Following a dismal 2009 season, the Red Bulls saw the arrival of Swedish head coach Hans Backe. Backe replaced interim coach Richie Williams, who became an assistant.
In part of an entire overhaul to the club, the Red Bulls made several notable signings throughout the season including retired French international Thierry Henry; Mexico's national team captain, Rafael Márquez; as well as players including Tim Ream and Joel Lindpere.
Erik Solér was named Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director on December 7 and made responsible for the overall management of the New York Red Bulls, including its sporting division – comprising the First Team, the Red Bulls Academy, its developmental system and scouting. His most pressing concern was to name a head coach.
January
The Red Bulls named Sweden's Hans Backe head coach on January 7. "I have followed Hans' career for many years and I think he will be an excellent coach for this team", said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Solér. "Hans brings a vast amount of experience from a variety of different clubs in Europe and he has been a fantastic mentor for many young and established players. We are confident that he will be able to help our club accomplish our goal of competing for a MLS Cup."
The new regime made many roster moves during the month. The club said goodbye to disappointing midfielder Jorge Rojas when he signed with a club in his native Venezuela on January 1. One week later the Red Bulls signed Costa Rican international defender Roy Miller. At the 2010 MLS SuperDraft on January 14, the club picked midfielder Tony Tchani and midfielder Austin da Luz in the first round, defender Tim Ream in the second round, forward Conor Chinn in the third round, and midfielder/forward Irving Garcia in the fourth round. Tchani signed with MLS as a Generation adidas player, meaning he has no salary cap impact for 2010 (and possibly a year or two more). The club also traded picks in the second and third round to acquire defender Chris Albright from the New England Revolution.
Also, on January 29, the Red Bulls traded their No. 1 slot in the MLS Allocation Rankings to the Philadelphia Union in exchange for the No. 6 slot and allocation money. Philadelphia used the pick to sign defender Michael Orozco Fiscal.
The Red Bulls opened preseason training in Spain where the club played CSKA Moscow to a 1–1 draw and defeated Polish club Lech Poznań 1–0.
February
The Red Bulls cut goalkeeper Danny Cepero, and defenders Walter García and Carlos Johnson. The club also declined the contract option for midfielder Matthew Mbuta and hired Goran Aral as an assistant coach. Head coach Hans Backe confirmed that the club signed Estonian international Joel Lindpere, though the paperwork was not yet complete.
Personnel moves dominated the month with the start of the regular season scheduled for March 27. SuperDraft picks Tim Ream, Conor Chinn and Irving Garcia were signed to contracts as was veteran goalkeeper Greg Sutton and Estonian import Joel Lindpere. The club acquired midfielder Carl Robinson from Toronto FC for a 2011 MLS SuperDraft pick, watched Enar Jääger and Yevhen Levchenko come and go as trialists, and sent Ernst Öbster back to Austria. On March 26, the club signed forward Juan Agudelo as a Homegrown Player from Red Bulls Academy. The U.S. Youth international had also been courted by sides in his native Columbia. The club announced that forward Giorgi Chirgadze, the first player signed from Red Bulls Academy, would likely miss the season due to a hip injury.
The most significant news of the month for all players and clubs was the signing of a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the Major League Soccer Players Union. The new deal, announced March 20, ensured that the 2010 MLS season would take place as scheduled. The new agreement lasts through December 31, 2014.
On the field, the Red Bulls hosted Santos of Brazil in an exhibition match to open Red Bull Arena on March 20, 2010. The Red Bulls emerged 3–1 victors with the first ever Red Bull Arena goal being scored by midfielder Joel Lindpere. Longtime franchise defender Mike Petke and winger Dane Richards scored as well.
New York began the regular season at home with a win against the Chicago Fire on March 27 in the first MLS match at Red Bull Arena[2] in front of a crowd of 24,572. Newcomer Joel Lindpere scored the first league goal in Red Bull Arena history. Rookie defender Tim Ream went the full 90 minutes while first-round SuperDraft pick Tony Tchani debuted as a 90th-minute substitute.
On March 30, the club announced it had signed assistant coach Richie Williams to a contract extension. Williams has twice served as Red Bulls interim manager, including for the final eight games of the 2009 season.
April
New York built on its opening day victory with three wins in four league matches, ending the month off to their best start in nine years at 4–1–0. CaptainJuan Pablo Ángel led the way with 3 goals. The first victory, 1–0 over Seattle Sounders FC on April 3, snapped a regular-season road winless streak that dated back to May 3, 2008.
The club also advanced in their play-in game for the U.S. Open Cup against the Philadelphia Union with a 2–1 win at home with rookie Conor Chinn scoring both goals. New addition Ibrahim Salou stated "Mentally, we're very, very strong. It comes also from the head coach, he is very strong and very relaxed and doesn't put too much pressure on the players. It comes forward to the players, how relaxed he is. That's very important. It helps us when we get to the field and we stay in the games and in the end we've been getting the three points, which is important for us."[3]
Brittle forward Macoumba Kandji broke a bone in his right foot during training April 20 and was ruled out for 8–12 weeks. In other player news, the club signed forward Ibrahim Salou, acquired midfielder Brian Nielsen on loan from Danish side Vejle, and officially waived seldom-used midfielder Ernst Öbster. The league announced on April 1 that all clubs would now have two Designated Player slots with an option to purchase a third. As the Red Bulls already had two slots due to a 2007 trade with Chivas USA, the club received $70,000 in allocation money from the league as compensation.
New York finished the month by qualifying for the Round of 16 of the U.S. Open Cup with 3–0 wins over the New England Revolution and Colorado Rapids. At the same time their league form took a slide with four losses in a row. Midfielder Danleigh Borman stated, "I think we've been playing well" and "we just need to find a way to win."[4]
MLS fined head coach Hans Backe $2,500 for comments made following their 3–2 loss to New England at Gillette Stadium. Backe stated "I would say it's an absolute disgrace. It's ridiculous, it's a joke" and "when the referee decides games like this, probably the MLS should do an investigation because it's not even close to hitting. You can see the level of the referee, the level went [up and down]. It's a joke. If this had been in Italy there would be an investigation if the referee was bought."[5]
Fielding a largely reserve lineup, the Red Bulls defeated out-of-season Serie A side Juventus FC 3–1 in an exhibition match at Red Bull Arena on May 23.
In injury news, defender Kevin Goldthwaite re-injured himself during training and was deemed likely to miss the season. Also, it was announced on May 26 that midfielder Carl Robinson would miss 5–6 weeks with a knee injury.
June
New York looked to bounce back from a dismal May in a shortened month due to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The team won their three league matches due mostly to GKBouna Coundoul earning two clean sheets and a solidified Red Bulls defense. Coach Backe stated "I think we started the season very well with our defense and how we maintained our shape", and "we're still conceding too many opportunities in the back although we are performing better over the past few games."[6]
The squad also looked to advance in U.S. Open Cup play when they faced the Harrisburg City Islanders in the Round of 16. The USL Second Division team pulled off the upset in extra time with a goal in the 117th minute by Dominic Oppong. Backe stated "the way we played – that's the history of the cup. We played three good games – New England, Colorado and Philadelphia – and then a poor one last night. You always have to play at a high level, and our performance dipped in a way." GK Greg Sutton added "we should never have put ourselves in that spot in the first place", when addressing the goal scored to eliminate the Red Bulls.[7]
The team ended the month with top scorer Juan Pablo Ángel named MLS Player of the Week for his performance against the Kansas City Wizards by scoring two goals in a span of 8 minutes to seal the victory for New York. Ángel finished the month with 3 goals, which brought his season total to 9, placing him one goal behind the Los Angeles Galaxy's Edson Buddle for the 2010 MLS Golden Boot.[8]
The club lost to Brazilian side Cruzeiro 4–2 in a June 18 friendly.
On July 14, Thierry Henry joined the Red Bulls after a successful three years at FC Barcelona, taking his usual number 14. Henry stated, "this marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life", and "it is an honor to play for the New York Red Bulls. I am fully aware of the team's history and my sole goal during my time here is to help win the club its first championship. Knowing Red Bull's significant commitment to soccer locally and internationally, I am confident that my teammates and I will succeed." Erik Solér, Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director stated "Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner. He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer."[9]
New teammate Seth Stammler stated "there is no doubt [Henry] can play and he is going to come in and contribute right away, hopefully he can take our team to the next level as we chase the top of the East, the overall MLS points lead and obviously take that momentum into the playoffs and a chance at the MLS Cup." Juan Pablo Ángel, "he's arguably one of the best players in our generation. He's a player that has won everything he could possibly win in this sport and he's still fit. I think it's an honor to have him here, he's going to be a tremendous addition to the league, to the Red Bulls. It keeps showing how much effort this company is putting in for this sport in the country." Tim Ream, "it's kind of wild to think about it, coming in, I knew I was going to be playing with Juan Pablo and I knew what kind of player he was. You put [Angel and Henry] together—it's pretty incredible. There is not much you can say about them. They are just spectacular players."[10]
To make roster space for Henry, the Red Bulls waived veteran and fan-favorite John Wolyniec. Known as the "Staten Island Ronaldinho", New York native son Wolyniec played 166 games and scored 35 goals in all competitions during his three stints with the MetroStars/Red Bulls franchise. He left having also scored the only MLS Cup goal in franchise history.
On July 9, the club activated forward Macoumba Kandji from the injured reserve list and placed midfielder Brian Nielsen on the injured list.
Red Bulls captain Ángel was the lone club representative chosen to play in the 2010 MLS All-Star Game held July 28 in Houston. Ángel played the first half of the 5–2 loss to Manchester United of the Premier League. Midfielder Joel Lindpere was named an inactive All-Star selection by the league.[11]
August
On August 2, Juan Pablo Ángel was again named MLS Player of the Week for his two-goal performance against the Houston Dynamo on July 31. That same day, the Red Bulls announced the signing of Mexico national team captain Rafael Márquez. Márquez arrived on a free transfer after seven years with La Liga giants FC Barcelona. He joined Henry and Ángel as Designated Players. "I am excited to be joining the Red Bulls", Marquez said. "Despite having the opportunity to fulfill my contract with Barcelona, coming to New York and playing in Major League Soccer was a chance that I could not refuse. I am completely committed to doing my very best to help the Red Bulls in their playoff push this year and compete for championships in the years to come."[12]
On August 6, the club announced that midfielders Luke Sassano and Brian Nielsen would miss the remainder of the season due to injury and that defender Kevin Goldthwaite had been waived. Two weeks later Goldthwaite signed with the D2 Portland Timbers.
Internationally, Dane Richards scored his first career goal for Jamaica in a 3–1 friendly victory over Trinidad and Tobago on August 11. Midfielder Joel Lindpere rejected a call-up by Estonia to concentrate on his club duties with the Red Bulls.
With only league play to focus on, the Red Bulls started to perform better. During August the team picked up 10 points from 5 games, defeating Toronto FC both home and away, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes at home, drawing at the Chicago Fire, and losing at home versus the Los Angeles Galaxy. With the victory at Toronto, the Red Bulls became the first road team to win at TFC in over a year.
September
September began with the announcement that defender Mike Petke, the all-time franchise leader in games played, games started and minutes played, would retire at season's end. Petke had lost his starting position earlier in the season. "After many months of contemplation, I know that this is the best choice for me and my family", Petke said. "When I first started playing in MLS, I could have not imagined the type of career I was so fortunate to experience over these past 13 years. I am indebted to my family, current and former teammates and coaches and the fans for their support and encouragement. I am at peace with my decision and blessed that I am able to end my career in a place where I truly call home."
Eight days later John Wolyniec announced his retirement. After being released by the club in late July to make roster space for Thierry Henry, Wolyniec entertained offers from other clubs. Finding no offers to his liking, he accepted a position with the Red Bulls Academy on September 9.
Five days after that a third long-time MetroStar/Red Bull announced his retirement. Midfielder Seth Stammler, the longest continuously tenured Red Bulls player, said he would retire at the conclusion on the season. In actuality, Stammler left the club after the September 11 match to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Chicago. He did not feature in any of the remaining 6 games or 2 playoff fixtures.
On September 14, the Red Bulls traded talented but mercurial forward Macoumba Kandji to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy. Two days later, Ballouchy started for the club in its match at FC Dallas. Captain Juan Pablo Ángel was benched to make room for Ballouchy. This controversial move, when coupled with the arrival of Henry, fueled speculation about Ángel's future with the club. Near month's end Ángel told the New York Post, "(If) you ask me would I like to stay here, I would because I get along with everybody here. I've been expecting a team like this for years and finally we brought it. But if I have to move on, I will move on. I wish them well. I think (my departure) is very likely; but having said that, I've been grateful for every minute that I've been here."[13] Ángel started all remaining games. The Dallas game also featured a bizarre incident in which Thierry Henry injured himself and Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman during a goal celebration. Henry was fined $2000 by MLS while Hartman missed several weeks of action.
Besides the one-game benching of Ángel, the introduction of Ballouchy into the midfield also proved disruptive to the team's rotation and resulted in less playing time for emerging rookie Tony Tchani.
On September 16, the club traded for D.C. United defender Carey Talley, surrendering a second-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft in exchange. Talley started for the Red Bulls on September 24 and played 40 minutes before getting injured and missing the rest of the season. Also on September 16, the Red Bulls announced that little-used rookie midfielder Irving Garcia would miss the rest of the season due to injury.
The Red Bulls continued making progress toward a playoff spot by defeating the Colorado Rapids 3–1 on September 11, drawing 2–2 at FC Dallas on September 16, and winning 2–0 at the Los Angeles Galaxy on September 24. The club started the month with a 1–0 loss at defending MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake. At month's end, the Red Bulls stood second in the Eastern Conference behind only the Columbus Crew.
On September 7, original franchise owner John Kluge died at the age of 95. Kluge owned the club from its founding in 1995 until selling it in 2001.
October
On October 2, the Red Bulls defeated the Kansas City Wizards 1–0 to clinch a playoff spot and move into first place in the Eastern Conference, a remarkable turnaround for a club that finished last the prior season. Goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul was named MLS Player of the Week for his 12 save performance in the KC game.
The Red Bulls followed this performance with a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake, a 2–1 loss at the Philadelphia Union, and a regular season-ending 2–0 victory over the New England Revolution. These results, along with mediocre late season play by the rival Columbus Crew, ensured a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference for the Red Bulls.
The club drew the San Jose Earthquakes, sixth-place finisher in the Western Conference, in the first-round of the playoffs. The first leg was held October 30 in San Jose. Joel Lindpere scored the game's only goal in the 55th minute and New York brought a 1–0 aggregate lead home to Red Bull Arena for the November 4 return leg. The October 30 match was also notable as it marked the first MLS start for 17-year-old Red Bulls Academy product Juan Agudelo, who had previously started only U.S. Open Cup matches.
Off the field, General Manager Erik Solér told the press that the club would sign Norwegian international Jan Gunnar Solli and English forward Luke Rodgers in January. The club did indeed sign these players in January. Meanwhile, captain Juan Pablo Ángel confirmed that he would not return in 2011, telling the press, "I know that I won't be a part of this team next year. For a fact."[14]
November
The return leg of the first-round playoff match with San Jose proved to be among the biggest disappointments in club history. Leading 1–0 on aggregate, the Red Bulls played woeful defense in losing 3–1 at home on November 4, falling 3–2 in aggregate. Two Bobby Convey goals staked San Jose to a 2–1 series lead before Juan Pablo Ángel scored in the 78th minute to level the series. However, MLS Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski scored three minutes later to restore San Jose's edge. In the dying moments, late substitute Thierry Henry sent a wide-open header over the crossbar and the Red Bulls worst-to-first season ended. Teenage striker Juan Agudelo played brilliantly, hitting the post with a 39th minute shot, setting up Mehdi Ballouchy for a good chance in the 60th minute, and assisting on Ángel's final Red Bulls goal in the 78th minute.
At the conclusion of the season, Estonian midfielder Joel Lindpere was named team Most Valuable Player, rookie Tim Ream was named team Defender of the Year, captain Juan Pablo Ángel won the team Golden Boot, and midfielder Seth Stammler received the club's Humanitarian of the Year award. Stammler also received the league-wide MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year for his charitable work in Haiti.[15] MLS awarded its Executive of the Year award to Red Bull New York Managing Director Erik Stover.[16]
Last updated: October 22 Source: Competitive matches Only competitive matches = Number of bookings; = Number of sending offs after a second yellow card; = Number of sending offs by a direct red card.
