Red Bulls Expert Guide: April 10, 2021

Welcome to the Red Bulls Expert Guide presented by Once a Metro.

I don’t appreciate the derision, the mockery, and the hatred. You’re just jealous I get to write this post, receive the adoration of a fan base that is constantly clicking and sending me stories. Everyone wants this post. You think you could do it? You think you could collect all of these banal stories and make them interesting? Go ahead, take the post. I dare you. Take it… please.

Here’s this week’s top story.

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Is he coming to New York? Some people in Celtic Land think Patryk Klimala has “played his last game” for the Scottish giants. Former forward Noel Whelan shared his thoughts on the Polish youth international with Football Insider.

“He may have played his last game for the club,” Whelan told writer Dylan Childs. “It’s a difficult one because you haven’t got a permanent manager put in place. [Caretaker manager John] Kennedy will be making his selection on the back of training, performances, [and] attitude. So if he’s seen something he’s not happy with behind the scenes, then that will be fed back to the club and the new manager who comes in.”

Expect opinions to come in from all corners, from Scotland to Poland, as pundits attempt both pre- and postmortem on his Celtic career. “I would say this transfer was a mistake for both the player and club,” said journalist Adam Kennedy. “Whenever Klimala got a chance to perform and show [his quality], he didn’t seem to be the one to take advantage of it… [Forward Odsonne] Edouard stayed in Celtic until the end of the season, and Klimala is still sitting on the bench.”

Sometimes a move doesn’t work out for whatever reason. For all of the negativity, I can show you dozens of articles praising Klimala’s work rate and effort. Perhaps there will be a heavily researched article on this very blog in the near future (written by someone else).

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Do you like drama? It’s the best, isn’t it? Anyway, here’s your Kaku update.

Despite the recent arbitration ruling concerning his contract with the Red Bulls, he appeared in a domestic cup match against Al-Fateh. Al-Taawoun won, 3-2, advancing to the final. After scoring, the playmaker pulled out a celebration inspired by a supporter.

“Before the start of the match, one of the fans asked me to celebrate this way if I scored,” Kaku said after the match. “So I stuck to the agreement, and I gave him the goal. I enjoy it here in Buraidah, the beautiful atmosphere. My relationship is good with the fans, and I consider them my friends.”

However, he also had a bit of a tiff with teammate Ryan Al-Mousa during the match. Gamarra took issue when the midfielder did not “advance the ball to Cédric Amissi,” denying the chance at another goal. However, these arguments are normal for a club on the road to cup glory. That is, if the report against Al-Fateh is upheld. According to the Al-Jazeera newspaper, the defeated side “lodged an official protest against Al-Taawoun” due to “the participation of Kaku.” Stay tuned because this situation is far from over.

And by “far from over,” what I mean is he started in the club’s 3-0 win over Al-Ain in the Saudi Pro League and converted a penalty in stoppage time. The Wolves are now fourth in the standings, pushing for a spot in the AFC Champions League.

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On Sunday, AGF Aarhus lost to FC Nordsjælland by a 2-0 margin. Mathias Jørgensen did not play. Mathias Jørgensen did not make the bench. Mathias Jørgensen was not included in the match day roster.

On Thursday, AGF took on Randers in the first leg of the Danish Cup semifinals, losing 2-0. Mathias Jørgensen did not play. Mathias Jørgensen did not make the bench. Mathias Jørgensen was not included in the match day roster. According to the club’s official website, he is described as “incompetent at the moment,” a rough translation probably indicating an injury

De hviie return to action on Sunday, April 11th against Midtjylland in hot, steamy Danish Superliga action.

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We turn now to Germany. Sport1 interviewed former New York manager Jesse Marsch to discuss his favorite subject, Jesse Marsch. The temporary Salzburger discussed how the “American Way” can take hold in Europe.

“Team spirit is definitely a big issue in the USA,” he told Christopher Michel. “In the USA it’s more about team spirit, mentality, and solidarity. During my visits to Europe I have often seen that there was not such a close cooperation between the coaching staff and the team. It is a big goal of mine to connect these components. In Europe it is often the case that the boss says what everyone has to do. My style is different.”

However, as Marsch shares, he’s truly one of this country’s greatest exports, somewhere between jazz and subprime mortgages. “I’m not a typical American,” said the 47-year-old, undoubtedly fighting the urge to segue into Denzel Washington’s King Kong speech. “The Austrians often say I have positive charisma. Yes, that’s true. But many Americans don’t have this quality either, which is why it’s not so typically American. This type is important for the success and development of a team. But I work very, very hard for success every day… We can live better with defeat if we have done everything to achieve success.”

Marsch is expected to depart the Red Bull womb this upcoming summer, as his name is discussed with but not connected to a variety of clubs across the pantheon of European football. Will he find success outside of a well-defined system of tactics and business, forced to deal with star veterans or the random whims of sporting directors and owners? Regardless of what happens, there will be lots and lots of interviews.

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Here’s a dispatch from the corporate overlords. New goalkeeper Carlos Coronel spoke with the official Red Bull website. On loan from Salzburg, he wants to receive regular playing time, something that eluded him in the Austrian Bundesliga.

“My life in Salzburg was good, but I want to play, I want people to recognize me,” Coronel told writer Ricardo Gomes. “Last season, Stankovic [Red Bull Salzburg’s recurring starter] was no longer in the best phase, but I was still on the bench. I was informed that it wouldn’t be taken advantage of so much and I decided to look for space in the New York Red Bulls. The MLS looks a lot like the Brasileirão. The teams are very level and it is difficult to point out two or three favorites.”

He declares that “the title is a real goal,” despite the Red Bulls not having “The most renowned players and the most experienced team.” The club has “a good coach and functional game plan” with Gerhard Struber, something that should please fans. Is the interview subject the new number one goalkeeper? I guess we’ll see.

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New York may have missed out on quite the potential windfall last summer.

According to Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann, Tyler Adams considered leaving last summer. The MLS side is due quite the sell-on fee if the midfielder is to leave his current club, a less-discussed part of his mildly controversial synergy transfer to the German Bundesliga. However, the issue was resolved.

“In the summer, he was dissatisfied,” Nagelsmann told RBlive. “He was wondering whether it would be better for him elsewhere. I was able to persuade him to stay. We got together more, also when it comes to the way I think about football.”

Staying with Red Bull was probably the right decision for Adams and his career, but a few million dollars in allocation money would probably be useful for New York right now.

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The lovable nerds at American Soccer Analysis published a season preview for the New York Red Bulls. As expected, the biggest overall storylines include the roster turnover and the much-discussed reinvigoration of the vaunted high pressing tactics. What is required of the squad?

“The players not only need to be fit, but also capable of making quick decisions in difficult moments, which requires a killer instinct and trust in the process,” writes Alexander Xenopoulos. “[Gerhard] Struber historically played in a skinny diamond with lots of responsibility placed on the fullbacks or a variation of the 3-5-2/3-4-1-2. But Struber has been quick to switch formations in the past, and this off-season, the organization signed or looked to sign wingers. So, Struber may approach his starting 11 differently than in the past.”

As always, there is the question of Sean Davis. What will Struber do with the midfielder, who has never quite fit the profile of his oft-deployed more defensive position? Read the whole preview and you tell me.

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American Soccer Now released a list of the “20 young American players to watch in the 2021 MLS season.” How many Red Bulls made the cut? The number is two: Cameron Harper is at seventh-position and Caden Clark tops the list.

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Speaking of which, the hype for Cameron Harper continues to grow. The former Celtic attacker appeared on Season 3, Volume 4 of the ChumChat podcast. He described the move to New York as “chaos,” claiming it was difficult to get done.

“I signed a free contract, for security,” Harper told the hosts. “But then obviously Celtic [was] like, ‘This kid’s got six months left on his contract. Why would we let him go for free when we could maybe get a little bit of money for him?’… It took weeks to get it done. It was back and forth.”

He claims there were a few interested teams in England, but those moves would have likely meant another year spent in the reserves. His ambition for this upcoming season is to appear in “25-30 games” and have “five goals, five assists.” Harper is not sure who his competition is because the club does not have a lot of “out and out wingers” on the roster.

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Did you know Dru Yearwood is eligible to play for the Barbados national team? Residents of Bim certainly do, and they’re crossing their fingers he suits up. The Tridents are currently in third place in Group D for the first round of 2022 CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, with two crucial fixtures on the calendar in June.

I asked Once a Metro Bajan football expert Austin “Susan” Fido to describe what Yearwood, a former England youth international, can bring to the national team. He didn’t respond.

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GQ India released a list of the richest owners in sports. Sandwiched between François Pinault (Stade Rennais) and Robert Pera (Memphis Grizzlies) is none other than Austrian businessman Dietrich Mateschitz. The former detergent marketer reportedly saw his net worth increase by 63%, bringing the estimated total to $26.9 billion.

Forbes has placed him in the same position, at fifth. Mateschitz is also said to have recently invested in the “online platform for messenger services” Checkrobin. The company, based in Austria, endeavors to “transport almost everything fast, simple, and flexible across the country,” which certainly fits the Red Bull ethos. One could even say the organization “does business like an energy drink.”

What does any of this have to do with the New York Red Bulls? Nothing really, but I thought it would be nice for you to be informed.

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“What’s Tim Cahill up to?”

A better question would be, what isn’t he up to? Not content with investing, commentating, writing children’s books, and probably preparing to go to Mars, the former Designated Player was named the chief sports officer at Aspire Academy. Hard at work on his coaching licenses, this is a more senior role with the Qatari organization at which he has been employed for two years.

“I am excited and honored to join Aspire, one of the world’s leading sports academies,” said Cahill. I’ve been visiting Aspire since my playing days with Everton and the Socceroos and have been constantly impressed by its world-class innovation and competitiveness. I am looking forward to contributing to the success and growth of Aspire as well as developing my skills in sports management as I embark on this journey.

Cahill is firmly entrenched in the Qatari soccer scene, serving as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup. There was criticism for his involvement in the upcoming competition. However, the one-time Red Bull professes a lack of knowledge on many issues but believes he “can help make a big change” to the country.

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Here’s a fun commercial for Krating Daeng, as our favorite energy drink is known in Southeast Asia. The depicted Red Bull team appears to play vertical, up-tempo style, which is custom across the umbrella of clubs. New York should look into signing that striker, Energi, whose shot turned into a fireball and went through the goal, somehow without breaking or singing the netting.

Here’s a joke that was submitted by Pearl of Westfield.

“I haven’t felt this pumped up since my last trip to the dentist.”

Thank you, Pearl. Hopefully your dentist no longer uses novocaine, as it has fallen out of favor since the 1980s.

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