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'''Out'''
'''Out'''
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Ronald Waterreus]] ''Retired''
* {{flagicon|NED}} [[Ronald Waterreus]] ''Retired''
* ((flagicon|USA}} [[Clint Mathis]] ''Traded to [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] for a third round SuperDraft pick''
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Clint Mathis]] ''Traded to [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] for a third round SuperDraft pick''


== Notable players ==
== Notable players ==

Revision as of 22:17, 19 November 2007

Template:MLS team

File:NYNJMetroStars.png
MetroStars' logo 1996-2002
File:MetroStars.png
MetroStars' Logo 2002-2005

Red Bull New York is an American professional soccer organization based in New Jersey, who currently fields a team in Major League Soccer. While the organization is Red Bull New York, the actual team and playing squad is officially and commonly known as the New York Red Bulls. The team plays their home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey but is currently constructing a new stadium named Red Bull Park. The team's headquarters are located in Secaucus, New Jersey. The team colors are blue and red.

Although the team has been in the league since its inaugural season (1996), it has gone through several name changes. The team was originally known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars through 1997. From the 1998 season until right before the 2006 season, the team was known as simply the MetroStars. On March 9, 2006, it was sold to Red Bull, and the name changed to Red Bull New York. The sale of the team has been controversial among some fans of the MetroStars, not dissimilar to the situation in Austria, where Red Bull bought SV Austria Salzburg and renamed it FC Red Bull Salzburg.

History

The team plays its home matches at Giants Stadium located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford; the headquarters are located in Secaucus. During the team's first season, the MetroStars had solid black or solid white jerseys and during all other seasons, the home jerseys had red and black vertical stripes. The MetroStars were known as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars through 1997, after which the NY/NJ part of the name was gradually phased out and then dropped altogether.

The team's best result in MLS play being the MLS Cup semifinals in 2000. In the US Open Cup, the MetroStars reached three semifinals (1997, 1998, 2000), before finally reaching their first final in 2003, losing 1-0 to the Chicago Fire. On August 26, 2000, the Metros' Clint Mathis set an MLS record by scoring five goals in a game against the Dallas Burn.

The team's main and bitter rival is D.C. United, with whom they compete annually for the Atlantic Cup, a minor title instituted by the two teams' management that DC United has won four out of five times. During one match in 2006, former DC United player Alecko Eskandarian went to the extent of drinking Red Bull after a goal and spitting it onto the field as an intentional slight on the recently renamed Red Bulls. He was then fined by the Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee $250. [1] The DC United and Red Bull New York rivalry is perhaps the most embittered rivalry in all of MLS. Other rivals are the New England Revolution and the Chicago Fire. Red Bull New York is also developing a rivalry with the new MLS expansion side Toronto FC due to the little distance between both teams.

The team was sold to Austrian energy drink producer Red Bull and then was renamed Red Bull New York in 2006 The team currently has plans to build a new stadium named Red Bull Park. The team colors are red, white, and blue.

Some of the high-profile international players that played for the team were Roberto Donadoni, Branco, Lothar Matthäus, Adolfo Valencia, Youri Djorkaeff, Amado Guevara. The team has had its share of famous coaches as well, including Carlos Queiroz, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Bora Milutinović, as well as Bob Bradley, Mo Johnston, and Bruce Arena[2] [3]. American stars Tony Meola, Tab Ramos, Tim Howard, Alexi Lalas (who was also the team's General Manager, for a brief time), Clint Mathis, and Eddie Pope have all played for the team.


1996-2000

Tab Ramos, the first player to sign with MLS, became the first MetroStar, and was soon joined by 1994 World Cup teammate Tony Meola and A.C. Milan star midfielder Roberto Donadoni. 1990 World Cup player Peter Vermes was named the first team captain, but it was the previously unknown Venezuelan Giovanni Savarese who became the Metros' first breakthrough star. The team's first coach was Eddie Firmani of New York Cosmos fame.[4]

When the league began play in 1996, it was expected that the MetroStars would quickly become the league's dominant team. Despite famous players and high-profile coach, the team never seemed to gel. Firmani left after eight games (3-5) and was replaced by former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz who did no better than even (12-12) the rest of the season. The team made it into the playoffs, only to lose to eventual champions D.C. United.[5]

The team continued to flounder season after season. The combination of talented players and insipid play earned the team the sobriquet, RotMasters, from Paul Gardner, a curmudgeonly columnist at SoccerAmerica. Gardner coined the name by rearranging the letters spelling MetroStars.

Starting in 1998, the team stopped referring to itself NY/NJ, but it took a few years for the media and fans to catch up. The team went by just MetroStars, with no city or state attached to it, a rarity in American sports.

The club's original name was Empire Soccer Club, which gave birth to the name of the team's largest supporters' group, Empire Supporters Club. Kludge's company MetroMedia gave the team the Metro part of its name; Nike wanted the full name to be MetroFlash, but a more sensible MetroStars was selected.

In 2000 MetroStars dropped the bombshell by acquiring German International player Lothar Matthäus from Bayern München. Matthäus played in 16 MLS fixtures during the season and his tenure in USA is considered a disappointment.

Over the years, the MLS front office has attempted to help this team, which sits in the middle of the nation's media center of New York City by bending the rules to move high-profile names to the team.[6] However, that practice was abandoned since the sale of the team in 2001 to the Anschutz Entertainment Group; in fact, AEG President Tim Leiweke commented on neglect towards the franchise under its previous owners.[7]

2001-2005

Despite their poor domestic record, the MetroStars became the first (and at this point, only) MLS team to win a trophy outside of North American soil, a 2004 victory in La Manga Cup. The MetroStars defeated Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv 3–2 in the semifinals before edging Norway's Viking FK 1–0 in the final.

Late in 2005, after the firing of Bob Bradley, assistant Mo Johnston was named interim head coach and guided the team to seven points in its last three games, with wins at DC United and then at Chivas USA the MetroStars made it to the playoffs.[8] Unfortunately it was just another season to end in disappointment after they were knocked out of the playoffs with a 3-2 loss to the New England Revolution.

Red Bull takeover (2006-present)

When Red Bull purchased the MetroStars in 2006[9] [10], it decided to completely re-brand the franchise, changing the name, colors, and logo. The team's purchase by Red Bull generated controversy among some fans of the MetroStars, not dissimilar to the situation in Austria, where Red Bull bought SV Austria Salzburg and renamed it Red Bull Salzburg. While some fans were disappointed with the loss of Metro identity, others found fault in corporate branding, or with labeling the franchise as New York, when it plays and is headquartered in New Jersey. Some fans even went to the extent of leaving the team. Other fans have welcomed the change, in light of the MetroStars' lack of success on the field, and waning support in the stands. In 2006 the Red Bulls managed to defeat German powerhouse Bayern Munich 4–2 in a friendly game in Giants Stadium which was a sign of progress.[11]

Red Bulls VS. L.A. Galaxy On August 18, 2007

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber has stated that a second franchise in the New York area can come "as early as 2010, but not before that."[citation needed] Whether that new team will be known as the MetroStars, and whether it would inherit the team's pre-2006 history from the New York Red Bulls, is not known, but seems unlikely since Red Bull has announced that it will acknowledge MetroStars history from the team's inception, regarding the New York Red Bulls as a continuation of that history and not a separate franchise. Despite the claim, the Red Bull New York media guide claims that the club was founded in 2006[12].

After a disappointing world-cup run, Bruce Arena immediately helped the new Red Bulls. They made it to the playoffs and after a late goal by Jozy Altidore seemed they could go further. Unfortunately a late goal was scored by DC United ending the playoff run and dreams of players and fans.

On November 5, 2007, Bruce Arena was let go as coach of the Red Bulls. The move came two days after the team was eliminated from the 2007 MLS playoffs by the New England Revolution.

Stadium and training facility

See also: Giants Stadium and Red Bull Park

The team currently plays in Giants Stadium. The stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside of New York City. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) owns Giants Stadium along with the Izod Center. Currently, the New York Red Bulls training facilities are located at Giants Stadium.

Red Bulls Playing At Giants Stadium

The team is planning to move to a new soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Park, in Harrison, New Jersey, a suburb directly across the Passaic River from Newark, in 2009 with a 25,000 expected capacity. The team's old owner, Anschutz Entertainment Group, will own 50 percent of the stadium. Red Bull and AEG will build the stadium without taxpayer money. The reported $100 million sale price for the franchise included $45 million for a stake in stadium's ownership, $25 million for the team itself, and $30 million for stadium naming rights.

Red Bull New York recently announced plans to build a permanent training center in Hanover, New Jersey.[13] The facility will include six soccer fields, a 50,000 square-foot two-story building and a one-story fieldhouse. Construction is to begin fall of 2007 and is to be completed by December 2008. The main centerpiece of the complex will be the training center that will house the sporting and business sides of the club.

Amenities for the Red Bull New York first team and academy teams, include multiple locker rooms, a players lounge, and a weight room. A trainer's room will be located on the first floor and the second floor will be the front office's headquarters. Of the six soccer fields, five will be outdoors while one will be covered by a Tension Fabric Frame Structure which can be used during periods of inclement weather or at night. Four of the six fields will be equipped with lights for evening and night activities. The fields will be a mix of natural and synthetic surfaces. Red Bull New York has released a video tour and can be found here.

Supporters

The team's oldest supporters group is the Empire Supporters Club, which was created before the team's inception and is still very popular. Empire Supporters Club is, in actuality, Red Bull New York's oldest and most influential supporters group. Another popular supporters group, called Raging Bull Nation, was organized prior to the 2005 season as MetroNation, but when the MetroStars were purchased by Red Bull the supporters group was renamed Raging Bull Nation. The team's oldest biggest fan and media website is MetroFanatic.com.

In 2007, knowing a new stadium was being built in their neighborhood, another supporters group from Kearny was started, called Kearny Army. Kearny Army is one of the newest supporters groups, but also one of the largest. Cobra Kai Metro Firm, and the First Row Idiots are two other (smaller) supporters groups. The Empire Supporters Club sits in section 101. Raging Bull Nation is in 115, and Kearny Army is located in 117.[14]

Broadcasting

Red Bulls matches are televised by MSG and its sister channel FSN New York. Some matches will also be telecast by Fox Soccer Channel, HDNet and ESPN2 (and ESPN2HD). JP Dellacamera, Shep Messing, and Steve Cangialosi are the MSG/FSN NY announcers.

All matches are broadcast in Spanish on WADO or WQBU radio announced by Ernesto Motta and Robert Sierra.

Honors

Domestic

League

Cups

International

Cups

International competition

Current first-team players

As of November 18 2007.[15]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA Danny Cepero
2 DF United States USA Kevin Goldthwaite
3 DF United States USA Hunter Freeman
4 DF United States USA Carlos Mendes
5 MF United States USA Santino Quaranta
6 DF United States USA Seth Stammler
7 FW United States USA Mike Magee
8 MF Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH Siniša Ubiparipović
9 FW Colombia COL Juan Pablo Ángel
10 MF United States USA Claudio Reyna (captain)
11 MF Netherlands NED Dave van den Bergh
12 MF United States USA Blake Camp
14 MF United States USA Joe Vide
15 FW United States USA John Wolyniec
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW United States USA Jozy Altidore
18 GK United States USA Jon Conway
19 MF Jamaica JAM Dane Richards
21 MF Ukraine UKR Dema Kovalenko
24 MF France FRA Elie Ikangu
25 MF United States USA Sal Caccavale
27 DF United States USA Chris Karcz
28 FW United States USA Jerrod Laventure
29 FW United States USA Randi Patterson
30 FW Liberia LBR Francis Doe
32 MF Austria AUT Markus Schopp
33 DF United States USA Chris Leitch
60 DF United States USA Jeff Parke

Changes for the 2008 MLS Season

In


Out

Notable players

Former managers

1990's

 

2000's

General managers

Current staff

Team records

MLS regular season only, through 2007


  • All-Time regular season record: 146-168-54 (Through Oct. 21, 2007)

Home stadiums

Ownership

Year-by-year

Year Reg. Season Playoffs Open Cup CONCACAF
Champions' Cup 		SuperLiga
1996 3rd, East Quarterfinals Did not enter Not qualified Started in 2007
1997 5th, East Did not qualify Semifinals Did not qualify
1998 3rd, East Quarterfinals Semifinals Did not qualify
1999 6th, East Did not qualify Round of 16 Did not qualify
2000 1st, East Semifinals Semifinals Did not qualify
2001 2nd, East Quarterfinals Round of 32 Not held
2002 4th, East Did not qualify Quarterfinals Did not qualify
2003 3rd, East Quarterfinals Final Did not qualify
2004 3rd, East Quarterfinals Round of 16 Did not qualify
2005 4th, East Quarterfinals Round of 16 Did not qualify
2006 4th, East Quarterfinals Quarterfinals Did not qualify
2007 3rd, East Quarterfinals Did not qualify Did not qualify Did not participate

Average attendance

Year Reg. Season Playoffs
1996 23,898 14,416
1997 16,899 N/A
1998 16,520 11,686
1999 14,706 N/A
2000 17,621 15,172
2001 20,806 12,817
2002 18,148 N/A
2003 15,822 10,211
2004 17,194 11,161
2005 15,077 10,003
2006 14,570 14,570
2007 16,530 14,165
  • Highest League Match Attendance: 66,237[16]

References

  1. ^ Eskandarian Fined for his Red Bull Goal Celebration article via hospital ball.com
  2. ^ Arena named Red Bulls sporting director, coach Press release via Red Bull New York official site
  3. ^ Arena joins Red Bulls; coach cautious about U.S. team article via Soccernet
  4. ^ Italian Star Signs With MetroStars article via New York Times
  5. ^ Ten Years Ago: The playoffs that changed everythingarticle via Metrofanatic
  6. ^ How MLS bends its rules, hoping against hope to help the MetroStars. article via soccer times
  7. ^ Lalas named GM, president of Metros via mlsnet
  8. ^ Metros clinch playoffs on last day of regular season USA Today. Article retrieved on 2007-08-13.
  9. ^ "MetroStars Sold to Red Bull", USA Today
  10. ^ "MetroStars sold and renamed Red Bull New York", ESPN Soccernet
  11. ^ Metro Reds continue to own Bayern Municharticle via Metrofanatic
  12. ^ Red Bull New York Media Guide, 2007
  13. ^ Press Release Red Bulls training grounds to be constructed in Hanover, N.J.,
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ "Squad List". Red Bull New York. Retrieved 2007-07-13.
  16. ^ 66, 237 attendance sets new Red Bulls and Giants stadium regular-season record via ballhype.com. Retrieved on 2007-08-19

Sources

See also


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