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Stammler out for season after knee surgery

BREAKING NEWS

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Red Bulls midfielder Seth Stammler’s season is over.

The versatile midfielder underwent knee surgery on Thursday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. The surgery will force Stammler to miss the rest of the season, sources told SBI on Thursday.

While it remains unclear just when Stammler incurred the torn meniscus, sources have told SBI that Stammler played several games with the injury. The injury proved too much in the regular season finale against the Chicago Fire, which he was forced to leave at halftime.

Stammler’s injury will make Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s decisions that much tougher as he prepares for the Red Bulls playoff opener against Houston on Saturday.

Without Stammler, Osorio will have to seriously consider starting Argentine midfielder Juan Pietravallo, whose play has been very erratic in recent weeks. Pietravallo’s rash challenges and penchant for drawing yellow cards, and in one case a red card, made him look like a long shot to play on Saturday, but Stammler’s absence coupled with Pietravallo’s good form in past home games will make him a likely option for Osorio.

The other option is rookie Luke Sassano, who came on in the second half of the Chicago game. Sassano struggled in that appearance and could be overmatched against Houston, which would mean a match-up against MLS all-star Dwayne DeRosario.

Pietravallo enjoyed a strong performance against DeRosario in the Red Bulls 3-0 win against Houston on Aug. 24, forcing the Canadian playmaker to leave the match after 56 minutes.

Stammler’s injury adds him to a list of Red Bulls starters out for the season. Goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke are out for the season while they serve 10-game suspensions for failing MLS drug tests.

What do you think of this news? Is this the final nail in the Red Bulls’ coffin? Think Pietravallo can get back to the good for he showed early on? Would you like to see Sassano given a chance? Do you believe the Red Bulls are cursed?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Tough for Stammler. I think this is the same injury that the NY Giants Osi Umenyiora had. Will Stammler be ready for the beginning of next year?

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  2. Bummer. I like Seth. He’s a strong player. I just hope we can move through to the next round. This is the year of the rat. The underdog always wins. Let’s go RB!

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  3. I think JCO should live and die by the players he has chosen. I say we play Pietravallo, Cichero, and Rojas and see how they perform for him.

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  4. I don’t think there’s any question. Pietravallo has to play. This is the playoffs. You don’t play Sassano, who has no chance of doing anything useful on the field, just because you’re scared Pietravallo might screw up. The Red Bulls are underdogs. They have to roll the dice.

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  5. Stammler is the heart of this team. I know Angel is the MVP. But Seth always plays tough and with passion. I remember one particular play this year where the ball was in traffic and Seth put his head on a ball that was about knee high. The ball rolled to Rojas who setup a goal with a back heal. It was a beauty of a play. This type of sacrifice, balls, pride, heart are what make teams special. Seth gets it. Wishing him a speedy recovery and wishing the rest of team steps up this weekend.

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  6. This is where Rojas, Pietravallo and Cichero have to earn their money. If they can play as well as they did when the first got here, then the loss of Conway, Parke and Stammler will not prevent us from stuffing Houston. We might just have their number.

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  7. Very sorry for Stammler, after meeting him a few times, can say he is a very very classy guy, speaks from the heart, not just a great professional and competitor but really came off like a great human being. Best wishes to him for a speedy surgery recovery and rehab. The team will miss him more than what’s analyzed here. If we had any chance to pull this off, at all, it just went out the window.

    And to answer your question Ives, yes. I believe we are cursed.

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  8. While I initially did not want Pietravallo, Rojas and Cichero in the lineup against Houston (after the Chicago game), I’m now feeling that we should have all three play again. With Stammler now out, New York needs at least one of these players and know that the historical play of Magee and Boyens will not make NY a likely candidate to win MLS Cup. The team might as well learn now whether there is any reason to keep Pietravallo, Rojas and Cichero beyond this season.

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  9. Everyone who talks bad about the NYRB attendance should not that we have never had 5,000 people at one of our playoff games. Looked terrible on TV. Tough break with Stammler. Pietravallo can be effective if he is under control. JCO needs to make sure that is the case.

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  10. Colon Powellups said: It doesnt matter the Red Bulls problem the past three year have been parke, mendes and stammler. They should have found adequate replacements years ago but losing stammler would make no difference. Pietravello has a million times better technique and is a million times better passer even though he sucks. so the red bulls should have sewn up their middle along time ago as their am, dm, and cm, are always their weaknesses.

    Excuse me? Seth Stammler should’ve been replaced? Are you blind? Seth Stammler has been a stronger player in the defensive midfielder position and can score goals as well as set them up. If you don’t like the guy, that’s your problem. But to say that Stammler should’ve been replaced, tell me who is the player to do that right now. The only thing Pietravallo has done recently is take stupid fouls and gotten booked or ejected for them.

    Give me a break, you haven’t been paying attention for the last three seasons including this season to see how valueable Seth Stammler really is. He is so versitale and he excels at all positions you just can’t pay attention to his real talent.

    Stammler is a needed and heroic player that deserves respect from everyone. You trade him or let him go, this club suffers.

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  11. I wake up in middle of the night because I had a nightmare, this was my nightmare.

    I hope Red Bulls can pull of a miracle

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  12. my heart just broke for seth – an amazing athlete and individual – knowing the type of athlete he is means that there were no other options for him – i would like to be optimistic but without him our chances are very slim.

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  13. I never thought that the day where I’d say this would come any time soon. Please play Sassano. I’d hate to have Pietrovallo in there and draw two yellows (or a straight red) early and then leave us with 10 players on the field. I think we might be toast….

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  14. It doesnt matter the Red Bulls problem the past three year have been parke, mendes and stammler. They should have found adequate replacements years ago but losing stammler would make no difference. Pietravello has a million times better technique and is a million times better passer even though he sucks. so the red bulls should have sewn up their middle along time ago as their am, dm, and cm, are always their weaknesses.

    Reply

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