Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio spoke to the local Red Bulls media on Tuesday and removed any doubt about his intention to return in 2009. He also made some revealing comments about his plans for the 2009 Red Bulls.
I will post quotes shortly but for now, here were the main talking points from Osorio:
Osorio plans on returning in 2009. He has received job offers and interest but has turned down the offers and rejected requests to be interviewed. The Red Bulls approached him about an extension beyond 2009, but he is not ready to discuss one yet.
He revealed that it is his preference that the team only has one designated player and that the second DP slot would be better served on acquiring multiple players. While he didn't come out and say he wants to trade the second DP slot, he basically agreed that in order for the team to be strong enough to compete in multiple competitions, it needs to deal the second DP slot to acquire multiple players.
Osorio revealed that he plans to bring back Jorge Rojas and Juan Pietravallo. He believes that both showed signs of being productive players early on and that they should be able to contribute more with a pre-season under their belt and a chance to adjust to the league and living in the United States.
Osorio stated that he plans to bring Jon Conway back next season and cited the team's participation in the Champions League, U.S. Open Cup and MLS as a reason for keeping Conway and Danny Cepero.
Osorio said the Red Bulls are doing everything they can to bring Dave Van Den Bergh back (though team sources tell me the club are trying to bring him back at a lower salary than the $240K base salary he earned in 2008). The impression I got from Van Den Bergh last month is that he is ready to head to Europe if he has to rather than take a salary he doesn't feel is fair.
What's my take on all this? It makes plenty of sense for Osorio to want to wait on an extension. I also think the idea of dealing the second DP slot is very smart because, let's face it, carrying two DPs on an MLS salary cap doesn't leave much room for upgrading the squad as much as the team needs to be upgraded (especially with CONCACAF Champions League looming). As for Rojas and Pietravallo, both players did show well early on because struggling late. Rojas played well in his playoff run vs. RSL and I do think both players could be solid starters if given a full pre-season with the team. I also think it wouldn't shock me if one or both of them is sold to Latin American clubs before next season.
What do you think of these developments? Share your thoughts below.
If Dave van den Bergh does not come back next season, RBNY are dumber bastards than I could ever imagine!!
VDB and Rojas are both more comfortable on the left wing, so maybe RBNY think that they don’t need both of them. When they were both on the field JCO tried Rojas in the middle and he would just drift more and more left. VDB actually did OK the one game he played in central midfield but it is also not his strength.
I think we should trade for a third DP slot. Trade conway, get rid of dvd, rojas and petri dish. we can win this with ronaldo, angel and ronaldinho.
Pietravallo was a liability all last season and I can’t see the justification for keeping him, I really can’t. Vandenbergh was the opposite, probably our most consistent player, alongside Angel. I would consider the loss of either those two a complete failure.
On a side note, I have no confidence in Osario. I felt the team was too easily defeated, too easily beaten in confidence after going down a goal, and that’s down to Osario’s motivational skills. What I saw in preseason was a time working from inside out–the team sticking up for one another and motivating themselves, with Osario watching on the sidelines wondering if it was something he’d done.
I would be fine having Pietravallo and Rojas on this team if they didn’t make a combined salary of 276K. We could get two Americans to do what those guys do and pay them a combined salary of 100K or less. They should both be cut.
Asking VdB to take a pay cut is insane.
JCA is all smoke and mirrors. his players were benched during crunch time. The young guys are what got RBNY through. get rid of his signings and get a decent CMF player in a DP slot. Selling his signings will be tough…who would want them? You can get young american kids to do their job for less than 1/2 their salaries. Could veron be a possibility?? That would be nice…esp with the new stadium. JCA with job offers???? more smoke and mirrors. he got the team to the finals with all the prior coaches players – apart from Sasano. If JCA gets another job offer(unlikely) let him go.
Ives,
Can you look into VDB’s salary structure? I seem to rememeber when KC gave him up for virtually nothing that they also picked up a hefty portion of his salary in the deal as well? Somewhere around 30% hit their cap?
On another note, all indications are not only that VDB was the Co-MVP of the team last year, but that he was also a great locker room guy, one that pretty much everyone got along with. So let me get this straight, good on field work ethic, co mvp, good locker room guy = NY lets him go. I think we call that par for the course?
Plus one to . if that is your real name, lol! what is your last name, com? haha! His analysis of dp trading/ tanking is sharp and on the money. Also plus one to Travis in my hood…although being Italian I hate Henry!
Some people here are suggesting that if VDB doesn’t take a certain amount, he should move on. Or that RBNY should trade the 2nd DP slot. I say all that is nonsense ESPECIALLY considering that VDB is our most valuable player. Angel is without a doubt our most prolific scorer but few will disagree that VDB is our most VALUABLE.
The issue here is clearly money (and when isn’t it?). Having said that, one thing is clear: the league is growing and it needs to change its salary restrictions. $2 mil is NOTHING. The average pay per player in the EPL is 1mil and change. Granted, MLS is no EPL but clearly changes need to be made.
Now, this isn’t just to benefit RBNY or LA but it is something that needs to be done to benefit the league as a whole. We have owners in place that can afford to spend some extra cash. Owners’ hands are tied by these restrictions and the league needs to loosen up.
One more thing, strictly RBNY: GET RID OF CONWAY! Trade him away for a decent prospect. Cepero has shown he can hold the fort making Conway a non-factor. Also, we MUST bring in a top DP next year. Henry anyone?
Henry will be playing in Miami for Barca/Miami! 🙂
Van Den Bergh should be top priority to be re-signed! I say give him something near 400K a year. He not only gives credibility to RBNY but to the league as well. He was a Dutch international; players like DVB are the ones who the league should keep. If RBNY can’t keep him, I hope some other MLS team picks him up so that he stays in our league (though I wouldn’t be happy being a RBNY fan). Here’s a shout to the RBNY management: follow the Crew’s lead! Columbus has proven itself to be a classy organization after making GBS their top priority and signing him to a DP contract.
Give DVDB a raise, or at least a renewal on his current deal.
Get creative, have RB Salzburg sign him and then loan him back to us a la Marcus Schopp. At least we know VDB isn’t washed up, and maybe there are some budget shenanigans that can be done to reduce the cap hit due to the loan. Or reduce his salary and sign him to a Red Bull endorsement deal and have him plastered up around New York selling product. There has to be a solution to this that is fair to the player and gives Red Bull some sort of advantage.
I understand why trading the 2nd DP makes sense, but at the same time having another star in NY would be good for the team and the league. Paging Thierry Henry, please pickup the white courtesy phone…
DVB deserves a raise, its ridiculous to offer him less they need to cut petravhallo he was garbage and use that money to up DVB’s salary and ubiparipovic and cepero then get someone whose cheap like a USL guy like DC did. Red Bull sucks they don’t see that this next year is the year to make or break, the new stadium coming on this is it, you need to keep your best players.