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The Red Bulls extended their unbeaten streak to five with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Kansas City Wizards Saturday night.
My broadcast partner Steve Cangialosi and I explain why this point was well earned. Watch the postgame reactions of coach Juan Carlos Osorio, Danleigh Borman and Dave van den Bergh by CLICKING HERE.
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Dane Richards is back. At least his head coach thinks so.
 A week ago, Juan Carlos Osorio said the Red Bulls' fastest midfielder was "not yet 100 percent fit." That all changed when we spoke of Richards' contribution to the team Thursday after practice, as New York prepares to host Kansas City Saturday night at Giants Stadium, looking to stretch its unbeaten streak to five games.
Richards emerged as a finalist for MLS Rookie of the Year honors last season as a result of his blazing speed on the right flank, and after assessing his performance in Saturday's win over the Los Angeles Galaxy -- a game that saw Richards assist on the game winning goal -- Osorio declared "he hasn't lost that." A fitting comeback for a player injured as a result of an alleged dirty hit in an exhibition game during the preseason.
Short Squad
It will once again be a makeshift midfield for the Red Bulls when they host the Wizards Saturday. Captain Claudio Reyna and Seth Stammler will each miss a second straight game due to injury, likely leaving rookie Luke Sassano in a holding midfield role for a second straight week.
"Tactically speaking, he was probably our best player," said Osorio, regarding Sassano's contribution in last week's victory over David Beckham and the LA Galaxy.
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The Red Bulls visited Los Angeles this weekend to play the Galaxy, and of course that means the big news revolved around David Beckham.
Before Saturday's match, Becks talked about his leadership role with the club and his offseason training regimen.
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Juan Pablo Angel scored his first goal of the season and Danleigh Borman bagged his first MLS goal as the Red Bulls beat the L.A. Galaxy, 2-1, Saturday night.
My broadcast partner Steve Cangialosi and I were impressed by the way the Red Bulls struck back after the equalizing goal and by the way they neutralized both David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
Watch what coach Juan Carlos Osorio, and the goal scorers, Angel and Borman, had to say about the big victory by CLICKING HERE.
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When the Red Bulls take on the Galaxy this weekend, they could be without two key players.
 Claudio Reyna is doubtful for Saturday night's battle with Los Angeles, sitting on the sidelines for practice a third straight day with a calf strain that limited him to just 45 minutes in last week's 1-1 draw versus Toronto.
A much bigger issue appears to be Jozy Altidore, who did not take part in Wednesday's practice due to an apparent allergic reaction.
While a simple case of hay fever is no cause for alarm, Osorio seemed to connect this latest setback to the broader issue of Altidore being a "tired" player, due to the amount of soccer played during the MLS offseason.
He stressed the need for Altidore to find the right balance of work throughout the calendar year involving the Red Bulls, the Olympics, the U.S. Men's Senior National Team, and the U-23's.
He also made one thing clear: That his primary commitment, as he moves forward, has to be to his club team.
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Shortly after 10:30 Saturday night, our MSG live cameras will be pointed at David Beckham for the first time. I'm glad it's now, as opposed to last season's 68,000-fan spectacle at Giants Stadium. It's about soccer now with Beckham.
 There's still talk of his Hollywood mansion, his marriage to Posh Spice, and the standing offer from a British newspaper to pay him $75,000; not for an interview, but simply to know what he eats for breakfast.
Beckham's two-goal performance in last week's win over Real Salt Lake was spectacular. He is still the international ornament on the hood of Major League Soccer. But unlike a year ago, he is delivering on the field.
Also unlike a year ago, when Beckham admitted that he was unfit to play in the five games he did play for the Galaxy, Beckham is healthy and happy. He should also be a handful for the Red Bulls Saturday night.
Make no mistake. The Red Bulls are game-planning around Beckham.
Hunter Freeman and Sinisa Ubiparipovic did their best to simulate Beckham's role at Wednesday's practice. It was a nice try by Juan Carlos Osorio, who after the workout called the Galaxy midfielder the best player in the world today at crossing balls from the flank to the penalty area.
This should be fun.
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The Red Bulls have a big contest coming up this weekend in LaLa land, home of David Beckham. But this will be against a healthy Beckham and a revamped Galaxy team that revolves around him.
Let me make one thing very clear: Beckham is a warrior, and all hype aside, is a terrific player. He always has been. He will be especially dangerous against a New York team that must contain him and Landon Donovan at the same time.
 If New York watches videotape of the Galaxy game in Salt Lake last weekend, they will see what not to do.
Up 2-0 in the first half, two Real Salt Lake defenders stood frozen as Beckham collected the ball, pushed it into space and then smashed a right foot drive to the upper 90 from outside the box.
Beckham never has been, and never will be, a player who wants to run at a defender and beat him on the dribble. But if you give him time and space, he will punish you as effectively as anyone in the world.
Defenders must step up, pressure him when he has the ball and deny him the opportunity to strike on goal. The problem with doing that is the increased risk of fouling, which Salt Lake did five minutes later. Beckham calmly ripped the free kick over the wall, dipping past Nick Rimando for the final result of 2-2.
Stopping Beckham is priority No. 1. He's dangerous on free kicks and his ability to serve balls in from wide positions with velocity and accuracy is a given. But he is also an underrated passer and has the perfect teammate in Donovan, who knows how to make his runs, receive the ball and finish.
The good news for New York is that the Galaxy is pathetic on the defensive side of the ball. Their best chance to stop Beckham will be to continually attack the Galaxy and make them defend.
I can't wait to see what happens.
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The Red Bulls really needed a win over San Jose Saturday night, and they got it.
Steve Cangialosi and I can't say enough about Jozy Altidore's individual performance and the defense's strong group effort in the 2-0 victory.
Watch the Red Bulls postgame reactions to the win by CLICKING HERE.
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The Red Bulls had the lead going into the second half, played almost the final 45 minutes with a man-up, but failed to pull out a win. Instead, New York settled for a 1-1 draw with the New England Revolution Saturday night.
Steve Cangialosi and I explain what happened.
Watch head coach Juan Carlos Osorio and Jozy Altidore react to the draw by CLICKING HERE.
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The Red Bulls talk about Saturday's game against New England at Giants Stadium, and the challenges they face with their changed line-up.
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During halftime of the Red Bulls' 2-0 loss to FC Dallas, Steve Cangialosi and I took a look at the on-going construction of RBNY's new stadium in Harrison, NJ, which will feature a natural grass field -- a key component in attracting top-level players.
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Red Bulls head coach Juan Carlos Osorio has a beautiful philosophy on coaching. His goal is to keep his team playing with passion and emotion, while respecting the game of fútbol.
Watch the video for more of my interview with Coach Osorio ...
While at training camp in Austria, the Red Bulls took a break from all the work-outs to have some fun as a team and hit up a bowling alley in Salzburg.
Check out what went down as goalkeeper Jon Conway grabbed the microphone and became a field (um, or lane) reporter.
Here are the top stories on the wires this morning ...
- Barry Bonds seized on a pair of typos, complaining in court papers that the government's mistakes could compromise his chances for a fair trial.
- Indiana University officials met repeatedly debated late into the night on what to do about the major allegations surrounding head coach Kevin Sampson and the Indiana basketball program.
- In a 11-player swap involving Cleveland, Chicago and Seattle, Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry dealt half his active roster to acquire center Ben Wallace and forward Joe Smith from the Bulls, and forward Wally Szczerbiak and guard Delonte West from the SuperSonics.
Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...
 With the Super Bowl fast approaching, a senior Republican senator says he wants the NFL to explain why it destroyed evidence of the New England Patriots cheating scandal.
- Rich Rodriguez says the actions of West Virginia University, not a better offer, forced him to resign and take the football coaching job at Michigan.
- Third baseman Casey Blake avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.1 million, one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians.
- Swedish Davis Cup player Joachim Johansson retired from tennis because of a shoulder injury, ending a career in which he reached a No. 5 ranking.
What people are talking about this morning ...
- New York Red Bulls forward Jerrod Laventure has been called up to the Haitian National Team in preparation for the squad's pair of international friendlies against El Salvador on Jan. 26 and 29 in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...
- Toxicology results show former major leaguer Jim Leyritz's blood-alcohol levels were nearly twice the legal limit the day he was involved in a fatal crash in December.
- The FBI has opened a preliminary investigation into whether baseball All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada lied to federal authorities when he denied taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.
- John McHale, who played on the Detroit Tigers team that won the 1945 World Series and went on to become a longtime baseball executive, has died. He was 86.
- Johnny Podres, who pitched the Brooklyn Dodgers to their only World Series championship in 1955, was remembered Thursday as a consummately confident player, supportive coach and a man with a limitless love for baseball.
What people are talking about this morning ...
- Led by Jason Richardson's 34 points, the 13-21 Charlotte Bobcats handed the NBA-best Boston Celtics just their fourth loss this season, 95-83 at TD Banknorth Garden Wednesday night. (NBA.com)
Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...
 Tennessee quarterback Vince Young took part in most of practice, but will be a game-time decision for the Titans' playoff game Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.
- With the success of the snowy Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins game played outdoors, the buzz is growing that the NHL may make outdoor games an annual event ... possibly at Yankee or Shea Stadium next?
- The Cubs received permission to add 70 "bullpen box seats" along the third base line at Wrigley Field, and install additional signage inside the park.
- David Beckham joined Arsenal for training Friday as he works to get in shape to play for England and for the March start of the Major League Soccer season.
Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...
What people are talking about this morning ...
The trade of Clint Mathis to the LA Galaxy for a 2008 third-round pick is just the start of a busy offseason for the Red Bulls.
No one should be overly concerned with the upcoming expansion draft, or the SuperDraft for that matter, since neither of those two events should have a huge impact on next year's team.
The biggest impact will come from the announcement of the Red Bulls next head coach, and also their next sporting director.
 Theoretically, the sporting director should come first. He should have most of the input on who to put behind the bench. If the head coach is hired first, you could be asking for trouble.
The new team leaders will have many questions to answer, starting in goal. Is Jon Conway the first team choice? If so, then you need to find an experienced backup who can also challenge Jon for the top spot. If you feel you can upgrade the goalkeeper position, then go for it. Clearly, this is the first big decision to make.
The club will also need to address needs in the midfield, where a playmaker could really improve the teams attack. There was no playmaker in 2007.
The team should be looking at another goal scoring option up front to take some of the load off of Juan Pablo Angel. Especially since you could be without Jozy Altidore if he is called up to the National Team for World Cup qualifiers.
I can't imagine Jozy not being called in for the Olympics, assuming the USA qualifies. So no matter what, Jozy should miss some games in 2008.
And as for the defense, well, a big strong central defender would also be a plus for this team.
So the offseason will be a busy one for the Red Bulls, but it will get busier and more exciting once we know who will hold the two key soccer positions, head coach and sporting director.
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