means No. 1 draft pick Marvell Wynne will struggle for playing time unless he shows considerable improvement.
Breakout player to watch: Mike Magee
Some would call Magee a bust through his first three years in MLS but year four could be when he finally fulfills the promise he showed as a star for the U.S. Under-18 and Under-20 national team.
He's quick, has a nose for the goal and is an underrated passer. His attacking qualities will make him a key member of the Red Bull attack, either at forward or in central midfield. This preseason Magee has looked better than he ever has and could wind up being a starting forward alongside Youri Djorkaeff.
While Magee is a player to watch on offense, Taylor Graham is the one to watch defensively. There may be no player with greater responsibility than Graham, who is projected to be the central defender in the Red Bulls' three-man defense. His imposing size and solid sense of positioning make him the type of defender that could flourish.
Graham isn't without his question marks. He is slow in both the foot speed and lateral quickness departments and is still relatively inexperienced on the pro level. Johnston still feels he can do the job in both three-man and four-man defenses.
| Eric Wynalda's Take: |
|---|
| "During the offseason, they got rid of some young talent, like Chris Leitch, Tim Ward and Tim Regan. They've still got to figure out Amado Guevara. This guy thinks he's a lot better than what he is. That's difficult for Mo Johnston right now. He's got a situation where he's trying to rebuild a team. They got rid of Galvan Rey, thank God. This team has the potential to do great things, but they always seem to figure out a way to shoot themselves in the foot. Let's see if Alexi Lalas and Mo Johnston can figure it out." |
Outlook: The blueprint for Mo Johnston's squad is simple. Strong wing play, coupled with the dynamic passing of Amado Guevara, should help the Red Bulls create numerous scoring chances. How well offense do will depend largely on the production they get from their forwards, which are far from proven.
The larger concern is the defense, which will be made up of two players with relatively limited MLS experience (Graham, Carlos Mendes) and a foreign player in his first year in MLS (Canero). Johnston's system will struggle mightily if the back line is not capable of dealing with the counterattacking the team will be susceptible to. Expect an exciting offense but a defense that will struggle. That combination will be enough to make the playoffs, but a championship might be too much to ask unless Guevara has an MVP year and Djorkaeff can work his magic for an entire season.
Predicted finish: Fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Ives Galarcep covers MLS for ESPN.com and is a writer and columnist for the Herald News (N.J.). He can be reached at Ivespn79@aol.com.
