Good evening folks. Today was day three of the Red Bulls mini-camp and the field was cut down considerably as Juan Carlos Osorio let go of the players he felt wouldn’t have much of a chance of making the team.
There weren’t many surprises among the remaining players. Here is a rundown of who survived the first cut and who impressed today:
Mini-Camp Survivors
- Laurente Manuel
- Matt Kassel
- Tighe Dombrowski
- Scott Palguta
- Leo Buttitta
- Chris Megaloudis
- Danleigh Borman
- Abimbola Pedro
- Marshall Leonard
- Martin Nunez
- Ted Niziolek
- Gabriel Ortega
- Michael Palacio
- John Gilkerson
- Ricky Schramm
- Carlos Manuel Mora
- Kevin Meza
- Diego Almada
- Orlando Niebles
- Ferrario
- Andrew Sparks
- Alex Satovic
- JP Franchini
- Bill Gaudette
So who impressed today? Here are some:
Danleigh Borman– The supplemental draft pick impressed with the best left foot in the camp. Osorio was definitely pleased and said he had tools he could work with. Not a bad showing at all.
Martin Nunez- The little guy showed some toughness today as he faced some physical battles and was clearly hobbled, but fought through the pain and still made plays.
Matt Kassel- He just keeps getting it done. Passes well, both short and long range, and always seems to put himself in position to receive the ball. Osorio wants him to go to Cali but the club is still sorting out whether Kassel would be jeopardizing his college eligibility by going to training camp. To this point, he has only trained with players out of contract.
Ted Niziolek– Another solid day from "Steady" Teddy Niziolek. The Clifton kid is a nice combination of size and skill and Osorio likes his game. The question is whether Columbus will ask for a bunch to acquire his rights. If so, the Red Bulls will pass, again.
Tighe Dombrowski- Hasn’t put a foot wrong in three days. He’s tough and smart and tenacious. If only he were bigger than 5-8. Osorio wants to see him at right back, where his passing can be an asset, and Osorio wants to see Dombrowski against higher-level competition like Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel. In other words, he’ll be going to Cali.
Marshall Leonard– There isn’t much left for this seasoned veteran to prove here. The trip to Cali will make or break his chances of making the team. I would rate them at pretty good.
Bill Gaudette- No, he isn’t going to Cali (the club has Jon Conway, Zach Thornton and Danny Cepero) but the MLS vet looked good on several saves and should find an MLS home if he doesn’t follow the wave of American players to Europe.
Osorio stated that between four and five non-roster invitees at the most would come to California for training camp. With Dombrowski and Leonard looking like locks, that leaves three slots. Kassel gets one of he can go, leaving two spaces. My money would be on Ricky Schramm and Scott Palguta making the trip, but Martin Nunez is an intriging prospect. If the Crew deals Niziolek’s rights for a modest price, Niziolek would be a lock.
What do you think of the mini-camp so far? Share your thoughts below.