Report: Santiago Dittborn released from trial with New York Red Bulls

The New York Red Bulls have parted ways with trialist Santiago Dittborn, per reports from the team's training session on August 7.

The young Chilean midfielder seemed an unlikely candidate for a contract after comments from RBNY staff revealed the club was expecting a different skill-set to that provided by the player. If a team thinks you're a winger and it turns out you're a holding midfielder, it's going to take a remarkable trial to get signed.

As reported by BigAppleSoccer.com, Red Bulls' head coach Jesse Marsch confirmed Dittborn is no longer training with the Red Bulls and the club will not be offering a contract.

The circumstances of Dittborn's departure - essentially he appears to have flunked his trial because he isn't a left-footed wide-man - does raise a question: is RBNY still seeking a natural left-sided attacking midfielder? Recent additions Shaun Wright-Phillips and Gonzalo Veron can play on the left, but are primarily right-footed players.

The MLS transfer window is closed and the Red Bulls seem most likely to focus attention on maximizing the performance of the players already on the roster. But Dittborn's brief trial is a reminder that the club may still have a few lingering ambitions for its roster - ambitions that will probably have to wait for the off-season to be addressed, but that could be fulfilled earlier if the right sort of free agent wanders into training.