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Red Bulls practice report (Day Three)

Good evening folks. Today was day three of the Red Bulls mini-camp and the field was cut down considerably as Juan Carlos Osorio let go of the players he felt wouldn’t have much of a chance of making the team.

There weren’t many surprises among the remaining players. Here is a rundown of who survived the first cut and who impressed today:

Mini-Camp Survivors

  • Laurente Manuel
  • Matt Kassel
  • Tighe Dombrowski
  • Scott Palguta
  • Leo Buttitta
  • Chris Megaloudis
  • Danleigh Borman
  • Abimbola Pedro
  • Marshall Leonard
  • Martin Nunez
  • Ted Niziolek
  • Gabriel Ortega
  • Michael Palacio
  • John Gilkerson
  • Ricky Schramm
  • Carlos Manuel Mora
  • Kevin Meza
  • Diego Almada
  • Orlando Niebles
  • Ferrario
  • Andrew Sparks
  • Alex Satovic
  • JP Franchini
  • Bill Gaudette

So who impressed today? Here are some:

Danleigh Borman– The supplemental draft pick impressed with the best left foot in the camp. Osorio was definitely pleased and said he had tools he could work with. Not a bad showing at all.

Martin Nunez- The little guy showed some toughness today as he faced some physical battles and was clearly hobbled, but fought through the pain and still made plays.

Matt Kassel- He just keeps getting it done. Passes well, both short and long range, and always seems to put himself in position to receive the ball. Osorio wants him to go to Cali but the club is still sorting out whether Kassel would be jeopardizing his college eligibility by going to training camp. To this point, he has only trained with players out of contract.

Ted Niziolek– Another solid day from "Steady" Teddy Niziolek. The Clifton kid is a nice combination of size and skill and Osorio likes his game. The question is whether Columbus will ask for a bunch to acquire his rights. If so, the Red Bulls will pass, again.

Tighe Dombrowski- Hasn’t put a foot wrong in three days. He’s tough and smart and tenacious. If only he were bigger than 5-8. Osorio wants to see him at right back, where his passing can be an asset, and Osorio wants to see Dombrowski against higher-level competition like Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel. In other words, he’ll be going to Cali.

Marshall Leonard– There isn’t much left for this seasoned veteran to prove here. The trip to Cali will make or break his chances of making the team. I would rate them at pretty good.

Bill Gaudette- No, he isn’t going to Cali (the club has Jon Conway, Zach Thornton and Danny Cepero) but the MLS vet looked good on several saves and should find an MLS home if he doesn’t follow the wave of American players to Europe.

Osorio stated that between four and five non-roster invitees at the most would come to California for training camp. With Dombrowski and Leonard looking like locks, that leaves three slots. Kassel gets one of he can go, leaving two spaces. My money would be on Ricky Schramm and Scott Palguta making the trip, but Martin Nunez is an intriging prospect. If the Crew deals Niziolek’s rights for a modest price, Niziolek would be a lock.

What do you think of the mini-camp so far? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. GILKERSON!!! so stoked he made 1st cut boy was siq in the PDL. only thing limiting him is his size and competition for the outside backs being marshall leonard and tighe
    FRICK

    Reply
  2. i was able to attend the camp i saw the stony brook kid play he impressed very well his vision was in the attacking third was unbelievable..however he looked a little out of shape..but he only played about 15 min yesterday befor he was told to sit along with some other draft picks so that osorio can look at the other guys but i think he is a very gifted player..

    Reply
  3. Where does Palacio stand? Sounds like he had a good first day, was hurt the second, and failed to impress on the third…Is that about right? Here’s hoping a fellow Stony Brook alum makes it to MLS.

    Thanks for the updates. Even though I have no love for RBNY I do want to see ex-Rev Marshall Leonard come back (even if it is in NY) and appreciate the work you’re doing here.

    Reply
  4. Nice job with the update, Ives. How close are the Crew to dealing Niziolek’s rights? If I had to choose between Schramm, Palguta and Nunez…I would blatantly choose Schramm. Why? Leadership. Only Ricky offers the kind of mental stability to survive in this league. I think that the new coach would be looking for some positive locker room guys. As everyone knows, mental toughness is half the game. Skill-wise, I think many would agree that the 3 are close. What do people think? Who would you take if you were Osorio?

    Reply
  5. Are you confusing him with Laurente Manuel? He is a mini camp survivor. I read his name as Laurent Merlin the other day and then caught myself.

    Reply
  6. what happenned to laurent merlin? i thought he was on chivas but then a few days ago you listed him on the red bulls practice squad or something..did he get cut? i thought he was awesome.

    Reply

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