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Report: Miller to sign new contract with Red Bulls

Roy Miller

Photo by ISIPhotos.com

By DAN KARELL

Despite a number of gaffes during his four years with the New York Red Bulls, Roy Miller looks like he’s staying in New York for the near future.

According to the latest report in Costa Rica, where Miller is spending his offseason, the 29-year-old left back is set to sign a new contract with the Red Bulls for next season. The report in Costa Rican publication Al Dia states that Miller turned down a move to Costa Rican giants Deportivo Saprissa because he’s in an established situation from a financial and sporting perspective in New York and doesn’t want to change things leading up to the 2014 World Cup.

The Red Bulls have not yet commented on the report.

Miller, currently the longest-tenured Red Bulls player on the roster, only featured for Mike Petke’s team on 17 occasions, due to injuries and international call-ups. Miller represented Costa Rica in World Cup qualification as well as the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Miller missed the final eight regular season games for the Red Bulls with an Achilles tendon injury picked up early in their 3-2 defeat at Chivas USA. Miller did make the bench for the Red Bulls’ final game of the season, a 2-1 defeat in extra time to the Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Even if the report is true, the Red Bulls are likely to lose Miller for at least two matches, away to Sporting Kansas City on May 27 and away to the New England Revolution on June 7, due to the World Cup. Major League Soccer will be taking a break during the World Cup group stage, but FIFA requires clubs to release their players to the national team squads by May 26.

Despite the errors early in 2013 and in 2012, Miller rebounded well in April and May and was looking like one of the best left backs in MLS before heading off for two tours of international duty in June and July.

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What do you think of this report? Happy to see Miller stay with the Red Bulls? Do you expect the Red Bulls to bring in more full backs during the offseason?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Signing a player that threatened to leave. Hum? Bringing in an aging player with locker room issues? Well I guess it is more of the same for red bulls. Hope there is more exciting news in the weeks to come

    Reply
      • He can play both. More midfield lately, but came up as a LB (albeit a pretty attacking LB).

        (It’s been the opposite of long since we had two left backs though – Carney and Miller, though they weren’t around together very long, and Miller and Pearce before that. They had some injuries, but they also both jostled for playing time at LB for a while too.)

    • Because he played really well last year after the SJ debacle. I don’t mind the move although I wasn’t too bothered when the reports had him leaving.

      Shouldn’t bother you much since you’re jumping ship after this year anyway.

      Reply
  2. I guess the report (that I posted on another SBI thread) about his imminent signing with Saprissa was, as they say, greatly exaggerated. Leverage, I suppose.

    Reply
  3. Gaffes aside (and I know that’s a big thing to overlook), when he’s not being derpy he’s very, very good. He, Convey, and Steele give the Red Bulls some solid and varied options on the left side. Throw in Lade, who can do a job if called upon, and the Red Bulls are starting to develop the kind of depth they’ll need to compete on multiple fronts next season.

    Reply
    • At times I felt like his only fan (and even I gave up on him being around after San Jose), but I’m pleased he bounced back and am happy he is close to staying with the team. I have to assume Petke deserves a lot of credit for this, but when he came back it just seemed like he was putting in more effort on defense.

      Reply
      • Agreed. Petke handled that beautifully. I wonder if a more experienced coach would have been that pragmatic about it.

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