Juan Pablo Angel will lead the Red Bulls again, who else will step up? (Getty Images)

Its been a little while since we did a preseason look in on a MLS club. We hammered out about half of the league already but with the on-going CBA issue things like this had to take a backseat for a little while. Well today we’re back on the horse and continue on our preseason coverage here.

Today we have the New York Red Bulls. A lot of talk always surrounds this club each year and 2010 will be no different as the club has a new arena (finally) and a new direction in terms of management (yet again). Hans Backe is now the manager with Eric Solar leading the charge in the front office when it comes to player moves. No longer is it Juan Carlos Osorio making ill-advised moves with Jeff Agoos.

The thing is will it actually matter? Will the Solar/Backe move actually pay off and New York shines in their first season in the mecca that will be Red Bull Arena? Time will tell but we can say that anything should be an improvement on last year’s product.

So let’s see where New York is with each part of their roster and what further moves are needed to be made before the season kicks off.

Keepers:

Who they have:  Bouna Coundoul.

Notes: First of all they do have guys like former TFC keeper Greg Sutton in camp right now. Good thing too because Coundoul is not the answer for their keeping situation. I know some folks like him but I just don’t believe he is a solid #1 in this league. His time in Colorado was decent but never great. If the Red Bulls go with him all year their success on the field won’t be too great. But if their defense improve from last year then it may be a gamble worth taking.

Sadly at this point with the CBA issues at hand it will be tough for New York to get a real solid keeper in camp. If I were them I’d be doing everything possible to get Kevin Hartmen from KC. Or I’d be tossing some trades around to someone like San Jose to get Joe Cannon.

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Defense:

Who they have: Kevin Goldthwaite, Chris Albright, Tim Ream, Carlos Mendes, Roy Miller, and Andrew Boyens.

Notes: A decent bunch with the pickup of Albright and Miller. If Mendes can turn his play back into what it was a couple years ago they may be set in the back.

So far in preseason play this group hasn’t played too bad. As long as Albright gets to be 100%, Miller proves he is a good signing and the rest of the group does their stuff right this team could surprise a few folks. I still think they are a little weak in the back though, plus I’m not entirely sure their centerbacks are good enough to keep up with some of the better offenses in the league just yet.

One guy to keep an eye on is Ream, I really think he’ll be one of the surprise rookies from this year.

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Midfield:

Who they have: Seth Stammler, Siniša Ubiparipović, Danleigh Boreman, Irving Garcia, Austin de Luz, Jeremy Hall, Dane Richards, Joel Lindpere, Ernst Öbster, Tony Tchani, and Luke Sassano.

Notes: This group is really the make or break group for me with this club. If the new additions from Europe pay off it will make Backe and Solar look like geniuses. For the last couple years we’ve seen this club go strictly after South American talent here and none of them payed off (except for their DP Juan Pablo Angel).

Enter Lindpere and Obster, two guys far from their usual reaches in South America. Some preseason talk of those two have been positive and the rest has been okay, nothing too negative at this point. Lindpere is a hard worker in the center of the park, which has been lacking from this club.

Also let’s not forget the two rookies de Luz and Tchani. I have to think both will see plenty of action this year and Tchani has to be in the early discussion for ROY.

I do worry about this club on the wings a bit. I know Miller has played decent on the wings in preseason but still seeing Boreman and Richards on the roster worries me that the club is going to lean on their speed over everything else. Neither really bring anything else to the table in my mind but maybe Backe can figure out something more to do with each of them that Osorio couldn’t.

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Forwards:

Who they have: Juan Pablo Angel, Macoumba Kandji, John Wolyniec, and Conor Chinn.

Notes: I do believe that Angel will return to a better year now that he isn’t playing 15 home games on turf. Getting his home games on natural grass will go a long way in getting his production back up. I look for a big year out of him right away.

After that I wonder who will help lead the charge. You can always count on Wolyniec for a few goals but that’s usually off the bench. Kandji is good but I’d really like to see more out of him this season and prove to the league why the Red Bulls paid a transfer fee from a USL club to get him.

The big thing will be interesting to watch this summer, will the Red Bulls use their second DP slot at the transfer window? I think this may be the year they do it, especially if they are close to a playoff spot going into the ladder half of the summer.

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Overall:

I think this club will improve under Backe and no that’s not the Swedish biased in me talking I really believe that. I think for once this club isn’t going into a season with a load of hype built up by the media and that is a good thing. The only hype they have is with their new digs at Red Bull Arena, which will be special.

Is this club a playoff contender right now? I doubt it, but if their defense shows up a little more this year then we have to think it is possible. Unlike last year they won’t have a crazy schedule that puts them on the road for four games in a row or weird stretches of going from coast to coast. Its a more do-able schedule for them.

I think they are improved but they still have some ways to go with their wing play and in the back. I still don’t like their keeper situation and I’d love to see them go after Hartman or Cannon. I’d also really like to see them make a move for another ex-Wizard in Claudio Lopez. He’s a guy I really think would do a lot of good in New York. But I doubt either of those moves will take place until a CBA gets worked out.

I think now that we are halfway through the season we can have a better understanding of who is in this race and who is not. Some guys have floated on that bubble, while others are starting to place themselves in the true discussion for this award. A lot has to do with playing time, how their clubs are doing and what impact they are actually making on the field.

Still no true order to this list though, that will still come later on. Feel free as always to post your short list or discuss mine.

1. Sean Franklin, LA Galaxy: Still one of the favorites in most people’s minds right now. Even with the lack of actual success on the LA backline, Franklin is still making solid strides to be one of the better center backs in the league. Let’s just hope Abel Xavier’s terrible play doesn’t rub off on the rookie.
2. Kheli Dube, New England Revolution: Others will have Dube atop their lists. He is definitely up there on mine.
3. Julius James, Toronto FC: The more time this kid gets on the field the better. Come October he will be an absolute beast for this club.
4. Justin Braun, Chivas USA: I must say, I still get impressed by this kid each time I see him out there. He isn’t making loads of headlines or anything but he is still for the most part a mainstay in the Chivas lineup.
5. Andy Iro, Columbus Crew: Another guy that is starting to see a lot more time is Iro. The kid is a tower on the backline for Columbus with Chad Marshall. Another kid that come later this season will be a total beast. Hell, I think he already is.

Fringe guys for the list:

1. Danleigh Boreman, New York: I don’t know what has happened with Boreman recently but I tend to lose him out on the pitch. Then again his club has been pretty terrible in recent weeks so that may be why.
2. Chance Myers, KC Wizards: Number one pick isn’t playing like one anymore. He may not even be the best rookie on his club at the moment.
3. Jonathan Leathers, KC Wizards: Who is the better rookie, Leathers or Myers? Right now I would honestly say Leathers.
4. Geoff Cameron, Houston Dynamo: Continues to get better with each game, and I’m not saying that because I know the kid. More PT coming up could help his cause in this award.
5. Patrick Nyarko, Chicago Fire: Not playing a whole lot now but you will begin to see a reason why people thought he would have been the number one pick in the draft come this fall. He will be torching clubs as a sub in the 70th minute.
6. Pat Phelan, New England Revolution: Toronto will be wishing they had kept Phelan in the long run. I know they needed to free up a roster spot but in the long run he will make them wish otherwise.
7. Eric Avila, FC Dallas: That perfect cross to Abe Thompson is reason why this kid will begin to make his way up the charts here.

Others that should be considered, but won’t:

• Emmanuel Ekpo, Columbus Crew: I’m pretty sure he won’t count as a rookie, if he does put him up near the top. He has seen time with other clubs in Africia, so that is why I think he won’t be considered.
• Sainey Nyassi, New England: See Ekpo.
• Kenny Mansally, New England: See Ekpo.

A few more rookies are really starting to make an impact on their clubs here as we move forward and approach that half-way line of the season (believe it or not we are only a couple weeks from that). More rookies are starting to get playing time as the US Open Cup rolls around and even more so in league play. They are either earning their spots in practice or are filling in for injured veterans. Either way, some are starting to make the most of their chances here.

Again, this is a watch list, so for now there isn’t a real order here on the players. Though before long expect the order to be one of a ranking-style, but that won’t come until later this summer I would assume. I know I said before I would need a few weeks to truly get a top five, well it looks like I need more time on that. Mainly I want more time on that.

Here we go…

1. Sean Franklin (LA) - As I’ve probably mentioned before, he’s got a real shot at winning this award this season because of how he is playing on LA’s backline. He’s been a real consistent force in the back for a club that doesn’t have consistent defense. Without him back there this club would have given up way more goals than they already have.
2. Danleigh Boreman (NY) – This Supplemental Draft pick provides loads of pace on the wings for New York. Not great a shot though, even with the two goals he scored. He has gotten better, I will admit that but he still needs work on his touch and striking. If he helps lead New York back into the playoffs, expect him to get a lot of votes.
3. Kheli Dube (NE) – Another Supplemental pick on the list. We’ve seen in recent weeks just how good this kid is becoming. All the goals he’s provided were at big moments in the game. Makes me wonder if he will be that spark that allows New England to finally get over the hump in big games.
4. Chance Myers (KC) – Number one pick has to be on the watch because he is the number one pick. Because of the way KC has played this year it is going to take a lot for Myers to get more press in this award. Right now his chances aren’t that good of winning this because of his club’s form. Though, like Boreman, should he lift his club into the playoffs he will get plenty of votes.
5. Justin Braun (Chivas USA) – Stepping in for Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo in recent weeks. I liked Braun when I saw him in week one in Dallas and thought he had the potential to be a solid rookie. There are still aspects of his game that need work but that will come in time. I’m curious to see the playing time he gets when Galindo and Razov are finally healthy here this season.
6. Julius James (Toronto) – I know this is mostly on one game where he scored but I know this kid has the real potential to be a rookie of the year candidate. He is starting to get in John Carver’s lineups more and over time we will see exactly how good this kid really is.

Some guys on the fringe of moving up into the main discussion:

1. Stephen King (Chicago) – Getting plenty of time in US Open Cup games (scored last night against Columbus) and in regular season games too. The kid can score as we all know, but a guy like Brian McBride on the way, it looks like King will play more in reserve this season.
2. Geoff Cameron (Houston) – Has played well off the bench for the Dynamo. A couple assists and a goal on the year if I am not mistaken. I only have him down here because he comes off the bench and doesn’t start. Most of the guys above him start.
3. Shea Salines (San Jose) – So raw and yet so much pace from this kid. I’ve said before the potential is there but before long it has to come out and show. Plus we don’t see him for a full 90, that will hurt his chances at this award.
4. Andy Iro (Columbus) – He may make a serious run to move up the discussion here once he starts more. Sigi Schmid has full confidence in Iro and really for good reason. He’s big, strong and has a great soccer IQ. All the things you want in a center back.

Anyone I’ve missed? Let’s hear it

A few guys had quality a quality game over the weekend or Thursday night for some Rapids fans. But shifting through the mess were a couple guys. Edson Buddle’s hat trick was nice but was it really good enough for player of the week? Both David Beckham and Landon Donovan had good afternoons in Dallas. Both Greg Sutton and William Hesmer recorded a shutout in the 0-0 draw in Toronto, but both were also helped by solid defense and their goal-posts. I thought Christian Gomez and Sasha Kljestan both had solid games in week eight.

But in the end I am going old school here. It took 80 minutes for New York to finally get by him and his defense but in the end this player and his club walked out of New York with a solid 1-1 tie. Yes, that man I am talking about is Kansas City Wizard goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

I know I’ve been rough on Hartman over the last year or so for showing his age and all but Saturday I got a glimpse of the past out of him. His defense cleared a couple off the line for him but shot after shot Hartman answered the call. Seven saves on the evening, all were big for the most part. Sure the one goal let in cost his club two points on the road, but I really doubt many keepers in the league would have stopped that rocket of a shot from New York’s Danleigh Boreman.

Like I said, old school. Probably Hartman’s best effort in a couple years. For me it was his best so far in his time in KC. Congrats, Hartman, I’m probably the only one talking about you outside of KC this week for this honor.

Now as for the goal of the week. That one was easier to find. DC United hasn’t had much to celebrate but it should get another goal of the week out of DP Marcello Gallardo. His rocket of a shot by Chivas keeper Brad Guzan was something that DC fans should enjoy. Hell, any soccer fan should enjoy that kind of play. Its just too bad it wasn’t enough for DC to get by Chivas on Saturday.

Now normally I don’t do a “Goat of the Week” or a “Bad performance of the week” but maybe after this past weekend I should start doing so. If you haven’t seen the James Riley own-goal against New England, just view below. Its not a matter of a “What was he thinking?” moment, but more of a “WTF!” kind of moment. Definitely some miscommunication between Riley and keeper Joe Cannon.

See for yourself!