Photo by David Bernal/ISIphotos.com
As a new season approaches for the New York Red Bulls, it is still very uncertain who will be standing between the goalposts for a team looking to surpass its results from 2011.
According to multiple reports, manager Hans Backe definitively said that German goalkeeper Frank Rost would not be returning to the club, weeks after sporting director Erik Soler said there was a "good possibility" of Rost coming back.
Although the move opens up a Designated Player slot on the team's roster, it also leaves recently drafted rookie Ryan Meara as the only goalkeeper the Red Bulls currently have as the team begins its preseason preparations.
After parting ways with Bouna Coundoul and Greg Sutton as well, the Red Bulls will have a complete overhaul at the goalkeeping position, one that has been a place of contention for multiple seasons. While Rost, who endured mixed results in his few months with New York, was never a given to return, Soler had previously hinted that the Bundesliga veteran would come back for another season at Red Bull Arena.
When talking about the club's goalkeeping situation back on Dec. 13 (in a discussion with reporters during which he claimed Thierry Henry would not be loaned out and that Tim Ream would remain in New York in 2012), Soler said:
"I think there is a good possibility that we will have Frank here next year. We're still in discussions with him, and we're also discussing with others. We're also looking at a couple of younger goalkeepers, American ones that we want to bring in. So we hope to have a good mix of a good, talented, upcoming American goalie and Frank or another goalie to head that pack, and develop the young kid."
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How do you feel about the Red Bulls' goalkeeping situtation? Whom would you like to see the club sign? Did you want Rost to come back for another season?
Share your thoughts below.
The acquisition of Faryd Mondragon did nothing short of transform The Philly Union. Never underestimate the influence of a a seasoned keeper who knows how to organize a defense and shape a locker room. If I were in the NYRB front office that would be my number one mission.
Agudelo did not worked as hard as his fellow forwards last year, and that’s why he didn’t start, not because of poor judgement on Backe’s part. But Juan is an RB academy product who must be encouraged to develop his skills further, and he can be a fine first team player for team and country, he’s just not there yet. Ream even said Juan worked harder at national camp than he did in regular RB training, and he told Juan that to motivate him week in and week out. Not everything wrong with the team is Hans’ fault.
Good riddance. If only Backe and Soler were leaving with him.
To those defending Backe: the dude admits he didn’t know the Gold Cup was being played last year.
Plus, Soler and Backe are not worried, they are already lining up a 40 yr goalie from Norway. They will then be able to focus their energies on trying to trade Dax for DeRo, and finding another 2nd division english player to replace Rodgers up front.
He has a player with youth and desire, and several caps for the Nats, and he refuses to play him. The criticisms of Backe aren’t unfair. His absurd subbing patterns, his inability to work in an all-time great in MLS, stripping the team of depth while keeping terrible players like Ballouchy, skipping the US Open Cup match, etc. Other than bringing in Lindpere, I’m at a bit of a loss to recall why we should praise him.
Yep. It’s never about the team, it’s about the Red Bull brand.
Will Solli be back as DJ this season?
That might not be true if he is brought in as a Designated Player. But if not, whatever team that would hold his rights in an allocation would probably easily deal him away for a supplemental draft choice or two. He would command a DP salary,that, plus his age, would turn most teams away!
Final comments for today if I may on NYRB. We have the best stadium by a long shot in the league and maybe in North America to watch a match.
I may criticize management, but I am very grateful that Red Bull decided to invest the money in this state of the art facility with tremendous sight lines and design.
When the team was in transition they stepped up and I appreciate that.
Also I think the criticisms of Backe are unfair and off-base. He has done well I think with the big egos he was given, and gotten them (mostly) to play cohesively. Give him more and better players, with youth and desire and I think he will show NYC a winner.
When I said above the offseason has been a disaster, I was referring to it in a PR sense as well as roster. All the talk and news has been about players going out on loan or off the squad.
Training camp is here and most MLS teams have completed their deals and brought the new players to camp. The team status 6 months from now is important but we will need to start the season in 2 months, and need players working together now or soon to gel into a team. Early points are just as important as late season points.
Agreed,…why not try to get Cervi on-board.
I’m not a Soler fan, but I think it’s hilarious that the commenters here think RB is not doing anything to address the GK situation. As if nothing could possibly be happening behind the scenes. Just because you haven’t heard of anything happening doesn’t mean the offseason has been a disaster. I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it ends up being a disaster, mind you, but no one knows enough about how this team is going to look 6 months from now to make any assessments of the offseason. If they add Vega, Vuolo, and one of their European #10 targets, things will seem much different than they do now.
IIRC Richards has a green card – not counted. Nielsen also unlikely to return, or at least not under contract at the moment. Even if he does you have three int’l slots, assuming Robinson retires. IMO this isn’t a big issue.
Yeah, because I’m sure SKC is willing to trade their starting keeper to a conference rival when they seem to lack a solid back-up themselves.
Pleaseee put that on a huge flying billboard that circles Red Bull Arena everyday until it happens. Your new name will be LEGEND.
This team is a joke, and mgmt thinks fans don’t notice?! They have to do better.
Perhaps they can get Nielson from SKC?
My sentiments too… I dread to see the team that takes the field. It’s going to be hard to watch.
Is it an exaggeration to say the NYRB are being managed?
+1
ya its been some time, get to it!
Even if his contract was up sooner why would Yelldell leave a Champions League team for MLS?
Not nonsense at all. General concensus is that RBNY has 11 international slots and 10 are currently being used – Henry, Holgersson, Lindpere, Marquez, Miller, Nielsen, Robinson, Richards, Solli, Tainio. Even though Robinson probably won’t come back, it doesn’t leave much room, especially since a 3rd DP will likely require one slot.
lets hope so. Give the kid a shot
redbulls will now groom and produce yet ANOTHER world class american keeper.. MLS, your’e welcome
Hans seems to be a nice guy. I have no ill feelings towards him but he needs to go. Soler too. I’m sorry…things started off well their first season here and we completely turned things around from where we were under Osorio but things are just spiraling out of control. They have no idea what they are doing. The Richie Williams fiasco was a monumental mistake. I would entrust my RBNY to Williams and Petke.
A guy could wish…
They really are SOLer.
Nonsense. John Rooney, Frank Rost, Marcos Paullo, Carl Robinson all occupied int’l slots and are gone. Nielsen perhaps as well.
Agudelo needs to go and so does Soler, Backe and the Red Bull company that doesnt give a f*ck about the team
i guess you could say… Rost is not coming Backe.
The Red Bulls are not going to have enough international roster slots at the rate they’re going.
Also, the NY Post reports that Backe just said yesterday of Agudelo:
“We’ll see. I can’t say anything at the moment about Juan if he’s coming back or there are other interests.”
So much for Agudelo definitely staying in New York.
I think we can safely say by now that Soler’s word is meaningless, so now matter how many times RBNY says it’s not selling Agudelo, it really means nothing.
Don’t underestimate the FM….
They can always try and get Caleb Patterson-Sewell back. Or go after Diego Restrepo. Hey, I’m sure Josh Wicks would love to come back from Finland also. 🙂
Were I a RBNY fan, I would be happy that they’re not wasting a DP slot on a keeper.
I know it will be a critical position for them this season–what with a shake up in the back line–but there have to be less expensive options out there that will allow them to bring in a more impactful DP.
Rost is garbage. Thats the problem with most teams in this league, they dont try and build a team. Its a cycle of stop gap players and an insane amount player movement. There is a reason NY hasnt won anything.
I’m fairly sure I could be a better GM then Soler and my only experience is with Football Manager.
Scratch that, I meant Luis Robles instead of Yelldell. Yelldell’s contract goes to 2014.
What about signing a yank abroad like Quentin Westberg, Dominic Cervi or David Yelldell? The contracts of all three expire in June of this year. Maybe you tempt one of them to leave early.
Offseason a disaster so far for NYRB. Ship Rafa to Brazil as fast as possible and use the millions for better, younger players at many positions who want to play hard all the time.
Look for young talent in African Cup of Nations, and across Central & South America.
No more over the hill players who want an end of their career cameo in the Big Apple.
Buy some European academy or division 2 players ready to step up with skill, talent, speed and desire.
Remaining core of players desperately need reinforcements.
They are bringing in Jeremy Vuolo. He said it on his twitter. Backe also said with 2 young guys they want to bring in a veteran. Reny Vega of Venezuela has been saying Red Bulls want him publically for awhile now.
There’s time to get a new #1 in. Rost coming back was always going to be an issue because of his salary demands and RBNY’s stated expectation of a new attacking midfield DP over the summer.
Ives, you didn’t mention Jeremy Vuolo, who has confirmed via his Twitter that he has signed with the Red Bulls. Not really a #1 type goalkeeper, but certainly provides some depth.
Soler needs to go. He doesn’t have a handle on things. I have zero confidence he is going to procure the right talent. So far, this off-season has been a net negative in terms of staffing.
Being a long time national team player, Marcus would be subject to the allocation process. No guarantee he would end up in NY
Breaking News: Soler doesn’t have a clue.
In other news, the NYRB will be trying out a new back line in front of a rookie goalkeeper. It’s going to be a rough season for the NYRB.
Well, that leaves open the question of whether Juan Agudelo is returning to the NY Red Bulls or not. I gotta say, in that ping-pong video down below, Agudelo looked quite happy, sort of a like a kid about ready to sign a 7-figure contract to play in Europe. Not sure where, but Stuttgart today announced it was having problems signing striker Srdjan Lakic of Wolsburg and is still desperately seeking a striker.
And wonder whether or not Red Bulls might be interested in Michael Ballack. I don’t buy this rumor that Michael Ballack is ready to sign with Montreal (of course I could be wrong). Ballack, I think, would want to be playing for a top team and he likes the limelight and does not get any brighter than NYC.
This organization has done nothing but frustrate me….
He’s solid, but rather not have a guy that maybe has a year in him.
As the article infers…what Soler says rarely happens. Could Marcus Hanneman be a candidate to play for RBNY or is he set to play in the PNW?
Frank Rost thought about saving his tenure for RBNY, but he was too slow to get to it, and it just rolled right past him.