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Celades among the Red Bulls new trialists

AlbertCelades 

The New York Red Bulls' search for a solid veteran defender have led them to a player with an impressive resume who just might be the center back the club has been looking for.

The Red Bulls have brought in former FC Barcelona and Real Madrid defender Albert Celades in for a trial in Argentina, where the club is currently training. Celades, 33, most recently played for Real Zaragoza, spending three seasons with the club, which was relegated to the Spanish second division during his stint there.

A versatile player who has played in a defensive midfield role as well as in central defense during his career, Celades is skillful, tough and experienced. Whether the Red Bulls can actually afford him remains to be seen, but the fact that he has actually joined the team in camp speaks volumes.

Celades wasn't the only player to join the Red Bulls in Argentina.

The club has also brought in Mexican defender Jaime Duran and Trinidad & Tobago defender Akile Edwards. A former Mexican Under-23 national team player, Duran is coming off a failed stint with Greek club Skoda Xanthi after leaving Mexican club Morelia for Europe. Duran enjoyed a lengthy spell with Mexican club Atlas at the start of his career.

Edwards, 23, is another left back prospect for a club desperate to add a left back before the start of the season. Sources have told SBI that talks with Salvadorean left back Alberto Pacheco are ongoing.

What do you think of this group of trialists? Like the idea of the Red Bulls adding Celades? Hoping the club can land a central defender AND a left back before the start of the season?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. “We’ll see how things come together, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes an issue for NY fans.”

    Winning matters. If you could find 11 players from effing Armenia and gave ’em our shirts, I’d root for them if they won.

    NY’s franchise as grown Yanks like Howard, Bradley, Altidore and others. I’m not worried about our American credentials, I’m worried about putting something other than dust in the trophy case.

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  2. Eugene/Lazaro,

    As great as it would be to have an american take a shot, there hasn’t been one to step up to the plate has there? Goldwaithe is iffy at best, Leitch as well, Regan was horrendous, Graham a disaster, Brunner a bust, Mendes is unreliable, and Parke a monumental screw up. Im as patriotic as the next guy, but Im also realistic

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  3. i’d like to see us come away with strong players at both LB and RB in all this. we have a few options at CD already and unless celades comes at a reasonable rate, do we really need another aged veteran playing in the middle?

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  4. Lazaro,

    I have to agree and it’s a situation that has started nagging at me — there seem to be fewer and fewer American players on RBNY, while there are good Americans in the league that can play some of these roles.

    We’ll see how things come together, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes an issue for NY fans. Perhaps I would feel better if we were tapping our youth academy so that we could at least have Americans learning from these international players.

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  5. When has Celades played in defense? He was a defensive mid for Barsa, Madrid and Zaragoza. I honestly can’t recall him playing one game in the back four at any of those teams.

    This is another situation where it would be better to give an American a shot than to go for a foreign name.

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  6. Defense and playmaker are where the club is weakest (assuming Oduro/Kandji/Wolyniec can provide sufficient second forward roles). I don’t know these players but hopefully they are the answer. The Red Bulls have a DP slot available if necessary and hopefully can find another home for Pietravallo if he impacts the salary cap too much.

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  7. The Bulls probably need Celades (assuming he has anything left) and a left back. Their backline is poor – Goldthwaite is average at best, Leitch is definitely worse than that, and Petke is slowing down. Speed is going to be the issue here.

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  8. hopfully we get celades or edwards. i dont know hoe duran plays. from the 20 second video on youtube i saw of edwards, he looks fast

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  9. Celades should be able to help the Red Bulls defense significantly unless he’s crippled at this stage of his career. Can NY use any allocation money (or other secret MLS derivatives) earned from Altidore’s departure to pay part of Celades’ salary?

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