Red Bulls Expert Guide: May 3, 2021

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

Are you feeling good today? I hope so. I would hate for a reader to feel bad before opening this post. That’s my job to make them feel that way. Okay, let’s get down to it, boppers.

Here’s this week’s top story.

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AGF Aarhus took on Copenhagen in hot Danish Superliga action. Mathias Jørgensen did not play. Mathias Jørgensen was not on the bench. Mathias Jørgensen did not feature in the match day squad.

AGF returns to action on Sunday, May 9th against Randers.

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General manager Marc de Grandpré spoke with SportTechie about the updates and goings on around Red Bull Arena. While pushing the club’s autism-focused initiatives, he gave up his own office, transforming the space into a sensory room “for families attending a game with someone on the spectrum.” The goal “was to keep [fans] engaged in the event and not take them away from the event” while their children enjoy “a sensory-friendly environment.”

The long-time Red Bull executive also discussed the steps the club has taken during the pandemic and potentially in the future. “So, obviously we pivoted all our resources to digital platforms,” said de Grandpré. “I think we’ll see contactless become permanent in the industry… It’s going to make the fan experience much better when you won’t have to wait in lines and can just go pick up your food. Those changes have just been accelerated and hopefully will remain.”

While the pandemic was a challenge, the club was able to “evolve and adapt quickly.”

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Red Bull Leipzig is set to have a new sporting director. According to Kicker, Markus Krösche is leaving the German club after two seasons “with immediate effect.” He is reportedly moving to Eintracht Frankfurt. Managing director Oliver Mintzlaff described the contract termination as “the right solution for both sides.”

This move will likely have little effect on New York. Other than signing Tyler Adams, there has been little connection between the two clubs. Last August, Krösche deigned to acknowledge his sibling outfit, stating that “there’s not a player who we’ll be signing.”

And… I’m pretty sure that’s the only relevant Leipzig news from the past week.

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Recent New York Red Bulls II signing Daniel Edelman appeared on the OneGoalUS podcast. What did they talk about with the 17-year-old Warren Township native? I don’t know. Why don’t you watch and find out?

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I’m not going to pretend to have any idea what this is, but apparently there’s some sort of MetroStars streetwear line being produced by nss. By acknowledging that pizza is something that unites Naples and New York, the jerseys will be delivered in “a customized pizza box with references to the old MLS.” The shirts look neat, but I’m more of a nondescript t-shirt and New Balance shoes kind of guy.

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El desempleo es una crisis mundial pero nunca para El Profesor.

Since leaving Atlético Nacional, former Red Bulls manager Juan Carlos Osorio has been waiting for the right opportunity. The Colombian tactician had two options recently revealed in the press. The first is Santos FC of Brazil, which could be neat. The second choice is Liga MX side Tigres, which could also be enjoyable.

It must be nice to have people pursue you, instead of showing up to a job interview and the manager refuses to come out of his office, so the embarrassed human resources employee quietly apologizes before awkwardly asking you to leave. I’m speaking generally, of course.

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Were you planning on partying in Las Vegas? You’ll have to do it without DJ Solli on the ones and twos. Former Red Bull Jan Gunnar Solli was staying in Sin City, but the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way of his music career and forced a return home. Now, according to Varden, the midfielder-defender is doing carpentry in Oslo.

He also appeared on a recent episode of FotballrevyenFTV, discussing being a couch potato and his time at the Red Bulls. I’m sure it’s a fascinating interview that is a must-listen for all Norwegian-speaking fans. Sometimes I wonder if Solli was slightly too early and too old during his MLS tenure. A younger, physically-focused wide player with defensive instincts would be an asset in a modern high-pressing world that is increasingly reliant on wing backs.

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Former Red Bull Macoumba Kandji found a new club. The 35-year-old Senegalese striker stuck around in Finland after leaving FC Honka, signing for FC Lahti. The Mustat kuhnurit (Black Drones) finished in six place in the Veikkausliiga last season.

“I’m very excited,” said Kandji. “I bring Lahti experience and leadership and hopefully also a lot of goals. I don’t have an accurate picture of Lahti, but I remember it was always hard to play against them and the team was a very hard opponent.”

The city has a “hard-working, modest, and punctual” population of 120,112 and is known as the “Chicago of Finland.” That sounds great, Macoumba. Please keep playing for at least another decade.

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Since joining SKN St. Pölten on loan from Salzburg, Samuel Tetteh has contributed one goal and one assist in 14 appearances. The club is in last place in the Austrian Bundesliga, mere weeks away from relegation. According to Ghana Soccernet, the Ghanaian attacker has been told he “has no future at Red Bull next season.”

Maybe New York could bring him back.

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Do you know what Frank Rost hates? Well, I’m sure that’s a very long list. However, one specific thing that the former Red Bulls goalkeeper dislikes is modern football.

“I owe [the sport] a lot,” Rost told Transfermarkt. “It’s only possible these days about the money and haggling. Many problems in the clubs are homemade. For the most part, the supervisory board is only conserved with self-portrayal and the opportunity to get cheap VIP tickets… That’s why I thought it made more sense to devote my energy to other things.”

Those other things include horses, which he has been “fascinated” by since a young age. “I think that every horse, like a person, has a character and should be treated with great respect,” said the former Schalke goalkeeper (don’t get him started talking about the club’s relegation) runs a farm in Rotenburg with his wife, Felicitas. “These animals also quickly hold up a mirror to you. If you act too vehemently, they will not trust you and will flee.”

Here’s a joke that was submitted by Belinda of Monroe.

“Thankfully there is no money involved in the horse racing and equestrian industries.”

Thank you, Belinda. I’m sure that’s not what he meant.

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