Top Stories

Red Bulls sign GK Rost to DP deal

Rost (Reuters Pictures)

It's no secret that the New York Red Bulls need goalkeeping help, and that help is on the way.

The Red Bulls have signed former Hamburg SV goalkeeper Frank Rost as the club's third Designated Player, the team announced on Wednesday. Rost is expected to be available for the club's next game, which is at Chivas USA on Saturday.

Current keepers Bouna Coundoul and Greg Sutton have each made their fair share of goalkeeping errors this season, with neither being able to outdistance the other to claim the No. 1 job between the posts. Now both appear are headed for permanent backup roles, with the 38-year-old Rost, a Bundesliga veteran who spent time at Werder Bremen and Schalke, entering the fold.

Do you think Rost is the answer to the Red Bulls' goalkeeping woes? Wish the team had gone in another direction?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Ask people who watch every minute of every Red Bulls game and 95% will tell you that the team performs better with Henry/Rodgers than Henry/Agudelo. You coach with what you have now, not with potential. In the future, Agudelo may start.
    I’ll ask you your own question. Are you joking?

    Reply
  2. Are you joking. Agudelo coming off the bench to sub for English 2nd leaguer Rodgers could only happen in a Hans Backe world. This team has become a parallel universe.

    Reply
  3. Outstanding pickup. It’s silly to argue about the age b/c (a) GK’s are capable of being very good and very old (you’d better believe that NYRB would mind having Kasey Keller or Brad Friedel right now) and (b) some of the key players (Marquez and Henry in particular) are older so signing a player for his future is overrated in this instance.

    Here’s the downside to this deal: Unless waiving Coundol frees up a lot of cap space (not likely since the season is half over and it may have also reached the point at which contracts are guaranteed), the team needs more than a GK. Yes, they needed a GK most. But I’d argue that this team needs another CD. When Marquez is out, the central defense isn’t strong.

    I think a better option might have been to pry away an MLS keeper that isn’t making DP salary and then the team would have good money to sign a CB.

    Reply
  4. It’s good for a player to have to work his way into the starting lineup. Agudelo’s having a valuable learning experience. NY has done just fine producing American talent: Howard, Bradley, Altidore, Ream, Agudelo.

    Reply
  5. No I was referencing the fact that ream is the ONLY american player in the starting XI and that if I wanted to watch european teams I would watch their leagues.

    Reply
  6. National teamers like Ream and Agudelo in the lineup is worse than pedestrian guys like Ryan Guy and Alan Koger filling your lineup? Child please.

    Reply
  7. I think it’ll be a good five or six years before Tim Howard would come back to MLS. I’d say Rost has 2.5 years of MLS time in him.

    Reply
  8. “this puts NYRBs into SOLID contention for MLS Cup.”

    I wish I had a dollar for everytime I’ve heard/read/believed that… much to learn you have young padawan.

    Reply
  9. I have watched this guy for the past 3+ yr. (I watch HSV on their website). This is a worthwhile acquisition. At 38, he sounds old, but does not at all play old. He commands his box and organizes his D-line effectively. He is good for one or two outstanding saves a game. The ONLY weakness for this goalkeeper may be some occasional poor distributions (goal kicks, clearances and the like). Otherwise, this puts NYRBs into SOLID contention for MLS Cup.

    Reply
  10. I like the signing and wonder if we can get something for either Bouna or Sutton. Probably not.

    Regardless, I’m still livid about the way the US Open Cup was handled and I’m sure a protest of some sort is coming.

    Reply
  11. It’s just a joke, don’t get all jumpy….when are we going to stop wasting money on older players? when we can use that money to create our own talent and I’m not talking about making Freddy Adus, he’s a joke.

    Reply
  12. You obviously know nothing about how the DP rule works. NY is using this DP slot as a cash saving mechanism since summer DPs cost 185K towards the cap. Say the guy makes 300K like Keller and Mondragon, by making him a DP for the rest of the season they are saving cap sapace. After they dump Bouna’s salary, next year he probably won’t occupy the DP slot.

    Reply
  13. Give me a break! The average age of MLS players is below that of most European leagues. So what if we have a smattering of older talent. And 38 is not old by goalkeeping standards. See Friedel, Brad.

    Rost probably signed a 3-year contract, which is fine by me. We have Rafa, Henry, and Rost for the next couple of years, and we need to win the MLS Cup NOW.

    Reply
  14. Welcome to MLS retirement center! With our facilities, you wont even feel like it’s retirement. As you read in our Brochures you will receive instant DP status, we hope you enjoy the last few years of your career! Spread the word, with your help we hope to recycle talents. Good Luck!

    Reply
  15. Thank GOD. not only was this needed cuz GK is our biggest glaring weakness, but now the DeRo trade makes sense. DeRo was solid for us, but Henry could fill his duties and we could more importantly use his salary space to get a quality keeper!!!

    Bouna time…………………HAS EXPIRED.

    Reply
  16. I like the positive signings Backe is doing, addressing issues asap rather than wait.

    But a DP slot for a GK? Seems like a waste. Perhaps he is jus buying time before they re-sign Howard

    Reply

Leave a Comment