Anticipation rises for Red Bulls clash with LA
Osorio seeks better performance from New York with players returning
Two years ago, 66,237 fans packed into the historic venue to catch a glimpse of David Beckham in his first season with Major League Soccer. Those fans, many who were watching their first soccer game in person, were treated to one of the most thrilling regular season games in league history with Jozy Altidore and Juan Pablo Angel leading the Red Bulls to a 5-4 win against Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Galaxy.
Last year, 46,754 watched another entertaining display of attacking football and saw Donovan score a last-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw.
In all, 31 of the 48 Galaxy games in which Beckham has been in the squad since signing with Major League Soccer have been sellouts. The average attendance of all games in 2007 and 2008 in which he was eligible to play was 28,965.
Can this year's match, which just so happens to be Beckham's return to the Galaxy, have the same magic?
Embattled Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio is just hoping for a solid performance to turn things around for a club that has woefully underachieved this year.
"I think we are thinking that we can compete better," he said at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon. "And we are a better team than what the results show for. Tomorrow is a great opportunity to do that against a very good team, a very good coach and very good players."
Last week, Erik Stover and Jeff Agoos were summoned to Austria to explain the team's disastrous season. Stover returned and informed Osorio he received a vote of confidence from team ownership.
That message was also passed on to the team.
"Obviously those decisions are out of my hands," Osorio said. "But I would think that I can tell you what my message is to the players, and is just to win as many games as we can."
The Red Bulls have lost eight of their last nine games and are winless in 10 consecutive games. They have 10 points from 19 matches and are now 14 points out of the playoff race.
But, Osorio said, the morale is still good, better than it was during similar doldrums during his time at Manchester City.
"I have to tell you I was part of the coaching staff at Manchester City when we were 14 games without a win, so I remember those days," he said. "And I have a vivid image of what it was like back then. If I compare both situations, I think we are doing quite well."
During the week, the Red Bulls added some reinforcements, signing central defender Leo Krupnik from Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League and left winger Ernst Obster from Red Bull Salzburg. Both senior internationals are awaiting paperwork and are unlikely to be available on Thursday.
But Angel, Albert Celades and Mac Kandji will be. For the first time in recent memory, the Red Bulls have been able to practice with nearly a full squad.
"The one that I have to say is that in the past three weeks we have been training with 12 players, 14 players," Osorio said. "In the past three days we have been training with 18 players, 20 players, and that makes a huge difference, so the team spirit is high."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
