Red Bulls practice report

Hello all. Apologies for the lack of posts today but I wanted to let that breaking news on the Seattle expansion team enjoy the spotlight. I've also been running around a bit today, attending Red Bulls practice and some other personal matters. Here are some tidbits from practice:

Carlos Mendes is back training and should be in uniform for Saturday's match. He isn't likely to start.

Bruce Arena stated that he'd like his current back-line to get some games together to build some continuity. Based on our conversation I think we're going to see the Van Den Bergh-Parke-Stammler-Leitch back four for the majority of the way.

Juan Pablo Angel was voted one of the 10 sexiest men in America by People Magazine in Espanol. In other balloting, Bruce Arena said he was named one of the top 100 Italian-Americans over 50 living in Central Jersey. Also, John Wolyniec was named one of the top 1000 bachelors on Staten Island (kidding.)

Jozy Altidore said he's recovered from his knee injury and is now just working to get his fitness back. He also went as far as to say that he doesn't mind coming off the bench if it means keeping up the continuity going in an attack that played very well against New England.

To nobody's surprise, Dave Van Den Bergh will be staying at left back. He acknowledged that he actually has more freedom to attack from the left back spot than the left wing, where he was consistently covered by multiple defenders. By coming out of the back, Van Den Bergh has found much more freedom to attack and get his sharp crosses into the box.

I think we will see the same starting 11 for a third straight week:

-----------Angel-----------Doe--------------

Kovalenko-------------------------Richards

--------------Reyna-----Vide----------------

Van Den Bergh----------------------Leitch

---------------Parke---Stammler-----------

-------------------Waterreus-----------------

That's all for now. What do you think of the Red Bulls using this lineup again? Share your thoughts on this, and anything else Red Bulls related, below.

Comments

[cholo]

central jersey? where does Ol' Bruce live?

[ag nigrin]

Jozy needs to start ...he needs 90 min. match fitness and I still think Freeman is better than Leitch and he needs to start too!

[Peter]

Yep, as much as I prefer Mendes, I can stomach, and am resinged to the fact, that Bruce wants to go with Stammler, but starting Leitch is baffling. And Jozy needs to start if he's ready to go, period.

[Tim]

I liked your lineup from the other day which I thought was

-----------Angel-----------Altidore--------------

Doe-------------------------Richards

--------------Reyna-----Kovalenko----------------

Van Den Bergh----------------------Freeman
---------------Parke---Mendes-----------

-------------------Waterreus-----------------

with Mathis, Vide, Stammler, Magee and Wolyniec available off the bench

[kpugs]

DOH!!!

I love does abilities but need to see vastly improved passing to ever be excited about him playing.

[erik]

for doe, if he plays the way he did last week, i'm a fan of him starting.

he did nothing however to impress me the previous game (but maybe he was nervous.)

[wendel]

does anyone else love jozys maturity and humility. i mean most kids his age would develop an ego if they had their own commercial and had their face on a video game. that said i think jozy is better then doe and needs to play.

not that i wouldn't like to see doe in the line up. maybe see dema take vides spot and have doe play left back. i dont really see how we benefit from having 3 defensive midfielders. dema doesn't look like he likes being on the flank and kept drifting into the middle as van den bergh moved up the left. rynea played his best game of the season (particularly in the first) last game and i look forward to him picking up where he left off.

[tommymcb]

-----angel--altidore----
mathis---------richards
----reyna----kovalenko--
VDB--mendes--parke--leitch
---------water

I would want to get altodore in as soon as possible, and i would take mathis over vide.

[centrejack]

I think developing continuity makes sense because we want to start to peak again as we move towards the playoffs. That being said. I would love to see Freeman again instead of Leitch. I feel that Freeman only had a couple of bad games, not enough to justify leaving him out for so long. Lets bring in Jozy off the bench. I would like to make sure he is fully fit for the playoffs... Ives, thanks for the update.

[jdog]

so is magee hurt?

[Martha]

Whoa, wait. Self-effacing humor from Bruce Arena? Look out for flying pigs.

[Karl]

Freemen needs to start. Leitch is garbage. Bruce has really screwed this back line up this year, first he let Wynne go then Dunnivent and now he benches Freeman I just dont get it.