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Red Bulls’ Echeverry out for the season (Jimenez signs)

Oscar_echeverry_isiphotoscom

                                                                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

After spending weeks clearly playing in pain, Red Bulls forward Oscar Echeverry’s season is over.

The Colombian striker will have season-ending knee surgery, the team announced on Monday. Echeverry will go on season-ending injured reserve, which will create another available roster spot for the Red Bulls (the Red Bulls also announced the signing of Mexican defender Diego Jimenez).

The development isn’t much of a surprise to observers who have watched Etcheverry labor with knee pain since returning from a knee injury suffered early in the season. He has shown none of the speed and shiftiness that made him one of the team’s pre-season stars. Without the speed and moves that are the strength of his game, Echeverry became a major liability who was truly painful to watch.

Echeverry’s surgery leaves the Red Bulls with just two forwards on the roster with significant MLS experience in Juan Pablo Angel and John Wolyniec. The club is set to look at a pair of forwards this week, including former Houston Dynamo striker Franco Carracio, but the Red Bulls are expected to search the international market for a striker who can play alongside Angel.

Another forward option, Dane Richards, is also out for another month with a hip flexor strain, an injury that has slowed an already limited Red Bulls offense.

Echeverry’s absence does secure Wolyniec’s future with the club. According to sources, the Red Bulls had been considering releasing Wolyniec, who has impressed as a substitute in recent weeks.

What next for the Red Bulls? The club has a week off from MLS play and won’t return to action in the league until Aug. 10 so the team will have time to look at some forwards.

As for Jimenez, he is expected to step right in and compete for the starting left back spot on defense. Kevin Goldthwaite has been struggling badly over the past two months and could lose his job to Jimenez, who would provide a more skillful option at left back in a 4-4-2 and has a left-sided defender in a 3-5-2.

What do you think of the news? Glad that the club finally got Echeverry off the field? Angry that Juan Carlos Osorio put Echeverry on the field with an injury? Still don’t believe that he actually looked good in pre-season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. I’m so sick of fans like kpugs and danny58c who don’t know anything but how to piss on the team. They are pathetic half-arsed supporters who don’t know what they’re talking about and spend all their time slagging the team.

    Posted by:ag nigrin | July 30, 2008 at 09:28 AM

    __________________________________________

    Find examples. Punk.

    Reply
  2. In regards, after hearing the news of Oscar Echeverry, I’m not sure if this really hurts the Red bulls – Realistically, Oscar has contributed very little in regards to being a threat as a goal scorer, he has shown some decent technical ability up top, but Forwards are meant to be scoring threats he didnt show that at all, So I dont think the Red Bulls are hurt by this situation – Actually, this might give a chance for someone like Chris Mega and Danleigh Borman to show if they have nay value being a reliable second or third option – I think the Red Bulls are coming along real well they have looked good in both draws with LA and San Jose – But to the point at hand I wouldn’t see Oscar being on this squad in the following year, he hasn’t shown enough spark to warrant a spot but hey you never know he only makes $78,000 Guaranteed Salary so it may be worth to keep him a bit longer

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  3. I’m so sick of fans like kpugs and danny58c who don’t know anything but how to piss on the team. They are pathetic half-arsed supporters who don’t know what they’re talking about and spend all their time slagging the team.

    Reply
  4. Man some of you guys are brutal up there, funny, but brutal! It has been a mess from the start with lack of funds/ room for new players, fluke injuries due to turf, Jozy go or no, and Claudio play or nay. So give JCO a break people. Rome wasnt built in a day, ya know! p.s. Buena Suerte en la futura Eche.

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  5. Didn’t anybody do a physical on this damaged goods…reminds me of the balboa fiasco by Nick. Agoof does it again. Stop learning on the job and quit, bring in a real professional. At least Mike Magee isn’t impersonating Lisi any more…but with things this bad, I bet he’s next for season ending. Injury..Injury..Injury Hello!!!!! Do they condition? who’s in charge of the care..he or she should open their eyes. Somebody please help!!!!! Austria were are you…please sell

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  6. Ives,

    thanx again for the Metro news keep it coming, but in your opinion, Jimenez>Goldwaithe on the left in the back 3?????

    Reply
  7. For everyone thinking JCO is automatically gone after the year- remember what we gave up for him. We just paid Chicago $100,000 for him earlier this month! That is too early to admit you’ve made a mistake. He’ll be back.

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  8. I can’t blame JCO for the injuries but I sure wish we could have asked Francis Doe to come off the bench.

    It’s hard to believe that Ante Razov was once starting up top for this franchise. There must have been a good reason to let him go but that doesn’t help the team now.

    Reply
  9. ag,

    laugh because of disappointment from all the injuries. i go to games, 8 a year and make my wife come with me. i do my part. i think jco has us going in the right direction but i do not find any of the teams in any of the sports i support to be beyond criticism. the injuries have me so frustrated that i chose to laugh, or i am going to cry.

    And you implied i have a history of hate for the bulls, find that please.

    Reply
  10. In this crazy league, losing a player to retirement and another player to season ending surgery is actually a positive development.

    With my powers of 20/20 hindsight, we sure could use Joe Vide and Grandpa Doe right no

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  11. YES FINALLY!! we would have been better playing 10 men. Etch didn’t even touch the ball for like 5 games straight. What a waste of space. You could see the hesitation in the midfield and from angel to even consider passing to him. I’m glad he’s gone. We can only hope they sew some skills into this guy’s knee during the surgery.

    Reply
  12. So Chichero did sign???? why isnt he playing???? not that out defence is playing bad but, if hes better then what we have then lets sign him ASAP….

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  13. to Dannyc88…

    If this isn’t hate: “All you can do is laugh at this point.”

    then wtf is? I am just sick of you half-arsed supporters! Get behind your team or get out!

    Reply
  14. Modibo: RB front office fired Bruce Arena after he led the team to one of their best ever seasons because they didn’t win the Cup. JCO has been a complete and utter failure this season. RB front office is not known for their patience and I’m not sure JCO deserves any more patience anyway.

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  15. irishapple said “So, who will the Red Bulls sign as their new head coach next season? Obviously, JCO will be let go,”

    Really? He’s had a lot of injuries to deal with (Angel, Reyna, Echeverry), not to mention losing one of the his most potent offensive threats (Altidore). Surely those things aren’t his fault – ESPECIALLY if the injuries are linked to the turf. And wouldn’t RBNY ownership be thinking about him as someone to lend them stability as they move from Giants Stadium to their own little corner of NJ next year? Or maybe not? I’m not an RBNY fan after all.

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  16. Pico, Pizarro is not a bad idea. I think he could be good in MLS. It will be good business wise too, considering the amount of Peruchos we got in this area. My dad may actually go and watch a red bull game with me.

    Reply
  17. This what I have to say about RBNY players looking good in pre-season:

    Mike Magee always looks good in pre-season.

    Nuff said….

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  18. quartz62, a 5-5-0 formation is so freaking funny!

    Is the NY team cursed or what? Are we destined to be the Chicago Cubs version of MLS?

    Actually, I read that Chelsea’s Claudio Pizarro is being shopped around everywhere so why not take a crack at him? Maybe on loan… He could be a force next to Juan Pablo Angel.

    Cheers

    Reply
  19. I’m betting it will be Richie Williams as Red Bulls coach next season. Why not? I think this is the best bet to not having wholesale changes next year.

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  20. He had one average game. He them consistently sucked even before he got hurt. He can’t hold the ball, turn on a defender or shoot accurately. Please point me to a link if feel otherwise. We really just have to focus on 2009 and Red Bull Park.

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  21. Ag Nagrin,

    What did I say that was so bad?

    Before you go off like that, I’m rarely negative about the Bulls. So explain yourself.

    Reply
  22. What about Cichero? I never heard about him officially signing, did I miss that? From what I’ve heard, he’s much more of an impact player and this team needs someone to come in and contribute ASAP.

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  23. So, who will the Red Bulls sign as their new head coach next season? Obviously, JCO will be let go, but I can’t think of anyone who would want to take over after all the absurdity over the years. Maybe we could put Richie “Ankle-biting Midget of Death” Williams back in charge? He did okay during his short interim stint.

    Reply
  24. I liked what I saw of him in pre-season, here’s hoping he can recover by next season and become a strong player next year.

    Reply
  25. I don’t understand all the hate for guys who just get injured. It can’t be helped, esp. on the Giants Stadium turf. And trying to play through it is admirable. You try to help the team and you get s**t on by the loyal fan base. Sheesh.

    Reply
  26. this sucks – in spite of all the griping about him here, I have liked this guy since I saw him opening game – his speed was impressive and really gave some defences trouble – of course lately he has not been contributing but he was doing his best it seemed to me.

    Sucks for him, sucks for us, just sucks all around

    hoping for some good new signings!!!

    Reply
  27. kpugs,

    If you trust that JCO can find a good replacement, then I guess it is.

    Or the fact that it was fooking obvious since he came back he wasn’t healthy and we could have cut his ass and saved the cap $$.

    Its a joke.

    Reply

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