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.

Nick Garcia heads north to Toronto. (Brian Stevens, WVH Photo Correspondent)

San Jose Earthquakes continue their roster revamp here with another trade today.

They have sent veteran defender Nick Garcia and the discovery rights to Canadian national team forward Ali Gerba to Toronto FC for a 2010 third-round draft choice. TFC also waives keeper Greg Sutton in the process to make room for this deal.

I think not having a lot of picks over the last couple years has caught up with San Jose as they are starting to deal players for picks here. Garcia is still a quality player that will definitely help Toronto’s defensive issues here. He has shown some decline in this play this season but a change of venue could help him out a bit.

The 27-year-old Gerba was born in Cameroon and has played for more than 10 clubs, most recently MK Dons in England. Honestly I am not sure what to make of his potential signing with the club at this point.

Not a lot of changes at the top of the overall voting list.In fact that top three remain:

1. David Beckham
2. Landon Donovan
3. Cuauhtemoc Blanco

Once you get by the top three the positions break down pretty easily. You can also tell which fan groups are voting like crazy here for this game. Mostly the home fans in Toronto wanting their own in the line up as the All-Stars take on West Ham United. Its also interesting to see Toronto’s main rival Columbus have a few players on this list. The Crew are having a solid season so far and their players deserve the nod in my book.

Goalkeepers:

• Greg Sutton
• Jon Busch
• Matt Reis

Defenders:

• Frankie Hejduk
• Marvell Wynne
• Jim Brennan
• Jimmy Conrad

Midfielders:

• David Beckham
• Cuauhtemoc Blanco
• Amado Guevara
• Dwayne De Rosario
• Guillermo Barros Schelotto

Forwards:

• Landon Donovan
• Danny Dichio
• Juan Pablo Angel
• Jeff Cunningham
• Alejandro Moreno

Am I surprised by any of this news? Not really. The one shocker to me may be Juan Pablo Angel getting the votes. He was the MVP in last year’s game but he has been hampered by injuries and clearly isn’t as effective as last year because of those injuries.

Other than that I’m not totally surprised by it. I would like to see Kenny Cooper or Edson Buddle get some votes.

Some are still asking for my line-up, that will come later on once voting is complete on July 2. Remember, the online fan voting will comprise one quarter of the All-Star First XI selections, with coaches and general managers (25 percent), players (25 percent) and media (25 percent) all getting a say in who is named to the First XI, which will consist of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards.

Again, shocker, I know.

Here is a look at the top 10 after two weeks of voting:

1. David Beckham, Los Angeles Galaxy
2. Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
3. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Fire
4. Amado Guevara, Toronto FC
5. Frankie Hejduk, Columbus Crew
6. Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew
7. Dwayne De Rosario, Houston Dynamo
8. Greg Sutton, Toronto FC
9. Robbie Rogers, Columbus Crew
10. Maurice Edu, Toronto FC

Okay I kind of lied about the no surprises. One could easily consider Greg Sutton or Amado Guevara a surprise but we all know the Toronto fans enjoy stuffing any ballots that come their way when they have a player or two on it.

Other than that there really isn’t a shocker on this list. A few players that need your votes are guys like Jon Busch (Chicago), Gonzalo Segares (Chicago), Sasha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Jesse Marsch (Chivas USA), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Andra Rocha (FC Dallas), and Matt Reis (New England) just to name a few.

Fans, Players, Coaches/GMs and media each make up 25 percent of the vote. Fan voting concludes July 2. The first XI will be announced on July 10. The commissioner’s selection will be announced on July 15. The MLS All-Stars take on West Ham United on July 24 at BMO Field.

I haven’t done my ballot but once I do I will be sure to pass it along to you all.

Feel free to post your All-Star selections at anytime here

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!