Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/USA Today Sports
By FRANCO PANIZO
The New York Red Bulls have had a transformational off-season, with the departures of Thierry Henry and Mike Petke, and that shakeup took another major turn after a blockbuster deal that sent away two top players, potentially paving the way for two
The Red Bulls acquired Brazilian veteran Felipe from the Montreal Impact on Tuesday in a three-player deal that will see the Canadian side receive Eric Alexander and Ambroise Oyongo in return. Additionally, Montreal is getting allocation money and an international roster spot while shipping the top spot in the allocation order to New York.
“We feel that this trade puts us in a great position,” said Red Bulls sporting director Ali Curtis in a released statement. “Felipe gives us options going forward that will allow us to play the style of soccer that we want to play. He is the type of player that can make an impact immediately and be a part of our future.”
Felipe, 24, has been with the Impact during the past three seasons. He made 93 combined league appearances, scoring 12 goals and assisting on 24 others. He played under current New York head coach Jesse Marsch during Montreal’s first season in MLS in 2012.
In Alexander and Oyongo, the Impact are getting a pair of players that bolster the squad and can step in immediately.
Alexander, 26, played in each of the Red Bulls’ 68 regular-season games during the past two seasons. The dependable MLS veteran scored six goals and had 11 assists during that stretch. Oyongo, a versatile, 23-year-old Cameroon international, played in 13 games in his first season in New York last year and had three assists.
“It’s a trade that helps improve our current roster by adding two quality players, while the allocation money and international spot gives us more flexibility within the salary cap and our roster,” said Impact technical director Adam Braz in a prepared statement. “The decision to move Felipe was not easy as he’s been with the club since the beginning in MLS. We`d like to thank him for his time with the club over the last few years and we wish him the best of luck in the future.”
New York has been linked with using the top allocation spot on RSC Anderlecht midfielder Sacha Kljestan. Kljestan — who also has ties with Marsch — has been rumored to return to MLS, and would need to go through the allocation order due to his status as a U.S. Men’s National Team player.
“While we have a top target in mind, we are considering all options to make use of the top allocation spot,” added Curtis.
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What do you make of this trade? Did the Red Bulls give up too much? How much will the Impact improve with Oyongo and Alexander on their books?
Share your thoughts below.
Ok so I don’t agree with any of the moves that Curtis/marsch have made so far, but I’m not going to go crazy complaining yet. I think all us fans need to be a little patient and just sit and watch for a while, because it appears that a future is building here, even though oyongo is now gone. With Stoltz, Felipe, Sean Davis, A USL PRO TEAM, and possibly sacha, we could have a powerhouse developing. However, until the season begins and we can actually see progress being made (and marsch damn well better be HUGE) I will still be angry. All I have to say to the RBNY offices is: IMPRESS ME. (us)
blockbuster deal LOL!!!!!
This isn’t baseball
This deal doesn’t make sense to me. It’s a marginal upgrade at attacking midfield, where the team looked to be in pretty good shape with Luyindula, the vet who played very well last year, getting the bulk of the minutes and Leo Stoltz, the talented youngster and heir apparent, picking up the rest. So we’ve made a slight upgrade at a position that no longer really needed one. Then we have a marginal upgrade from Alexander to Kljestan in deep midfield – Kljestan is better than Alexander, make no mistake, but that Alexander-McCarty partnership was better than the sum of its parts, and there’s no reason to think Kljestan will be able to do a whole lot better. For those two marginal upgrades, you lose Oyongo, who was going to be a solid attacking threat as the probable starter on the left side of the midfield this season. Worth it? Requires Kljestan and Felipe to play very well AND requires a good signing at LM now. RB not taking any steps forward with this move.
And still no quality CB signings, while Miazga is on trial with Leipzig. This team is going to just give away goals this season.
Sorry but RB proved again there are clueless.? Not sure why everyone gushing over Sasha? At his very best he is about 4 shades weaker than MB on the nats and at his worse ( sadly he does that alot) he is about 2 shades better than Alexander, I am not kidding JK “barely” picks him and RB offering him DP $$ Seriously..? And then they throw away the young Camerron star HUGE mistake. This kid is a superstar one day..Ask Henry..? The much better play would have been getting Steve Gerrard ,ahh but that takes brains and alas Ali already proved that he empty up there !
oh great, now he won’t get a canadian passport. bah
So far then, the line up looks a little unsettled:
BWP – ?Cahill
?someone – ?Peguy – LSam
Felipe – Dax
Miller-Armando-?Miazga-Duvall
Robles
Cahill looks to be on his way out; Miazga shows promise, but at 19 can’t be expected to anchor the back line, and Armando will be out for many games due to card trouble. Duvall needs to become consistently reliable
You should win a lot of games if you get to start 12 guys
Felipe will be where you have Peguy now, and Peguy and Stoltz will both be on the bench, which doesn’t make much sense. While there’s a hole at LM.
Hey look it’s a even trade in my book. I think we are getting a little to hyped on O’Yongo and over rating Alexander. Both are solid but not untradable. Nobody in MLS is untradable outside maybe a scant few. The only thing the Redbulls have to truly replace is O’Yongo. If they can then they win the trade hands down especially if they get Sasha.
Picking up Filipe is a big deal but giving up Alexander and O’Yongo that’s insane! There is simply no way, no way in H€|| I would’ve given up on the young Cameroonian left back. That kid is easily a 3.5 to 5 million dollar transfer in a year. Redbull will regret this decision.
By the way has anyone figured out if Tim Cahill will remain with Redbull? If so, he would be the perfect pairing up top with Wright Phillips receiving the ball from Filipe, Sasha, Sam and Dax. I’m not nearly as worried about the back line of New York Redbull. But I think they should go out and get a dynamic playmaking left winger. If you can’t shut them out you got at least outscore them.
Darn it! This makes that Sarvas trade the Galaxy made look bad if we arent getting Sacha anymore. I wonder who we will get now?
Must have been that brace he scored!!!
But seriously Kljestan is a good player. Red bulls have just not made enough efforts to help their cause. But can you fault them???…Heck Arsenal still struggling to cope life after Henry!
Hey Dieter:
#RedBullOut
Klejstan is nothing to scream about. By. Any. Means.
I agree, Sasha is a good player and has proven he can succeed in the MLS, but throwing big time DP money at him and expecting to impact the game they way a DP should is asking for failure.
Where’s Expansion Geek and his ‘Garber’s killing the Red Bulls’ conspiracy theory. Oh yeah he’s still salivating over NYCFC Vs. MCFC, stupid friendlies, waste of money.
Oh thank god. Alexander is so limited, and Sasha is an upgrade, add Felipe and you don’t have to cover with 2 d mids any more. The only part of this trade thats suspect is Oyongo I think he has serious potential.
“He is the type of player that can make an impact immediately.”
I see what you did there, Ali. Well played.
The seven year plan has begun.
ditto
don’t understand this deal. OK we needed a creative midfielder but we also need defenders and forwards. Did we need to trade a cm and lb for another cm and an allocation spot where there 1st pick might be a cm? i don’t get it….
New York Red Bulls for sale. link to http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/281578718898
Note: For parts or not working.
Alexander has been such a steady rock for us. He may not be flashy but he works hard. Oyongo is a young stud who is scoring international goals and showed flashes last season that he could be an “impact” player in MLS. Guess that has already come to fruition. I’ve always liked Felipe so I’m happy about that, so now let’s see who we get with that top spot in Allocation. Is Klejstan enough? Are we that much better with him?
WOW!!! Are you FREAKING kidding me? I would not even trade either Alexander or Oyongo for Felipe and RB gave Montreal both? This organization is proving over and over how little they care about their fans.
To be fair, it’s come out that NYRB retains most of Oyongo’s transfer fee if he is sold.
So if the rumors are true and Klejstan is the player the RedBulls want with the top allocation, why make this deal? It makes no sense to me. You give up a LB you probably could’ve sold or loaned for cash and a dependable veteran midfielder for a guy who averages less than a point every 3 games who plays the same playmaker role Klejstan will play. I’m confused.
doug – very good points. refreshing to see that type of critical thinking on the comments. well done.
Yes, Doug, good points, but let me counter. Sacha does not play the same role as Felipe. If anything, he plays the same role that Alexander played, and NYRB obviously see Sacha as an upgrade there. Throwing Oyongo into the deal is probably what NY had to do to make it happen.
I’m not a NYRB fan, but in my opinion, a 3-man midfield of Dax and Sacha behind Felipe is better than any midfield we’ve seen in NY for awhile.
Disagree with wispy but also this midfield better produce enough chances to score about five goals a game with the backline they are running out there.
I don’t know much about Felipe (any Impact supporters have a scouting report?), but Sacha can (and has) really play pretty much all over the midfield. Oyongo was an extremely valuable commodity so tough to see him go.
@Doug~ I would love to read your 300 page plan on how to run a club because in three sentences you have made more sense than anything Ali Curtis has done at this point.
This trade all depends on who NYRBs get with that top allocation spot.
Word has it that it’ll be Sacha. 2015 will be a big season if we have a season at all…someone needs to start a countdown clock showing when it’ll be too late to proceed with the season as scheduled.
Any chance this is a last minute play to scoop up Agudelo? Anyone know if he’ll go in the allocation order, or did NE retain rights to resign?
that’s an interesting take, i wouldn’t mind seeing that happen
I was under the impression that the Revolution still hold his MLS rights – the same way Herculez Gomez’s MLS rights are held (and why he will never choose to return).
Doesn’t Sacha play a similar position to Felipe? How about some defenders? Or does defending not fit in with the Red Bulls’ new marketing campaign?
Energy drinks don’t care about defending. Defending is not high-energy.
Gonna use the 1-1-8 formation and play each game 20-19.
That is page 237 of the plan, get with the program!
Energy drink comment… snore.
http://www.redbullbrasil.com.br/time-profissional
redbull are fools
Wow a veteran 24 year old, cool. Or was he in the Brazilian military, do Brazil have a military?