Is it just me, or was this off-season the longest wait out of any of the previous MLS off-seasons? The New York Red Bulls travel down to Frisco, Texas to take on FC Dallas in a rematch of that 2011 wild card matchup. New York went down to FC Dallas stadium and beat FCD, not once, but twice on a combined score line of 3-0. First-Kick is not only big for the two clubs, but for MLS and NBC as this is the first, of many, games to be carried live by NBC Sports in their new partnership with Major League Soccer.
The Red Bulls put behind them a busy off-season and less than stellar performance on the pre-season pitch and look to continue their good run of results in FC Dallas Stadium. NY will field a team of core players from their 2011 campaign. In goal, SuperDraft pick Ryan Meara will likely get the start over Jeremy Vuolo. Meara showed well during pre-season in Mexico and Arizona. He commanded his backline well and made good decisions in net on when to come off his line or not. He did suffer a broken nose against LA in Arizona, and if need be, will play with a mask. Hans Backe and Erik Soler are gambling with the fate of netminding being handed to young players. If it works out they will be geniuses, if not, they will be scrambling to find a veteran to implement between the sticks immediately.
The depth of NY’s backline is already being tested this season. MLS veteran ceneterback Wilman Conde is definitely out for this fixture with an injury (thigh). If there’s good news about the injury it’s that it is not to his surgically repaired foot that kept him out 11 months. Stephen Keel will get the start in his place and that should somewhat ease the minds of fans. Keel helped Backe implement the Red Bulls “cynical” play last year. He became more physical on and off the ball, and started to win 50/50 balls in the air, a trait that will be needed against Dallas. Jan Gunnar Solli was limited in practice during the week (right hamstring) but has mostly been cleared to play. Markus Holgersson will start alongside Keel in the middle and Roy Miller will start as left back. If Solli cannot go or needs to be subbed, look for Connor Lade to jump in. Lade impressed everyone, including getting high praise from Backe and team captain Thierry Henry. Lade is being heralded as the replacement for Roy Miller, but if Backe needs him, the homegrown signing will be ready.
Rafa Marquez, one of NY’s veteran designated players, will not be on the pitch Sunday, or even on the bench. Marquez will be serving his second of a three game suspension for his part in the fracas between LA and NY in the playoffs. The Red Bulls should be getting newly acquired Victor Palsson back from a partially torn meniscus and he did make the trip. More than likely though, Teemu Tainio and Dax McCarty will get the start in Dallas. Tainio does a great job of cleaning up messes in front of the back line and Dax spent 5 years of his MLS career in Dallas. Expect Richards and Lindpere to fill out the wings for NY.
Up top, expect a pairing of Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper. Luke Rodgers’ visa situation, which fans were told would be resolved this week, has further been delayed. The Red Bulls front office released a statement citing forward progress and good signs. All fans know, is the number 9 kit will not be on the field for NY. Henry and Cooper have only had a few games together and have not meshed as well as I have hoped.
The key matchup for this match will be Dallas’s forwards, speculated to be Brek Shea and Blas Perez, against NY’s centerbacks. Blas Perez is a big guy to deal with by himself but adding Brek Shea to the mix makes things that much more difficult for Keel and Holgersson. Keel and Holgersson will also have to watch out for some good service coming in via the right flank and Zack Loyd. It is still not clear if FC Dallas’s David Ferreira will be able to go. Ferreira, the 2010 MLS MVP, missed most of last season with a nasty injury. He has since made his return but picked up an achilles injury. If he cannot go, look for Ricardo Villar to fill that spot. The Hoops also got a boost defensively when George John returned to the team after a two-month loan to West Ham United. Ugo Ihemelu and newcomer, Hernan Pertuz has spent the pre-season getting to understand each other and did a fairly decent job in the middle.
If David Ferreira cannot play, it will be a huge blow for Dallas. They will lose a lot of creativity in the center of the park that Daniel Hernandez and Ricardo Villar cannot match. Conde not playing will not be as big a factor for NY as many are making it out to be. I’m predicating a 2-1 victory here for NY to start the season. Henry came back from London without injury and with fire in his eyes. Watching David Beckham hoist a trophy is not something Henry likes to see and it will motivate him. Henry starts his golden boot winning season with a goal here. Lindpere, Richards, or Cooper will also open their account here as well. For Dallas, Shea or Perez will score on an inexperienced Ryan Meara.
(image courtesy of newyorkredbulls.com)
