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He wasn't at the New York Red Bulls' jersey launch earlier in the week, but players can't always make promotional events. Still, when Peguy Luyindula was not named in the squad for RBNY's season-opening game in Kansas City, there were a few questions:
PEGUY!!!!!!! Where are you???? #RBNY
— supporter (@importerxporter) March 8, 2015
@NewYorkRedBulls No Peguy tonight? did I miss something #SKCvNYR #Where'sPeguy
— Chuck G (@Who_is_Chuck) March 8, 2015
How come MLS matchcenter has Felipe listed as #8 and Peguy not even on the bench? @Once_A_Metro
— Lukas Kotecki (@Sabres_Blitz) March 8, 2015
Good point. Peguy's squad number is 8. Felipe took the field in KC wearing number 8.
To recap: he missed the big team's preseason fan event, he wasn't in the 18 for the first game of the season, and his squad number appears to at least have been loaned to Felipe. More than loaned according to the club's website:
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Huh.
None of this looks good. And it may be every bit as bad as it looks. While RBNY struggled to find fluency in its first 45 minutes under Jesse Marsch, looking a lot like a team that could use a man in the middle who knows how to hold off pressure and thread a pass through traffic, Kristian Dyer went went to work:
Hearing from sources that Peguy Luyindula has asked to leave @NewYorkRedBulls and could be mulling retirement.
— Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) March 8, 2015
The Big Apple Soccer/Metro reporter's sources were subsequently supported by the New York Post's Brian Lewis:
Peguy Luyindula is set to announce his retirement from football. #RBNY #MLS
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) March 9, 2015
Oh. Dear. Peguy had his option renewed in January. He participated in preseason. It appeared he was ready to roll into another season, perhaps take one or two of RBNY's younger attacking midfielders under his wing and offer them the benefit of his experience.
Or not. Mr. Dyer's initial report on the situation includes a team source at pains to explain Peguy is not "miffed", but simply doesn't see a future for himself with the team.