The newest prospect in Red Bulls camp is Paraguayan midfielder Lider Marmol, the mystery player I mentioned on Friday. The 22-year-old central midfielder/central defender has impressed the Red Bulls and the club is considering signing him.
Marmol was impressive in the Red Bulls’ intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, showing good quality in a defensive midfield role and scoring on a 30-yard blast of a goal in the second half while playing with what was essentially the club’s first team.
Marmol has been out of action since playing for Spanish second division club Hercules last spring. Last summer he spent part of the preseason with Coventry City and spent a day training with Reading, an episode which sparked rumors that Reading was interested in signing. Reading denied the interest.
A 6-foot-1 player capable of playing a holding midfield role as well as central defense, Marmol looked sharp and strong on the ball on Saturday and would be a strong candidate to start if he were signed.
Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio first spotted Marmol last year when he was coach of the Chicago Fire. Osorio wanted to sign him last summer but the Fire front office did not approve the transaction.
The Fire is believed to have put in a discovery claim on Marmol, which could create a problem if true considering the bad blood between the two clubs in the wake of Osorio’s departure from Chicago and since Fire defender Wilman Conde stated that he wants to be traded to the Red Bulls.
Marmol spent just half a season with Herculez last spring, scoring a goal in 11 matches before being let go by the club. Prior to that, Marmol played in Paraguay.
Is he a worthwhile signing? From what I have heard, and based on what he showed today, Marmol would be a very good acquisition. Marmol does come with some baggage though. He has bounced around quite a bit for such a young player and he also faced a drunk driving charge during his time with Herculez, an incident which expedited his departure from the Spanish club.
I will be posting a report from today’s scrimmage (no internet access on site so i wasn’t able to do a commentary). Check back for the report, as well as an in-depth look at the Red Bulls, later today.