The Red Bull Rant

Red Bull Rant 61.1: Jamaica Post Game

Jason Iapicco — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:13:32 +0000

Jason & Pat are joined by Kevin Dick outside of Darby Road Public House & Restaurant to talk about USA’s 2-1 win in Jamaica.

Brad Evans celebrates his game winning goal over Jamaica.

Download Episode 61.1

Red Bull Rant 61: Blame Zac Wassink

Jason Iapicco — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 05:54:13 +0000

Jason, Pat, & Truman are joined by Ted Westervelt (@soccerreform) to talk about reforming the US Soccer pyramid. They are also joined by Pete Huryk to talk USMNT upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.

Download Episode 61

RBNY Player of the Week – 2013 Week 14

Jason Iapicco — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:45:45 +0000

Myself and the other Red Bull Rant staff will pick our top three players of each week resulting in our pick for a player of the week (or month). The rankings are point based. A player picked as #1 by a writer is 3 points, #2 is 2 points, and #3 is 1 point. The highest number of points is the player of the week.

Games Played in Week 14:

5/29: 2-0 Win vs Reading United (US Open Cup)
6/1: 2-1 Loss vs Vancouver Whitecaps

Top 3 Players:

Lloyd Sam
Juninho
Ryan Meara

Note: Juninho, Meara, and McCarty were tied, but Juninho received more 1st place votes, and Meara received more 2nd place votes than McCarty.

Lloyd Sam – 2013 Week 14 POTW

Fan Voting Top 3:

Juninho

Top Player by Voter:

Jason Iapicco – Lloyd Sam
- Changed the Reading game, and with Dax, was the reason for the win. In the Vancouver game, only played 18 minutes, but it was a solid 18 minutes.
Pat MacDonald - No Vote Submitted
Truman – Lloyd Sam
- Only guy to play his ass off and try to prove he deserves more playing time.
Zac Wassink – Lloyd Sam
- Let the kid play, Mike.
Pete Huryk – Juninho
- I didn’t get a chance to watch Reading but based on Vancouver, he gave services that should have been scored.
Kevin Doten- Lloyd Sam
- he scored one and was instrumental in the other against reading and looked really good

Sky Blue Buzz 3: Adam Guttmann of Viking Army

Jason Iapicco — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 02:23:07 +0000

Jason & Cheryl are joined by Viking Army Supporter Club member Adam Guttmann to talk about the Viking Army’s Kick ALS! fundraiser, which will take place at the Sky Blue FC match on June 8th.

Download Episode 3

Red Bull Rant 60: Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Henry

Jason Iapicco — Fri, 31 May 2013 04:30:12 +0000

Jason, Pat, & Truman are joined by Zac Wassink to talk Columbus, refs, TV coverage, Vancouver, and US Open Cup.

Download Episode 60

RBNY Player of the Week – 2013 Week 13

Jason Iapicco — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:11:32 +0000

Games Played in Week 13:

5/26: 2-2 Draw vs Columbus

Top 3 Players:

Thierry Henry
Jamison Olave
Tim Cahill

Thierry Henry – 2013 Week 13 POTW

Fan Voting Top 3:

Jamison Olave
Jonny Steele

Top Player by Voter:

Jason Iapicco – Thierry Henry
- I didn’t get to watch a good chunk of the first half, but Henry seemed like the only player who cared the whole time.
Pat MacDonald - Abstained
Truman – Thierry Henry
- The goal, and his taunting of the keeper after Olave’s goal.
Zac Wassink – Thierry Henry
- Everybody else was largely unspectacular. Henry was solid outside of scoring a tremendous goal.
Pete Huryk – Thierry Henry
- He looked like he wanted to win this week, although it usually takes a botched call from the ref or something else that makes that happen.
Kevin Doten- Thierry Henry
- The goal and taunting.

Red Bull Rant 59.2: June USMNT Friendlies

Jason Iapicco — Wed, 29 May 2013 03:57:48 +0000

Pat is joined by Pete Huryk & Pedro Gomes to talk USMNT Friendlies vs Belgium & Germany.

Download Episode 59.2

Red Bull Rant 59.1: Columbus Post Game

Jason Iapicco — Tue, 28 May 2013 00:13:59 +0000

Truman and Kevin Doten sit down with a man named Jason (not that one) to talk about the Columbus match.

Tim Hall leading 101 in cheer during the Columbus match. Photo Courtesy of Empire Supporters Club.

Download Episode 59.1

Sky Blue Buzz – Podcast Host Wanted

Jason Iapicco — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:59:11 +0000

Are you interested in Sky Blue FC? Do you follow the team and watch every match? Do you have an interest in covering the team as a host of a podcast? We’re looking for someone to take over for Jason Iapicco as a co-host of the Sky Blue Buzz podcast. If you are interested, check out the requirements below, and send us an e-mail to skybluepod@gmail.com.

What is needed to apply:

2 (or more) minute recording covering any topic related to Sky Blue FC.
A list of 3-5 topics that could be discussed on a podcast episode (not recap/preview of matches).
How much you watch Sky Blue FC (every game, every other game, occasional, etc).
How many games you attend in person.
Skype account name. Skype is the method to record.
List of regular times each week you are available to record. Nights are preferred.

If you wish to apply, or have any questions, please send an e-mail to skybluepod@gmail.com. If the recording is too big to attach to an e-mail, an alternate method will be used on an as needed basis.

Red Bull Rant 59: Sour Grapes

Jason Iapicco — Fri, 24 May 2013 04:50:39 +0000

Jason & Truman are joined by guest host Ian Perkins (filling in for Pat). They discuss the LA match, the upcoming Columbus match, and a big NYC FC discussion with Dave Martinez and Pat (calling in just for NYC FC).

Download Episode 59

RBNY Player of the Week – 2013 Week 12

Jason Iapicco — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:06:39 +0000

Games Played in Week 12:

5/19: 1-0 Win vs Los Angeles

Top 3 Players:

Jamison Olave
Tim Cahill
Luis Robles/Juninho

Jamison Olave – 2013 Week 12 POTW

Fan Voting Top 3:

Tie between Jamison Olave & Tim Cahill

Top Player by Voter:

Jason Iapicco – Jamison Olave
- Without his physical presence, LA plays the way they want.
Pat MacDonald - Jamison Olave
- Was absolutely unstoppable on defense.
Truman – Jamison Olave
- The man was a monster. Broke up countless plays.
Zac Wassink – Jamison Olave
- Cornerstone of the back line.
Pete Huryk – Jamison Olave
- Deserves it because Keane didn’t score.
Kevin Doten- Jamison Olave
- He was a beast on defense all game keeping the shutout.

NY City FC and What it Means for RBNY and the Cosmos

Jason Iapicco — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:50:14 +0000

In case you have been living under a rock, MLS announced the 20th MLS team today, set to join the league in 2015, New York City Football Club. NYC FC is a joint venture between Manchester City of the Barclay’s Premier League, and the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Before I get into what I think this means for the Red Bulls, and to a lesser extent, the Cosmos, let me talk about what I think of the announcement.

Media Attention

If you have been following the MLS expansion talks in the last year, you would know of three teams that were widely considered to be the best choices for #20: the NY Cosmos, and Orlando City SC, and “NY FC”.

The Cosmos and MLS couldn’t come to an understanding, so they were dropped from consideration towards the end of 2012.

Depending on who you ask, Orlando City never stood a shot at #20, because Garber was so set on NY2. Personally, I thought Orlando City could’ve been a great addition. Yes, MLS didn’t have success with Tampa and Miami, but I think that was more because of the nature of those sport markets. Orlando has boasted an average attendance of 8,465 over their last two seasons in USL Pro, and is averaging 7,915 over 4 home games this year. While those aren’t great averages, those are good signs for a team in Florida where it’s hard to draw for anything outside of College Sports.

This brings us to what is now named New York City Football Club. Garber obviously wanted this to happen. Being in NYC (as much as RBNY is in the NY market, it’s not the city) will bring media attention to MLS. If you thought that Beckham & LA had a serious effect on MLS, wait until NYC FC manages to get their version of Beckham. Throw in the fact that the NY Yankees are part of this, who owns the YES Network, the team already has built in TV coverage. Some flashy signings is all this new team needs to land the type of coverage that RBNY desperately needs.

Big Money

Brian Lewis from the NY Post points out an important fact about the Manchester City owner, and now part owner of NYC FC.

BTW, Sheikh Mansour’s personal worth is about $30 billion. His family fortune – his brother rules Abu Dhabi – is about $1 trillion. With a T

While MLS still has a tight salary cap, don’t be surprised to see it increased before 2015, specifically to allow for teams to spend more of their own money. There’s no way an owner like Sheikh Mansour would buy into MLS knowing that they aren’t going to be able to spend their money as they see fit. The rules won’t allow the same out of control spending that got the original NASL in trouble, but they will be changed to favor the wealthy more than they already do.

Where Will the Stadium Be?

For the past few years, MLS has focused on getting a stadium in Queens next to Citi Field. Given the recent push back from some local citizens and the Yankees being involved, is Queens the landing spot for the new team? In addition, where will the team play until a new stadium is built? I can’t imagine the Yankees giving up Yankee stadium for games due to what will be conflicts with MLB scheduling. Citi Field is absolutely out, as aside from the MLB schedule, there is no way that Fred Wilpon will let a Steinbrener owned team to use his facilities.

There aren’t many facilities in NYC that could host the team and provide 20,000+ seating at this point. The only two options that make sense are Red Bull Arena and MetLife Stadium. RBNY might allow use since they’ll get most, if not all, of the concessions, and a good amount of the gate receipts. MetLife could work, but after trying to get Soccer Specific Stadiums to be the norm for MLS, will Garber be OK with his new baby playing on turf in a football stadium, even if only temporarily?

Now, to look at what this announcement means for the Red Bulls:

2015

The Red Bulls officially have until 2015 to garner as much attention and fans as possible before the new team shows up. RBNY hasn’t done well (or almost anything) in marketing the team. That needs to change today. No longer can the front office get by with just posters on the PATH train. The next year and a half needs to be a full blown media blitz in NY and NJ. Yes, New York is not priority number one (in terms of soccer) for Austria, but it should be. Red Bull wants this team to be a way to promote their products. Without ads, that doesn’t happen.

Of course, there is no better advertisement than winning a title. Petke and the players may not be getting pressured by the front office, but you can damn well put money on the front office feeling the heat. This franchise can’t afford any more playoff appearances without hardware.

TV Deal

Not that RBNY will be on YES, but the question is what does the second team mean for RBNY’s current TV deal with MSG? Does it make it more valuable since MSG would now have a second network to compete against? Or does the value go down due to who will be watching what team? The current deal expires after the 2014 season, just in time for MSG to reevaluate what will happen. SNY is not really an option either since they only have one channel and are the TV home for the Mets. With MSG being the Red Bulls best bet for TV coverage, they won’t have a lot of leverage in negotiations. I imagine that, at least for the first contract after 2014, Red Bulls will see a small increase in money, if any, largely due to the team playing in the boroughs. I also see it as no more than another 3 years, maybe even less.

English Language Radio Deal

This might not be a big point to some people, but it’s something the Red Bulls need to get done. They currently have a Spanish language radio deal with ESPN Deportes 1050 AM. Getting a deal with an English speaking station will not only get their product out there, but force radio coverage outside of games. Why doesn’t WFAN of ESPN Radio not cover the team? Not enough people would listen. However, if the team could get a regular radio broadcast of games, those stations might be forced to take another look.

Fight for Players

Up until now, RBNY has pretty much had a monopoly on acquiring local players. That will obviously change with NYC FC building up their academy system. On top of that, the Red Bulls will have to fight with a club that can match (and probably outspend) them in the DP market. RBNY will still be able to land some big fish, but expect them to be more of the 2nd tier type of players (Keane vs. Beckham).

Media Attention (Part 2)

Obviously, the new team is going to garner a lot of attention, and why wouldn’t it? It’ll be NY’s shinny new toy in 2015, and everyone loves shinny new toys. The Red Bulls already have to fight for media attention from traditional press. They get plenty of it from “new media” (like this site), but that doesn’t help the team. The demographics that consume new media already follow the team and MLS. Yes, the fans the team has now will translate to more fans down the road, but that’s not what the team needs right now. They need the slightly older demographic, the (generally) 40+ year old crowd. Those people are at Jets, Giants, Yankees, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, and Devils games. They grew up with those teams, and why would they leave? The teams needs coverage to expose the older generation(s) to the sport and hook them while they have the time.

The Red Bulls will have to fight to stay relevant after 2015. NYC FC will start out with a flash, and as long as RBNY can stay in the limelight during that (and rack up wins), they might have a chance of not be relegated to a Chivas USA status. Honestly though, I don’t see RBNY being able to hold out when a second team, especially one backed by the Yankees, starts playing. The best course of action for the team might be the one most people suggest, re-brand to the NJ Red Bulls and embrace the Garden State 100%.

The Cosmos

Lastly, what does this news mean for the NY Cosmos? They are set to start playing in the NASL in August, joining the league for the fall season. The ownership group is really ambitious with plans for a 25,000 seat stadium of their own in Belmont, a stadium that no other Division 2 or lower team would have planned. Now, the owners have made it known that they don’t plan on going into MLS. The long term view seems to be to pump the NASL up, ala the old American Football League, which was eventually merged with the NFL. The Cosmos owners want to be able to spend their money also, and the NASL doesn’t have rules limiting salary, so they see this as a great opportunity for them.

The issues that I see facing them are in competing against 2 MLS teams in 2015. Right now they can serve an area of NY that is, in many people’s opinion, too far away from Red Bull Arena. They should be able to get a decent showing, maybe average 10,000, but probably won’t draw big crowds as there are no big names in the NASL. However, when 2015 rolls around, and you have 2 teams, one of which could see young Manchester City players on its bench, the outlook isn’t so good.

Can the Cosmos brand really hold up in the second division? So much of the history that people associate with the team come from it being in the top level of US Soccer. I don’t think that the brand will be able to survive 10 years of being in the 2nd tier of US Soccer, especially with teams like the Red Bulls and NYC FC fighting for attention in a crowded NY sports market, with big names on the rosters.

Summary

Obviously, what I am saying in this post is mostly speculation and my opinions. I have no crystal ball that will tell me how this will all play out. I could be completely wrong, and NYC FC could be what the NY market need to get on board the soccer bandwagon. Maybe I’m right and both RBNY & the Cosmos will suffer at the hands of Don Garber’s pet project. All I know is that both the Red Bulls & Cosmos have until 2015 to get their portion of the NY Soccer Market. After that, it will take a lot more than it does now to be seen.

De Vanna, Schmidt, Lytle lead SBFC past Seattle 3-0

cherylbertram — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:56:52 +0000

Seattle Reign, the only team in the NWSL yet to earn a win this season, played host to NJ’s Sky Blue FC on Sunday afternoon. Multiple yellow cards, injures, a penalty kick, and three SBFC goals proved for an exciting game.

Lisa De Vanna opened the scoring with a goal in the 9th minute. The assist came from her fellow Australian Caitlin Foord who slipped a ball right to De Vanna’s feet, she poked it past the goalkeeper to bring SBFC a quick lead. The early goal allowed for Sky Blue to maintain possession and control the first half. The team distributed the ball well and shifted the momentum in their favor.

Seattle came out strong in the second half, with an early foul on Kendall Johnson. Sky Blue had a scare in the 50th minute when Brittany Cameron came off of her line to get a ball. Tiffany Cameron, a Reign forward, got loose and nearly beat Cameron to the ball. The two got tangled up as the goalkeeper fought for possession. Tiffany ended up committing a foul and the play ended without harm.

In the 62nd minute, Jenny Ruiz took down Lisa De Vanna in the box. She was issued a yellow card and De Vanna was awarded a penalty kick. The card was Ruiz’s second of the match, and she was sent off the field for Seattle. Seatlle would play down a man for the rest of the match. De Vanna’s penalty kick was a hard shot towards the left side of Haley Kopmeyer. Kopmeyer made a diving save and kept Sky Blue to a 1-0 lead.

The match grew even more chippy, as each team earned more yellow cards. In the 79th minute, Kelley O’Hara was taken down just outside of the box. Sophie Schmidt stepped up to take the free kick and curled the ball past the player wall and into the goal. It appeared as though Kopmeyer couldn’t see around her wall, as she didn’t even react to the shot. The goal was Schmidt’s fourth of the season and put SBFC up 2-0.

With three minutes left of regular time, Taylor Lytle received a bouncing ball from Kelley O’Hara. Lytle made a one-touch shot and sailed the ball directly over Kopmeyer’s head and into the net. The goal solidified a 3-0 win for NJ.

Brittany Bock made her return appearance since breaking a rib in the opening match this season. She was on the field for no more than ten minutes when she apparently collided with a Seattle midfielder. She fell to the ground and her team immediately signaled for a substitute. We would later find out that she broke her left wrist. She’s expected to be out 6-8 weeks.

Lisa De Vanna also took a hard hit in the second half. She was slow to get up and went to the sideline before re-entering the match a few minutes later.

With Portland Thorns earning a victory this weekend as well, Sky Blue remains tied with them for first place at 16 points. The team returns to NJ after two wins on the road. Their next match will be in Kansas City on Saturday, May 25th.

Jason’s Three Thoughts – RBNY vs Los Angeles – 2013-05-19

Jason Iapicco — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:56:03 +0000

by Jason Iapicco

The NY Red Bulls hosted the Beckham-less LA Galaxy in a rainy Sunday afternoon affair. It looked like the game was going to end in a scoreless draw until Tim Cahill headed home a Juninho free kick in the first minute of stoppage time to give NY a 1-0 win.

Juninho & Cahill Rises Above

Cahill came up big late in the game with another game winning goal. His 3rd such goal this year. Even more impressive is that it came off a Juninho free kick. Everyone knows how poor Juninho’s free kicks have been, and the way he put the ball perfectly into the box for Cahill cannot be overlooked.

Jamison Olave

Olave was a rock this week in limiting the Galaxy’s chances. He may have committed a team high 4 fouls, but his physical presence set the tone for the whole back line, and LA was never able to get into the playing style they wanted to.

Attendance Issues

Reported attendance: 25,219. Actual attendance: probably 15,000-18,000. Maybe it was the rain; maybe it was the realization that Beckham was no longer playing for LA. Whatever it was, the actual attendance was terrible for a reported sellout. The NY front office needs to find a way to convert ticket sales into butts in the seats. Forget the benefit of increased sales (food & gear). Getting a consistent crowd is step #1 in growing a fan base, and will only help in their (so far limited) advertising.

You can follow Jason on Twitter @DoctaStooge.

Red Bull Rant 58.1: LA Post Game

Jason Iapicco — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:23:41 +0000

Jason, Pat, & Truman are joined by Kevin Dick, and they discuss the LA game and a shitty parking lot.

Download Episode 58.1

Sky Blue Defeat Thorns 1-0

cherylbertram — Sun, 19 May 2013 02:15:06 +0000

On Thursday night, SBFC faced the Portland Thorns in front of a crowd of 11,055 Portlandians. The game marked a match-up between the top two ranked teams in the NWSL. A hard-fought 80+ minutes paid off when Taylor Lytle scored the lone goal of the game and gave Sky Blue a win on the road.

The match was battle from the start. Portland seemed to hold most of the control for the first 20 minutes. Christine Sinclair took a dangerous shot in the first minute, but it never saw the back of the net. Portland was issued three corner kicks in the beginning of the half and was testing the SBFC defense. New Jersey began controlling the match in the 24th minute when Danesha Adams and Katy Freels both took shots on goal. Sky Blue earned their first corner of the match in the 43rd minute and continued to press the Thorns’ defense until the whistle.

In the second half, Portland and NJ continued to duel. Each taking their fair share of shots on goal. Christie Rampone did an excellent job of containing Alex Morgan, while Goodson, O’Hara, and Foord were able to hold back the rest of Portland’s attack.

Taylor Lytle came on for Kendall Johnson in the 79th minute as a super-sub. She was on the pitch for no more than 60 seconds before ripping a shot past Karina LeBlanc from 30 yards out. From then on, the Thorns led a desperate attack. Sky Blue’s defense easily kept them back and held on to the 1-0 lead until the final whistle.

The win gave New Jersey the three points it needed to tie Portland for first place with 13 points overall.

Sky Blue will next face the Seattle Reign on Sunday at 9pm EST. The game will mark the second of three away matches before SBFC returns home to Yurcak Stadium on June 1st.

Welcome Me! The Fashionable Sweater of Mr. Petke

PetkesSweater — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:44:05 +0000

Some of you may know me formally because of Twitter. All of you have seen me. I am currently the most important piece of clothing besides Henry’s Pumas. I’ve seen more goals than Mike Petke’s suits and more wins. Lloyd Sam has never scored a goal when Mike Petke wears a suit. That is how important I am. But I’m facing three problems which I will share and would love your feedback:

Three Suit Games

So far we’ve done pretty well when I am part of the rotation. But I’m really nervous because we’ve got three big suit games in a row. We’re playing the Galaxy, Crew and the Whitecaps, but it doesn’t look like I’m going to make it out of the closet. This could be disastrous.

The Summer

We all know about the Summer Metro Disease. What is going to happen when it is summer? I’m trying to fight to stay current, changing styles to light cotton, but I’m nervous about July and August. This could be really bad.

Juninho

The sweater on his face has to go.

Until next time…. BE #SweaterStrong #RBNY

Tweet me… @PetkesSweater

Red Bull Rant 58: Say Chowdah!

Jason Iapicco — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:44 +0000

Jason, Pat, & Truman are joined by Taylor Twellman to talk New England, Los Angeles, Landon Donovan, MLS and USMNT.

Download Episode 58

Sky Blue Buzz 2: Chuck Vine

Jason Iapicco — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:29:06 +0000

Jason & Cheryl are joined by agent Chuck Vine to talk NWSL.

Photo Credit: Howard Smith/ISI Photos

Download Episode 2

RBNY Player of the Week – 2013 Week 11

Jason Iapicco — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:06:12 +0000

Games Played in Week 11:

5/08: 2-1 Win vs Montreal
5/11: 1-1 Draw at New England

Top 3 Players:

Thierry Henry
Markus Holgersson
Jonny Steele

2013 Week 11 Player of the Week – Thierry Henry

Fan Voting Top 3:

Thierry Henry
Markus Holgersson
Jonny Steele

Top Player by Voter:

Jason Iapicco – Markus Holgersson
- Played a solid & consistent 180 minutes. Who else did that this week?
Pat MacDonald - Thierry Henry
- When you score a wonder goal, I suppose you can be forgiven for being allergic to turf.
Truman – Thierry Henry
- Two goals is two goals
Zac Wassink – Markus Holgersson
- Yeah, I said it. Set up the Henry golazo, only consistent player who also featured for 90 mins in both games.
Pete Huryk – Thierry Henry
- I think he scored a goal or two.
Kevin Doten- Markus Holgersson
- Because well hes been kind of kick ass for both games