Welcome live to Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella, Trinidad where the New York Red Bulls hope to salvage something from their miserable season tonight in the opening leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round against Caribbean champions W Connection.
Will a change of venue bring about a change of fortunate for the Red Bulls, who have gone 24 consecutive games without a win in Major League Soccer?
According to CONCACAF rules, I will be able to live blog from here, but feel free to do your own live commentary of the match.
To start you off, here is tonight’s Red Bulls starting lineups:
Danny Cepero; Alberto Pacheco, Kevin Goldthwaite, Mike Petke, Jeremy Hall; Ernst Obster, Albert Celades, Seth Stammler, Jorge Rojas, Dane Richards; Juan Pablo Angel
4-5-1 or is Dane theoretically playing striker?
Ugh, I just don’t think we can do this.
Hi,
I’m on vacation and the hotel I’m at doesn’t get FSC. Does anyone have a link to the game?
Thanks
In Spanish:
link to justin.tv
Here are a complete list of viewing links
link to myp2p.eu
Eddie johnson on the bench for Uefa… that’s good
link to justin.tv
Game Link
Does the “W” stand for something?
does anyone have the starting 11 i just tuned in
Sounds like the stadium is absolutely dead…
It’d be pretty awesome if the Red Bulls finished the MLS season with the worst record but somehow managed to win the Champions League.
ok i understand that jozy has alot to do with the USMNT but he didnt play really any club time. why not loan him back to the redbulls? just thinking of ne way to keep richards out of the game.
What an amazing crowd….
Is Dane Richards the most annoying player in soccer history?
Awful camera work. Boring commentary.
Ives so you’re not allowed to live blog??
Let’s go, NY… make MLS look good for once.
I’ll suggest a drinking game. Pacheco long ball – drink.
Yeesh.
Kahlva, Dylan Butler is in Trinidad. I’m on vacation, currently in the Caribbean (not Trinidad) and watching on ESPN Deportes.
Early observations:
Game is flat, crowd is extremely small.
Petke nearly puts the team in an early hole with an awful pass that’s intercepted, but an offside call saves him.
Some shots from distance have come close for NY, but no real effective passing sequences.
Obster looks mobile, Richards doesn’t look so sharp. Celades has had some moments, while Rojas has had some as well. Blah first 30 minutes.
W Connection doesn’t look too dangerous at this point.
Wow. Obstet looks like he’s in high school
It should also be noted that the referee, a Jamaican referee, is officiating his first international match. Hasn’t been terrible, but some calls have looked iffy early.
Autogol… oh, Red Bulls
An own goal…..maybe??? shabby defending
40th minute- GOAL W Connection, comes off a corner kick. Terrible clearance by Juan Pablo Angel who tries to head it away and heads it into the net. And there’s actually a crowd at this game.
Wow… the Red Bulls somehow make W Connection look decent.
Angel scores!!!! …. Basically an own goal.
Does that just summarize the red bulls season or what?
Red bulls down 1-0
Angel is not having a good season and it just got worse by what looks to be an own goal. But beyond that, who in the world put this team together???? They cannot string 2-3 intelligent passes together in the offensive half. Angel is not getting decent passes from the midfield. Rojas and Celades are routinely giving the ball away. Richards has good speed, but can rarely do something useful with it.
44th- Angel header right at the keeper. Richards with the cross in but Angel can’t get enough on it. First decent chance for NY.
One way or another NY redbulls will loose a game. Jezz! Who would think Angel would basically score an own goal!!!
Why can ESPN do a GameCast but SBI cannot do a live blog?
Angel header right at keeper.
Ain’t that just how it goes?
These red bulls look disgusting. Its not a team, its a collection of players tonight. None of them are on the same page, they defend horribly, and even worse, when they have the ball they dont make good runs off the ball to create space or passing lanes for the guy with the ball…i think my high school team could beat them right about now.
What an incredible display of ineptitude by both teams.
Two questions: Why the 4-5-1 by NY? Clearly they are the stronger team and WCONN would bend under basic pressure.
Why start JPA? He’s touched the ball two times, both in the air. At least bring in a striker who can play with the ball at his feet.
What happened to basic ball skills? NY’s first touch is dreadful.
somebody please put a bullet in my head. 0-1 at halftime to a team that brings less than 2k fans to a game in TRINIDAD?
I’ve been looking forward to this match ever since NYRB won the Western final last year. And even though I’ve seen most of their games this year, I’m still amazed how HORRIBLE the Bulls look against W Connection.
As Gene_SF notes, they can’t put 2-3 passes together, despite having better speed, skill and plenty of space. They can still do something in the 2nd half, but they are proving their MLS record is no fluke.
Fire JCO at halftime!
Oh the cruel fates that conspired to land the NYRB in the CCL to represent the MLS! Does anyone think JCO will resign at some point?
HALFTIME- W Connection 1, Red Bulls 0. A horrible first half for New York. W Connection didn’t look much better, but did get an assist from Angel on their goal.
What can Osorio do at halftime? Nick Zimmerman needs to get in this match. Dane Richards needs to be sold to W Connection for a steel drum.
The ref in this match is seemingly giving a yellow card for any foul so NY needs to think about the second leg and not drawing any red cards.
Andrew, that’s the thing, Angel CAN play with the ball at his feet. He’s just not getting quality service in positions where he can do anything.
I’m watching this game on Galavision and the announcers said the W stands for a radio station that sponsered them since they were an amatuer team.
This has got to be the worst midfield of all time. My high school team could pass better than this. Are they even trying to keep possession?
elee: You’re right that Angel’s not getting service. That would require Angel to actually work to get into quality positions. Part of it may be the formation, but Angel’s been dire in the run of play.
Thunderstorms here at home tonight…hoping for some rain fade so I do not have to watch anymore. How does JCO keep his job?
The players should stage a coup a la “Varsity Blues” and have Woly manage the game from the sidelines.
I’m not ready to make fun of the sparse T&T crowd until I see how many folks show up at the Meadowlands next Wednesday. I don’t think we’ll have more than 7,500 people.
Tickets for tonight’s match, BTW, were US$6.50 and US$10.
Obster scores
Yay, the red bulls tie it up!
GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!
Cheap as hell, but I’ll take it.
Richards made a stupid pass, again, but it somehow worked out with a deflection from the defender.
1-1
1:1! Good for RB. Decent one-time finish (though horrible defending). Given the level of defense of the opposition, RB should score at least 1-2 more of these.
GOOOOOL RedBulls!!!! 1-1 Obster ties it!!
Tie
I was amazed that a shot hit with so little pace could take a deflection and still go in. Maybe one of the slowest shots I’ve ever seen.
Good for the RedBulls for tying it up, but I am simply amazed at the amount of giveaways they are racking up under little to no pressure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it for a professional team. Lets hope they can get another goal or two.
Not that the CL broadcasts will be as drab as this one – but FSC in general does a less than decent broadcast no matter the match…please don’t tell me Max Bretos and Sullivan will be calling Champs. League matches? At the very least I hope Fox is just bought the rights to broadcast the Euro feed or something.
LOLOLOL their whole team is falling apart.
Richards with a nifty move to break in on goal — then shoots it over the bar and into the stands. Should have been 2-1.
Better from NYRB with some passes connecting.
Richards makes a very nice move to get around the defender…and then just chucked the $%^! shot over the bar. I am not a RB fan, but I sympathize. Wathching a season of this could be hazardous to your health.
LOL!
Own Goal #3
And now NYRB lead 2-1!
OG baby!
Holy crap, RB is up 2:1:)
It’s 2-1! Let’s go MLS!
now that was a team effort for that own goal
Wow, what a deflection! Pacheco with the original shot from distance, 2-1 Red Bulls.
Maybe the Red Bulls can salvage this part of the season…. at least until the group stages.
Interesting tidbit: Kenwyne Jones used to play for Dubs Connection
GOOOOOL!!!! Salvatrucho!!!! 2-1 RedBulls….let’s go MLS!!
I take it Obster is playing well?
Leave it to NYRB to go on the road and represent the MLS. The only time these guys play is when it matters. I just wish they would make it matter more often.
Mike W. – NYRB aren’t representing. They were brutal in the first half and have gotten two gift/own goals in the second half. (But they are playing much better as I type.)
wow that was embarassing for the defender
Wow….. 2-2
Pacheco. Brutal.
Darn… there goes the lead… back to square one for the Red Bulls
I was going to write something about NYRB representing compared to their weekly MLS beatdown (i.e. 4-0 loss to Colorado) and that they play better in big game environment.
And then I saw that last goal. 2-2. Ugh, I feel dirty
Again, a turnover with no pressure. It is simply mind boggling.
Can NYRB get one corner kick over the first defender??
Two thoughts:
1. Not positive but I think I’ve played on that field. It was a very long time ago. But basically, every ball on the ground is an adventure. Barcelona, playing on the field, would look like hacks.
2. Away goals advantage. So if it ends at 2-2, that’s a not too bad result for RBNY. It means “W” either needs to win outright in the USA or tie but score 3 or more goals in doing so.
2-2 is OK… now if they can just win at home next week… It’s tougher for DCU at this point
over and done. 2-2 to a high school varsity team. way to go RBNY. Glad I’m paying for season tickets and get to see this all the time.
Ties are like wins to NYRB and this came on the road, so yay!
But seriously, getting 2 away goals was big, even if they were more flukes than skill. Still, this defense needs to stop napping on field at times. Somehow, someway, it does so much to hurt the Red Bulls and it nearly did them in today.
Wow. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry after that one.
At least NYRB still have a shot on Wednesday. In fact, they are in the driver’s seat.
As a casual observer, I think the problem may be with the coach. I heard the interview with JCO on the World Soccer Daily and he sounds like a nice enough guy, intelligent, knowledgeable about the game. But he’s got enough talent to do better. Perhaps he just lost the team and they need a new coach for a fresh start.
as sad as this sounds, NY actually have a better result than any mls teams ever did in these preliminaries.
Again not a good game by the redbulls but 2-2 on the road is not bad. Oebster showed he could be good. Rojas looks really over weight. To me he should be the next one to be cut, or Richards. He had some good runs but again showed he just does not have what it takes.
ahahahahahaha!
Obster’s goal stood, Pacheco’s shot was credited as an own goal.
This game was truly pathetic. The incredible level of ineptitude shown by NYRB really makes me think that there is a willingness by the players to screw up or MLS teams really su*k. Yes, I’m talking about you DCU as well.
After so many defeats at the hands of the Caribbean teams I just cannot accept the excuses we hear about small squads and crowded schedules. OK so NYRB is bad but what excuse does Toronto and DCU have?
Mr Garber, I recommend you stop sending teams to the CCL because it is making MLS look really bad, I say this as a committed MLS fan. Maybe in a few years.
I like Pacheco and admire some of his service from the back but maybe he needs to be on something for his Attention Deficit Disorder. How many of these do we have to see from him?
Only saw the first half and I to am amazed at how poorly NYRB passes. I watch Richards and think about how promissing he looked a couple years ago under Arena and how hopeless he looks under Osorio. Honestly, how can the management think this guy is right for the job. The team is a mess to watch. The only strategy I can see is lobing balls in for Angel who is double or triple teamed most of the time because any team scouting the Red Bulls knows he is the only dangerous player they have. Everytime they string a few nice passes together I think “Hey they are making a nice build up here” and then the ball will get lofted into the box unnecessarily to no one or to a triple teamed Angel who can do nothing with it. Glad they got the draw and I hope they can get the win next week but the faster they part ways with Osorio the better.
Jorge Pujas lacks heart. Richards should be a sub. Petco is not the answer.
What in the crap did Osorio do with all of the money he got for Out-The-Door??????!!!!!!!!
MC…Agree with you on poopke