Season Preview: NEW YORK RED BULLS

welcome to my 7th annual MLS Season Preview. This year, each club gets its own dedicated preview, and lets get stuck in with New York Red Bulls...



IN:
M Sal Zizzo (12/11/14 - trade from NYCFC)
M Sean Davis (12/11/14 - Homegrown)
M Leo Stolz (1/17/15 - SuperDraft)
GK Kyle Reynish (1/20/15 - trade from Chicago)
M Felipe Martins (1/27/15 - trade from Montreal)
D Andrew Jean-Baptiste (1/27/15 - free)
D Damien Perrinelle (1/27/15 - re-signed)
D Ronald Zubar (1/27/15 - transfer from Ajaccio)
M Sacha Kljestan (1/28/15 - transfer from Anderlecht)
F Mike Grella (2/17/15 - free)
M Manolo Sanchez (3/3/15 - SuperDraft)
D Karl Ouimette (3/5/15 - free)
F Anatole Abanag (3/5/15 - transfer from Rainbow FC)
D Shawn McLaws (3/5/15 - SuperDraft)


OUT:
F Thierry Henry (12/1/14 - out of contract)
F Saer Sene (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Kosuke Kimura (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Bobby Convey (12/2/14 - option declined)
M Marius Obekop (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Damien Perrinelle (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Ibrahim Sekagya (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Richard Eckersley (12/2/14 - option declined)
D Jamison Olave (12/10/14 - traded to RSL)
GK Ryan Meara (12/11/14 - loan to NYCFC)
M Eric Alexander (1/27/15 - traded to Montreal)
D Ambroise Oyongo (1/27/15 - traded to Montreal)
M Tim Cahill (2/2/15 - mutual contract temination)
M Eric Stevenson (2/13/15 - waived)
M Ian Christianson (2/17/15 - waived)



MANAGER: Mike Petke Jesse Marsch


Its been quite the offseason for NYRB. Another NY club has joined the fray in noisy neighbors NYCFC, Mike Petke was thrown out with the bath water, a new GM has taken control, Theirry Henry has retired, Tim Cahill has been cut loose, and Jesse Marsch has been brought in to bring a new dimension to the team, though so far it seems like Petke 2.0 to me.

Up front, Bradley Wright Phillips brings his goal scoring prowess back for another season, this time without the creation (and defenders it attracted) of Theirry Henry. And yet all is not lost for BWP, as he looks to keep to his fantastic MLS goal scoring record.

In the mid, returning Rasputin, um, sorry, Sacha Kljestan will be an attacking and creative force for former teammate Marsch. He will also be joined by former Marsch ace man Felipe, who looks to link defense to attack while also pushing forward next to returning ginger stalwart, Dax McCarty. Out wide Sam returns, while Mike Grella and Sal Zizzo look to compete for the starting job out left.

Defensively, Ronald Zubar enters the picture, to be paired in central defense with either Perrinelle or Hurtado. The left side will again see the attacking mindset of Roy Miller, while the right will belong to Duvall. How these four perform will determine if keeper Luis Robles will have an easy or difficult season.

Overall, I expect one if not two summer DP signings to join the club provided Red Bull still have an interest in the club, and the front six look to be one of the most entertaining in MLS. The real question about Red Bull will be defense, and quite the question it is, but in Jesse Marsch I trust, and you should too.


2014 Eastern Conference Finish: 4th
Predicted 2015 Eastern Conference Finish: 3rd


Thank you for reading my NYRB season preview, please feel free to check out all of the dedicated MLS season previews, as well as the overall season preview recap, and as always, remember, MLS Matters.