Photo by ISIphotos.com
BY MIKE NASTRI
Juan Pablo Angel will most likely not be wearing a New York Red Bulls uniform to start the 2011 season.
At halftime of the US Men's National Team match against Colombia, ESPN analyst Alexi Lalas asked Angel if he would be back with New York for next season. Angel responded, "I probably won't".
It was widely speculated that if Angel came back to the Red Bulls it would be for Non-DP money. It seems that scenario is off the table as New York will look elsewhere to fill their third Designated Player spot for next year.
The Red Bulls are in need of an attacking midfielder to distribute the ball to Thierry Henry and might look to fill that role with Angel's DP spot in 2011.
Angel, the Red Bull's all time leading scorer, will be a welcome addition to many MLS teams looking for a veteran goal scorer. While Thierry Henry has become the focus of many opposing defenses, Angel still leads the team in goals this year and has been a model of consistency for New York since his arrival in 2007.
What do you think of Angel's possible departure for New York? Hoping the striker joins your MLS club? Do you think the Red Bulls are making a mistake?
Share your thoughts below.
Its not a whole lot more money. im paying an extra $50 for my season ticks and you have to remember that we’re getting two extra games next year
I agree completely. Henry needs a player that is close to his present calibre, if nothing else in order to keep him in form mentally. JPN is worth paying DP salary because whoever they do get will not be able to be as effective both on and off the field.
Then you’re just not very bright.
I think this is a mistake by the Red Bulls. Angel has looked better than Henry. I hate to say this, but I think Henry looks disinterested and unfocused a lot of the time.
The Red Bulls are in need of an attacking midfielder to distribute the ball to Thierry Henry…
I thought this was Mehdi Ballouchy’s role. He looked rather good against the Galaxy a couple of weeks ago, and Backe seems impressed with him.
No way. Montero signs as a DP for Seattle. There’s been plenty of chatter about it.
With the way Seattle is playing and the depth of the team coupled with the FO’s emphasis on locker room dynamics don’t look for any major changes this off-season other than astute additions to fill out the expanded roster.
Remember, this is the team that looked terrible in June but has the best record in MLS since the World Cup and no roster changes of consequence were made in that time. (Yes, Nkufo joined, but he had actually been signed long before. Also, to be fair, Ljundberg was traded but that was a matter of addition by way of subtraction.)
did you not hear Seattle’s owners?…. they said they will DP Montero so he stays
Def alot of comments for the Great JPA, but you my fellow RBNY fan must be on Metrofanatic too often, because any article on Adu can easily get 250+ comments
The leagues most successful striker from the past 3,4 years is sure as hell an upgrade from whatever we have.
Other than Najar (who will most likely be fishing for larger clubs in Europe next year) the midfield is not that much more of a strength for DCU than any other part of this miserable side. Quaranta still has talent but completely disappeared this year. Bustovic is overrated, as is Pontius. Verela has good pedigree for MLS but he’s not a difference maker and is 33. Simms, when healthy, is a hard-working, hustling, high-character defensive mid but with very limited skill in the mold of Frankie Hejduk and you don’t fill your midfield with more than one of those.
Face it, DC United probably ain’t turning its ship anytime soon and JPA certainly won’t make a difference by himself. He’d be a fool to tie himself to this sinking ship.
Aargh. I understand the “business decision,” but then I look at the current stat sheet and see that in all competitions, John Wolyniec is still tied for second on the club in goals scored.
And the club wants me to pay a whole lot more money to attend its games next year.
In this case, I’d rather lose him a year too late than a year too early.
This is the most comments I’ve ever seen for a thread on here! JPA, thank you for your excellent years of service on an abysmal team in an abysmal organization. You are a true class act! You were the one and only reason to watch the Red Bulls over the last 3 years! If only you were a year or two younger! True, he is our top scorer but many of those goals come from penalty kicks and dead balls, not many from the run-of-play. We need someone very fast up top to stretch the defense. Best of luck to you wherever you land!!
Brodie and K-Town,
I am serious.
The Sounders will take JPA. We’re probably losing Montero. Two crafty vets up top. Bring it.
I thought there were speculations that he may go to River Plate.
Bad move by RB. Not much more I can say than that.
I think incentive-based contracts work best in many situations, including this one. A base salary with bonus $ for goals and assists would be motivational.
As an aside, some kind soul ripped me a new one for posting some mild anti-Henry comments a few weeks ago, and now I realize there are two “BrianK” s who post to this forum. I do very rarely and was surprised at the venom.
How old is Henry and how long is his contract, speaking of age?
I think this is a good thing. It shows that the league is maturing. A 35 year old forward is very rare in the top leagues. You see older guys play midfield and goalie but hardly ever forwards. Hopefully, every MLS team will take steps like these so that the league can get rid of that ugly “Retirement League” tag.
I don’t comment too much but that was just too much for me.
Philadelphia should sign him. Imagine Mwanga/Angel at striker and Le Toux able to roam as an attacking midfielder, Unions attack would be phenomenal.
It would have to be an attacking midfielder. They didn’t bring in Henry and pay him almost $6mil a year to be getting on the end of balls from Mehdi Ballouchy.
Ha, you beat me to it.
Are you serious?! Tim knows that Brazil ’14 is a lock for him, but not if he comes back to MLS. Tim will come back to the US in 2015, no sooner.
so your saying a top 5 EPL keeper in the prime of his career, and still under contract with Everton, getting looks from bigger teams, is going to leave to come back to NYRB. Howard may come back, but it will be after 2014 world cup, if at all.
JPA is a good pro and has been worth his DP salary up to this point,…but he is showing his age. He has difficulty getting separation from defenenders to get his shot off. If he was willing to take a material decrease in salary it would be nice to have him back (say $200K) but Red Bull are better off looking elsewhere with real DP money.
That said,….you heard it here first,…BrianK’s prediction => TIM HOWARD TO RED BULLS AS A DP IN 2011.
Down the middle,…it would be Henry, Marquez, Ream and Howard. Why?
1. They can pay him what he wants aa a DP.
2. Added star power and a player in his prime.
3. Tim is from New Jersey.
4. He has nothing to prove in England/Europe.
5. More importantly,…Tim’s wife is American and is homesick.
6. The league would like nothing more than Red Bulls to be a star studded, MLS Cup winning team,…preferably knocking off LA year after year.
7. Bouna Condoul’s value has gone up and they can trade him for an upgrade in the defense of midfield.
Put this on your refrigerator!
I hoope I’m not stuck in the past, but this is terrible news for this RBNY fan. Angel is pure class, a true professional in every sense of the word, and the best MetroStar/Red Bull ever. I hope there is still some way to salvage this. I would hate to see him go.
Its funny but the only place I can really see him going in the league is Philly. And if you think about it makes a lot of sense. He does not want to move his family and he likes living where he does, so Philly is close enough that he really would not have to move his family
I’d take Angel over Nery Castillo ANYDAY!
Me too! He is over the hill and the turf in Gillette stadium will keep him off the field thanks to his degenerative arthritic condition in his back. Take him if you want him.
I think both sides are caught in between a rock and a hard place. For NYRB he is 35 years old, so at best he is a year to year contract guy. They don’t want to pay him DP money or multiple years but the reality is he thinks he deserves it and the evidence says he does. He is the team captain, the leading scorer this year and he has played almost every game except the “experiment” game and I believe one other? So if anything he and his agent will be looking for the same money Henry and Marquez have, which NYRB are definitely not doing to play for a guy who is 35, no matter how good and proffesional he has been.
I think both are right to feel the way they feel. Business wise it is the right decision for NYRB and for JPA he think he deserves better and the evidence says he is right too.
There is a %0 chance that he goes to play for a team that does not have a natural grass surface.
-1 mcbride +1 angel…looks like a good fit in chicago.
mcbride doesnt make DP money, but it looks like castillo will be headed back to shaktar after this latest disaster for him.
At first glance it’s always hard to accept NYRB doesn’t want him back for DP money when you look at what he has accomplished for the team and the league. But I understand it from a business decision – 35 years old, although not often injured he has had some issues in the past, he has definitely lost a step from last season, more playing time for Juan Agudelo. But he’ll always be a Metro Red Bull legend. I just wish he would take non-dp money to stay. But if you were a player and the team you loved is only offering you 400K vs. another team offering you 1MM+, what would you do?
Not drawing with what they have? I didn’t know that an average of 18,600 was still considered lackluster.
We don’t want a 33 year old replacing a 35 year old.
Whoa…I don’t EVER want Findley…
It’s too bad, he was a real pioneer for NYRB. But that’s pro sports. You can’t really get too close to a team.
JPA = nyrb legend! Cant blame him for leavin if we dont offer a dp contract. Whoever cpmes will have a hard time fillin his shoes!
Not sure why you say they are SURE to sign a 3rd DP, that cost a lot and quite frankly NY isn’t drawing with what they have ( a contending team )
Maybe they signed Henry knowing the future….without JPA.
Please tell us how many games Angel has missed due to
Injury since the start of his MLS career. Then please check if your statement is correct.
Thanks