Not a lot of news in Red Bull Nation today, but there were a couple items of note. From today's training: Greg Sutton didn't train today; he's come down with a stomach virus. (Let's hope it doesn't make the rounds on the club.) Also, rookie midfielder, Austin da Luz, twisted his knee and is expected to be out a few weeks.
Newcomer Brian Nielsen came to New York with a bit of a reputation for not trying hard enough. Now, he is hearing criticism that is a hallmark of the Hans Backe regime - his fitness level is not up to Backe's requirements. Lack of fitness of the entire team was one of the first areas of concern Backe tackled when he took over. It is something he apparently does not tolerate. Who's to argue? The Red Bulls played like they came from the Island of Misfit Toys last season. In this young season, we sit atop the Eastern Conference.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post has put up a couple nice articles tonight over at his excellent blog. One discusses the work Coach Backe has done organizing the Red Bulls' defense, the worst in the league last season. The other discusses the work the team must continue to do. Despite their 4-1 record, the players and coaches are not satisfied with the quality of play from the team. Mr. Lewis is doing some of the best coverage on the Red Bulls. Every fan should make his blog a part of their daily internet routine.
An e-mail to season ticket holders provided details about the next US Open qualifying match. It will be played at 8pm on Wednesday, May 12, at Red Bull Arena. Tickets go on sale to season ticket holders on Monday, May 3, at 10AM. Season ticket holders may reserve their regular seats from 10AM-2PM, Monday. After 2PM, season ticket holders may purchase any other seat not claimed by their regular owners. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, May 4, at 10AM.
Congratulations to the new club champion of CONCACAF. In last night's CONCACAF Champions League Final, Pachuca scored a dramatic goal in stoppage time in front of their home crowd to go ahead of Cruz Azul, 1-0, and tie the aggregate score at 2-2. They won the Championship on the away-goals rule. Pachuca will represent our region in the FIFA Club World Cup this December in the United Arab Emirates.
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