It was supposed to be a friendly scrimmage between two clubs owned by the same company. Instead, it turned into an ugly encounter marred by vicious tackles, shoving matches and bad blood.
Salzburg scored a second-half goal to win the scrimmage on the scoreboard, but the Red Bulls had already lost plenty before reaching halftime with the score 0-0.
Wing midfielder Dane Richards had to leave the match in the 13th minute after suffering what amounted to a right MCL sprain after Salzburg midfielder Harald Pichler delivered a crunching tackle near the sidelines.
"Their intention, in my opinion, was come out to try and hurt one of our guys,” Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway said. “I think it’s crap.
"From the get go, there was a bunch of cheeky, chippy fouls and I just think they wanted to get somebody and they did. They got Dane and now Dane‘s injured."
"I guess coming in and we’re guys from the states and they just want to prove something I guess," Conway said. “I think we came back and handled it okay.”
Reyna’s explanation for why things got ugly was a bit more pointed.
“I played in Germany and this is how it is always with Germans and Austrians,” Reyna said. “They’re diving cheats. It’s just how they are and how they always play and it’s just a shame.
“The referee had no control and it turns into an exercise of just trying not to get injured,” Reyna said. “It was unfortunate because we were just trying to get a game out of it and they were trying to play like it was a World Cup game.”
The Red Bulls didn’t sit back and allow Salzburg’s reserves to make it a one-way tackle-fest. The Red Bulls answered with their own tough challenges, with Reyna, Seth Stammler and Juan Pablo Angel all delivering crunching tackles, hard fouls and harsh words. In the second half, Jerrod Laventure turned into a one-man foul machine as he managed to deliver at least a half-dozen hard fouls.
While the ugly fouling led to a game with little rhythm, the Red Bulls did manage to create the better chances and put together some quality soccer before head coach Juan Carlos Osorio pulled his starters at halftime.
Juan Pablo Angel saw a header go wide from close range in the fourth minute while winger Jose Mendoza had his close-range shot saved in the fifth minute.
Conway made some clutch saves to keep the match scoreless, diving to his left for a stop in the 20th minute and getting his hand up quickly enough to stop a long-range laser from Salzburg midfielder Ernst Obster that was destined for the goal before he parried it away.
Midfielder Seth Stammler had the Red Bulls’ best chance of the match in the 25th minute when he capped off a quality sequence of passes with a clever run through the Salzburg midfield. With a wide-open look from 18 yards out, Stammler sent his shot wide left.
Obster nearly scored just one minute into the second half when his long-range blast struck the underside of the crossbar before bouncing out.
Stanislav Vasilj headed home a short cross from close range for the game’s only goal.
The second half was played with far fewer fouls, with the exception of Laventure, who turned into a Haitian Marco Materazzi for 45 minutes.
Here is a rundown of who played well, and who didn’t play so well:
Conway looked solid, as did the Red Bulls defense. While Salzburg seemed more interested in hurting someone than scoring in the first half, the Red Bulls did a good job of squashing the few forays into the final third Salzburg put together.
Seth Stammler and Dave Van Den Bergh played well in central midfield, delivering sharp passes, making key tackles, and in Stammler’s case, making one beautiful run that only lacked the finish.
Lider Marmol played well again, coming on at halftime and showing strength and poise on the ball.
Rookie Danleigh Borman struggled at first when he came on at halftime but eventually settled down and showed some promise.
Rookie left back Scott Palguta continued his strong camp with a steady 45 minutes.
Mendoza showed more on Monday than he did in the team’s intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday but there was little wow-factor in his game. At times, Mendoza looks scarily similar to former MetroStar Sergio Galvan Rey, and I’m talking Galvan Rey in his first year in MLS, when he was downright awful.
That’s all for now, share your thoughts on the match below.
I think the big story in this article is another MLS team losing a pre-season match to teams that aren’t that much talented than what they are. Worse off this match was against a reserve team from an Austrian league that is not that much ahead of the MLS. Earlier this month, the Dynamo was killed by a J-League team missing numerous players, the Galaxy lost to an A-League team as well as also losing to a Korean team by missing all but one penalty kick. I am a supporter of the MLS and definitely want to see it flourish into a world-class soccer league and I also understand that takes time, but with the MLS losing all the se pre-season friendlies to sub-par to mediocre teams the rest of the world can’t do nothing but begin to judge the quality of talent and play of the MLS teams. I also know that all the MLS teams are not in shape and it is pre-season and they have all just started there training. But then the MLS should be a little smarter and not schedule friendlies so early in the pre-season so its stops looking like a USL type league and more like an up and coming world-class league.
Chosun:
That’s the spirit!
Seriously, Chosun, you are nothing, if not wise.
My initial take on this “hack fest” wasn’t so much anti-Americanism, but more anti-US soccer. With so many people thinking that the MLS is a joke, I could see players feeling like they need to “teach the MLS players a lesson” about “real” soccer. I’ve always thought this kind of thinking is completely moronic, but it’s the way some people are. You would think that international soccer players and fans would support the growth of leagues all over the world…but I guess ego tends to get in the way. I will never understand why people feel so threatened that the US is trying to add to the soccer community.
Also, to those who feel that being overly physical is a part of the game: I think in my next scrimmage I’m going to do a sidekick to someone’s chest then stomp on their femur. It’s a man’s sport, after all…and I am a man! Give me a break…
Yank at Oxford, our resident Eurosnob, weighs in. Tell me, have you played professionally in Germany by any chance?
Nice to know Claudio Reyna is such an open minded individual. Re-affirms what everyone has known for a long time.
Losing to an Austrian reserve team merely serves as a minor indicator to reinforce the gap that exists between MLS and Europe. Granted it was a scrimmage, but certainly nothing overly promising for the MLS camp.
I was also at the World Cup. The Germans treated us Americans exceptionally well. I think they were on their best behavior as hosts, and were genuinely chuffed to see crazy American soccer fans. I had many pleasant conversations with random German people as I wore the flag around the country. The fans from other countries, however, were pretty despicable at times. For the most part, the anti-Americanism is very real. I would expect a bunch of young Austrian jocks to be as uncultured as any, and wouldn’t be surprised if this fed into their approach.
nico, you’re clueless. i’m currently living in europe and the ignorant anti-americanism is very real. there is very much a bias against americans. ya know what, screw ’em. those austrians can go eat my braunschweiger
smokeminside,
Were you at the World Cup, and if so how were you treated?
Randal W, I was at the World Cup with my wife and two young boys, and we were treated very well.
irishapple21:
About “The ref obviously was useless.”
This is a good point. It’s hard to imagine this wasn’t some local Salzburg ref who was only too happy to let this type of play pass.
I mean, come on, how much common sense would it have taken by the ref to just stop the game and tell the players to knock it off or the scrimmage would be canceled. If this was how they usually play because they are such tough guys, how do they ever field a team?
Red Bull Salzburg is officially known as the UGLY sister club.
People can talk about “playing tough” all they want. This was a scrimmage that is supposed to help RBNY get match-fit for the regular season. Instead, it turned into an attempt by a bunch of loser Austrian pipsqueaks to hurt an American because “Waah, waah! I don’t like McDonald’s!” The ref obviously was useless.
I didn’t see the game so I can not make an honest assessment of the physically involved. It does seem like not the best use of resources having your own players injure each other.
When I hear about a soccer match being “physical” that indicates to me the match was not played very skillfully.
Nice! Violence AND Politics. Someone throw a little sex in here and Ives will have an influx of new sponsors.
Sounds like it was bush-league action from a bunch of hacks. We’re talking the Salzburg reserves (i.e. A level below Nqwenya and Jaqua). And Reyna may not be a lot of things anymore but he’s the most experienced American player ever in foreign leagues and if he says it, I believe it.
Tony, goal was in 70th minute I believe, according the the metrofanatic piece on the scrimmage
Hey, Ives: When was the goal? What minute?
Oh and as one last aside, comparing a soccer game to home invasion is a bit strong, dont you think?
Aristotle:
I dont think you are seeing my point, which is ok b/c I am obviously missing yours as well. To strike out against violence in the game but then strongly advocate retaliation doesnt make a ton of sense to me. I think my issue may be more in the way in which you worded your arguement than it is with the point I believe you were attempting to make. Oh well, we wont agree but thats ok. I think the main thing to take out of all of this is that an important player for the team is now injured. Hopefully he will be back soon.
This is a good article. Gives a good soap opera point of view. Will it get into the NYT?
the Bottom line here though is that RB should have gotten some friendlies not this bunch of crap.
Any reserves to sign with USRB? A bone-crunching tackler could help replace DR.
The person injured wasn’t even American…
smorebs:
I understand and did apologize ahead of time, and I’ll apologize again. You are absolutely right, but please understand I was just responding to someone else who decided to inject that out of place topic here. It’s a sore spot because you can’t seem to get away from it no matter where you go. I will not comment any more on it even if someone else does.
Let’s face it, the whole thing was planned to open up a right middy spot for the return of Markus Schopp!!!
Sounds like nothing more than a sibling rivarly with the older child reminding the younger one just who is in charge. Unfortunately, like many sibling battles, this one ended up with a trip to the emergency room. Hopefully it is not a serious injury to Richards.
Aristotle, Last time i checked this was a football/soccer blog, while i’m all for debating politics and arguing the about virtues of the UN and US policy, I do not, nor do i believe anyone else comes here to discuss International political issues. If you want to open Pandora’s box feel free but, know what you are getting yourself into.
Graig:
So I guess you do believe that the kid who stands up to the bully rather than taking a beating, is then a bully himself?
I hope no one ever breaks into your house or tries to hurt your family. You won’t be able to do anything about it without becoming the despicable criminal that they are. How sad.
If John Wolyniec gets a red card, then you know he was simply defending himself. I have watched John during his tenure during the MLS, I can rarely remember him getting yellow cards. The purpose of this game was for both teams to train, the score is irrelevant. If Dane Richard was maliciously fouled with other no other intent than to injury, then Red Bulls Junior must be held accountable. His absence could prove very costly to the NYRB organization. I
RandallW:
Great! The Austrians were just trying to show us how bad our foreign policy is? Thanks for clearing things up.
I know you run with a popular crowd now that dislikes everything their country does, but this has nothing to do with us being bad because of foreign policy mistakes.
On a completely different note, and out of place. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) People really should take a look at the U.N. and how other countries conduct themselves before thinking that just because we made a few mistakes and the majority of the world dislikes us, that we are a bad nation.
Aristotle:
Your obviously getting a little excited, which is understandable if your a fan of the team. Well I am too, and certainly do not want to see anyone injured in a pre-season “friendly”. My only point was that it seemed like your comment was an attack against so-called “tough guys” which is fine. Advocating that behavior towards the end of your response seemed to go against your whole arguement.
Reyna and Conway both spoke harshly about the match. They are pro’s and so if they thought it was over the top I cant really disagree with them. I just dont see how you can have it both ways. Either say the whole thing was un-called for and bad or let it be and say that it was a hard-nosed game where alot of tackles flew in.
we all know that Americans play with class and dignity, usually setting the bar high in terms of quality and sportsmanship. I have never witnessed an American go in with a needless hard tackle or dive after a foul or make instigate a fight. (insert sarcasm). I think the “us versus them” mentality some are taking is funny. I doubt any American flag burning took place before the game.
Anyway, reserve players will take any of the few existing opportunities to show they deserve first team football. Having corporate relations will hardly stop a player from proving his worth.
all around the world, americans have sort of become public enemy #1. it’s really unfortunate that the way we are perceived (or perhaps the way we are, but that is too broad an argument to address here) because of our foreign policy leads to our athletes being targets.
who knows if that is why the game turned nasty. but you can’t deny that other countries seem to not only enjoy beating us, but injuring us somewhat in the process.
my friends who were at the 2006 world cup said we were treated like crowds used to treat the USSR back in the day. i worry that our olympians will be booed even worse than they were in 2004.
Would there be any glib comments here about whining or how it’s a different kind of football over there if Richards had blown his ACL?
A FRIENDLY is a FRIENDLY.
A SCRIMMAGE is a SCRIMMAGE.
What else is there to discuss?
RB Salzburg reserves had nothing to lose by hurting RBNY First team so they went for broke to perhaps, impress the Salzburg FO.
Graig:
Give me a break. Yes, defending yourself from thugs by giving them a taste of their own medicine, is being the same as them! That’s like saying standing up to a bully is being a bully yourself. Weak.
smorebs:
I understand what you are saying about character, but bring on some reserves to show the “character”. Do you really want to have a guy sitting out a half season or more, and your team’s season potentially ruined, so that you can show a bunch of soccer wannabes in Austria you have character. In this particular case the brains should come before the character. Let’s show our character at the world cup when we might actually meet these punks!
The “Suck it up – Americans have to learn to be tough like Europeans to play this game” responses are ridiculous.
The intensity level in the NFL is every bit that of the world’s top soccer leagues, as well as that in the world’s third-rate leagues (i.e. Austria) The physicality level is, obviously, much higher. Intense and physical is one thing, malicious and stupid another. Let an NFL practice squad player start laying out dirty hits and chopping down the starters in an practice (least of all one in August), just to show he’s “tough”; chances are he’ll up with a fight, a tongue-lashing from the coach, or a release.
Why didn’t someone say something to the Salzburg coach? This is simply unacceptable.
“JCO should have just stopped the game, or at least removed the starters sooner and put a few more Jerrod Laventures in the game to make a point.” Aristotle, doesn’t that just go against your entire arguement that “thug behavior” does not belong in the game? Just saying…
Aristotle,
I don’t disagree with you at all but, it does show some character to overcome poor interpretation and dish out what you are taking. I do agree with you that some one at RB should be quite concerned about respect between these two teams.
Hats off to Jerrod Laventure!
One of my least favorite things about what’s happening, and has happened to this sport, is this idiot tough guy mentality whereby you see a vicious foul or just nasty play in general and you have people making comments about how that’s just the way it is, or suck it up, or these guys are just tougher, or this is a man’s game!
What a load of crap! In most cases I suspect we are learning something about the
person making the comment. They are insecure in their manhood and need to keep proving it through others, or just want people to think they are so tough.
The game has rules, however poorly they may be interpreted. I liked to play, and now watch the sport because I think it has the best of most sports combined in one sport.
Despite the soccer hating morons who try to tell people that this is a girl’s sport with no contact, we all know this is absurd and has absolutely no basis in reality. So we don’t need to prove it all of the time by applauding thugs or saying that “it’s a man’s game” every time some thug hurts someone, or when a team decides to play dirty, acting like it’s because they are just tougher.
Anyone of us could enter a professional game and take someone down with a cheap shot foul. There’s nothing manly or tough about it.
Soccer is a great blend of skill, athleticism, tactics, and contact. When played right it can be a thing of beauty. There is plenty of room for physical play within the rules. There are lots of tough challenges that are within the rules. Quite often the players being applauded for fouling and being tough, are just the opposite, they are cowards who have to compensate for a lack of skill with cheating and cheap shots.
To suggest that it’s alright for a team to play like this in a scrimmage, or that it’s normal, or that it’s because their tougher in Europe, is just sad. How long is Richards going to be out now? How badly will this effect the NYRB season? For what? So a bunch of losers can try to prove they are tougher in Europe? If it was as bad as it sounds from Ives’ description, JCO should have just stopped the game, or at least removed the starters sooner and put a few more Jerrod Laventures in the game to make a point. Why would an organization let one of it’s reserve teams play to hurt a starting team it has in another league? A Red Bull employee at some level should have been watching this game and stepped in at some point to put a stop to the nonsense.
Here come the tough guy responses!
Forgot to add I certainly hope for a speedy recovery for Richards, an extended absence would suck, lets hope for like a 2-4 weeker
Hahahaha I was just thinkin that, why’d we trade Dema just before this game
Those vienna boys were lucky I wasn’t there.
Geez, this game sounded more like a description of a battle or something. Did they forget that both teams play for the same owner?
There is absolutely no reason for a scrimmage between related clubs to get ugly. BTW, nice to see Mendoza play up to his reputation 😉
An excerpt from Nick Webster’s column on the Fox Soccer web-site regarding the injury to Eduardo and how, unfortunatly, things like that happen in a contact sport: “Boxer Ricky Hatton recently eloquently stated that his sport “ain’t a tickling contest” after getting a beating from Floyd Mayweather. Football ain’t a tickling contest either and hopefully it will never become one.”
Given recent events, I’ve obviously held some animosity toward RBNJ, but I think this is BS. Who plays like this in a friendly unless they have an axe to grind? I think the Austrians just wanted to give the Americanos a “friendly welcome.” And for that, I think Red Bull should crack the whip on the Salzburg FO given the sponsorship values of the players (not to mention a possible delay in making some cash of a richards’ potential ultimate transfer to Europe if this injury drags out).
Oh get over it. This was a friendly. Germany is KNOWN for having camps where the veterans do nothing to help the younger players, its part of their culture.
Dan,
I don’t know. Reyna’s played in England and Scotland, hardly two non-contact leagues.
It’s a different kind of football over there, much more physical and hard hitting. I’m sad to hear that Dane was injured but it is encouraging that NY could dish it out just as well. I’ll be interested to see how the First team scrimmage goes.
I’m sure Reyna has a point about German-Austrian bad blood, but I also think that the players in Europe are much tougher, on themselves, their teammates, and others, than Americans are. I don’t think NYRB should whine about being roughed up; they should just deal with it.