New York Red Bulls Begin 2012 Desert Diamond Cup Against Real Salt Lake Tonight
by Dan Ferris on Feb 22, 2012 12:30 PM EST
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New York Red Bulls vs. Real Salt Lake
Desert Diamond Cup
Kickoff: 10:00 ET, Wednesday, February 22
Kino Sports Compex, Tucson, AZ
SBN RSL perspective: RSL Soapbox
Form: RBNY WDD | RSL DD
The FC Tuscon Desert Diamond Cup, a four team preseason tournament with other prominent Major League Soccer heavyweights such as Real Salt Lake, the LA Galaxy and New England Revolution (?), begins tonight as the New York Red Bulls will compete for their first mostly meaningless trophy of 2012.
With Thierry Henry rejoining New York after a relatively successful loan to Arsenal, the only absent Red Bulls will be Juan Agudelo and Luke Rodgers. Agudelo was called into the U-23 National Team camp and is close to being fully recovered from an off-season ankle injury, while Rodgers is still trying to resolve an issue renewing his visa
The Red Bulls first opponent in the Desert Diamond Cup, Real Salt Lake, aren't missing players due to national team call-ups (Luis Gil was not included in Caleb Porter's list of camp invitees), but an accumulation of injuries has left many of their key contributors sidelined or working to regain full match fitness. The RSL players recovering from or dealing with injuries are Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Kyle Beckerman, Will Johnson, Javier Morales, Chris Wingert, Tony Beltran, and Alvaro Saborio.
New York, on the other hand, has waived more players during the preseason than they have lost to injury, but what their lineup will look like tonight is unclear as they also have a friendly scheduled against Pumas UNAM tomorrow night and play in their second Desert Diamond Cup match against the LA Galaxy on Saturday. With a number of trialists still traveling with the team fighting for roster spots, even if Hans Backe elects to give starting eleven caliber players time on the field together, it's likely that New York will utilize more substitutions than usual during this preseason tournament.
Kickoff tonight is at 10 PM (EST) and the match will be streamed live at MLSSoccer.com.
Are you expecting New York to win this preseason tournament? What are some things that you're going to be watching for? Share your thoughts below.
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I will be following
I really just want to see which trialists are making the best of their oppurtunity and who looks like they will be making the team. I really could care less about bringing home the hardware.
Whyyyyyyyyy????????
Giants-Red Bulls-Devils-Nets
I will have you know
The Desert Diamond Cup is the most prestigious of all soccer tournaments held in Tuscon, Arizona in the month of February and I will not tolerate any disparaging of it’s great name.
Staff Writer at Once a Metro. Yankees/Giants/Rangers/Fulham
by Matt Coyne on Feb 22, 2012 2:37 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I do think we need so hardware but
I do hope we do good so we know that trialists can produce for us
by sfil6 on Feb 22, 2012 3:21 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
Keeper situation
I’m just interested in how we’re going to handle the keepers this tournament. Meara’s been getting starts, but I think they’d be remiss not to give Vuolo 90 minutes to see how he performs. I have a hard time believing Meara is completely blowing him out of the water in training.
Also, the wings. I want to see Lade and Chirdgaze (did I spell that right?) as they seem like the two who are going to be backing up Richards and Lindpere out wide.
Staff Writer at Once a Metro. Yankees/Giants/Rangers/Fulham
Kind of
He played fullback his last two seasons in college, but he’s really an outside defender. He played on the wing in the last preseason game in Mexico when he scored.
Staff Writer at Once a Metro. Yankees/Giants/Rangers/Red Bulls/Fulham
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