New York Red Bulls (sort of) reveal 2018 CONCACAF Champions League roster

The New York Red Bulls have split their squad, keeping a selection of fringe first-teamers, reserves, and trialists in Tucson for the ongoing 2018 Mobile Mini Sun Cup, while sending away the group it will ask to start the club’s 2018 CONCACAF Champions League campaign.

The 27-man roster in Tucson has been officially revealed. The group on its way to Costa Rica via Houston has not been named, but it’s a pretty solid guess that it comprises the first-team players not still in Arizona.

As such, we can assume the RBNY squad for its opening competitive game of the 2018 season - against CD Olimpia in CCL on February 22 - is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Luis Robles and Ryan Meara

Defenders: Aurelien Collin, Fidel Escobar, Connor Lade, Kemar Lawrence, Aaron Long, Amir Murillo,

Midfielders: Tyler Adams, Vincent Bezecourt, Sean Davis, Derrick Etienne, Felipe Martins, Alex Muyl, Alejandro “Kaku” Romero Gamarra, Daniel Royer, Marc Rzatkowski, Florian Valot

Forwards: Bradley Wright-Phillips and Carlos Rivas

It is still preseason, the team hasn’t officially announced its traveling party to Costa Rica - nor does it need to officially announce anything until its match-day squad for CCL is revealed on February 22.

But it is fair to assume that the 20 players listed above - all contracted to RBNY’s MLS roster and not playing preseason friendlies in Tucson - are in Houston, where the team is finalizing its CCL preparations prior to moving on to Costa Rica.