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Stammler out, Reyna Questionable for Red Bulls vs. KC

Red Bulls midfielder Seth Stammler has been ruled out of the team’s upcoming match against Kansas City on Saturday with a lower back injury while captain and midfielder Claudio Reyna is being listed as questionable.

The two starting central midfielders missed the Red Bulls’ 2-1 win against Los Angeles on Saturday but their potential absences would be felt far more against a Kansas City squad with a stronger central midfield.

Stammler suffered the injury in training last week, forcing him to miss his first match of the season against Los Angeles. Rookie Luke Sassano looks likely to step in for him once again.

Reyna isn’t alone on the Questionable list. Forward John Wolyniec (right hamstring strain), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (left hamstring strain) and Chris Leitch (left MCL sprain) are also listed as questionable for the matcha gainst Kansas City at Giants Stadium on Saturday.

The match will also mark the return of former Red Bulls head coach Bruce Arena. Currently a color TV analyst for the Kansas City Wizards, Arena will make his first appearance back at Giants Stadium since stepping down as head coach following the 2007 season.

Comments

  1. Why is it that RBNY and injuries go hand in hand? Is RBNY more injury prone than most? It certainly seems like it.

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  2. Wait, so KC’s broadcasters go out to the games while ours only go out for beckham???

    Posted by: Richard | May 12, 2008 at 06:30 PM

    _______________________________

    Yes, they do go out to games, Wheelock traveled to almost every game last year for the Wizards as well. OnGoal has every nonexclusive game (games not on ESPN, FSC, HDNet) shown on local TV here in KC.

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  3. On my way to the NBC upfront tonight, I was walking past a bodega-type of place on the corner of 40th & 6th, and I saw Reyna out front selling flowers. I joked with him that we needed him back on the field since most people had no idea who he was. He laughed and said he’d be back soon and tried to get me to buy flowers. Only in New York.

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  4. Ives-

    Can you get more info on Stammler? I think we expected this from Reyna, but I think Stammler has become a critical part of this team. If LA had anything more than Franchino in the center durig Saturday’s game, we would have been in big trouble w/o Stammler. How serious is this injury?

    Thanks.

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  5. Instead of having Sassano play if Reyna can, I’d put Reyna in a D-mid spot and let Magee play the attacking mid role.

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  6. I wonder if the Reyna haters and lovers are exaggerating to try to make their points, or just don’t watch the games. When Reyna plays, he is usually good – not great, not bad. In MLS, a player who doesn’t lose the ball is an asset. Reyna doesn’t make a whole lot of mistakes, and that does help the Red Bulls in the midfield battle. However, slowing down the game every time you get the ball is not optimal. Neither is sending 95% of your completed passes to the sides or behind. He doesn’t make enough incisive passes or challenge defenders enough to be a great attacking mid, and he doesn’t win enough balls to be a great defensive mid. With so many limitations, the rest of the team has to be perfectly constructed around him for him to really be effective. Against certain teams, depending on the available personnel, you can definitely make the case that Reyna doesn’t match up well. That said, in general, he can still be an asset on the field at either of those positions because he is composed and doesn’t make stupid plays.

    But all that aside, there are two irrefutable facts, and any Red Bull fan has the right to complain about them: he doesn’t stay on the field, and he doesn’t merit a DP slot.

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  7. Chris: If you read the pro-Reyna posts above they clearly state that he is not worth DP money.

    Just figured I point that out since people on this site choose to read only part of posts and then spew garbage about it. Now I remember why I usually avoid the comment section on this blog except for the running commentaries.

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  8. Wait, so KC’s broadcasters go out to the games while ours only go out for beckham???

    anyone want to clarify?

    (Missouri is in the top 20 states as SBI readers so im sure someone is out there…)

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  9. Can these Reyna loyalists stop throwing down “Soccer IQ” trying to assume some higher position. Your “Soccer IQ’s” must not exist because your claiming a guy that doesn’t even play is great for our team as a DP.

    No we do not need Reyna on the field. We NEED his DP contract back and used on an attacking mid.

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  10. Really the complaining about Renya being a DP needs to stop. It is what it is.

    Now anyone who sits and watches the game will understand that when Renya is on the Field the team plays better soccer.

    Stammer is a big hit but it is easier for a young guy with great work effort to compensate for missing Stammler (as we saw against LA) then it is for someone to replace Renya)

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  11. Reyna’s a great player. But great players are only great on the field. Hard to be great from the training room. I’ve loved watching him for years. I wish his body could still keep up with what his mind wants to do. But given the injuries, I don’t know that I’d pay him DP money to hang out in the whirlpool.

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  12. IrishApple, with all due respect, you are a complete and utter idiot. Reyna has been one of the team’s best players in every game he’s played in. If you can’t understand that then your soccer IQ is probably somewhere between 0 and 0.5.

    He’s not worth DP money but the guy can still play and has been playing very well.

    The only embarrassing waste of time is the time you devote to even writing that mess.

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  13. Reyna has been an embarrassing waste of time. I’m looking forward to the day he cashes his last paycheck and clears out his locker so we can sign someone effective.

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  14. As much as plenty of people hate admitting it or refuse to believe it, we need Reyna on that field. Hating on Reyna is an obvious sign of low soccer IQ. His vision and calm just keep the team settled and flowing–when he’s healthy.

    That we need Stammler out there is way more obvious.

    This is a yuuuuge blow.

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  15. it would be curious to see what arena will have to say about reyna should he play. will he be critical or apologetic? turns out well never know.

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  16. Good. I’ll wear my Fire Bruce t-shirt.

    What is it with Reyna? He should just retire and do us all a favor. Mr. Injury.

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