Back to the Same Old, Same Old...

Another week, another loss for the Red Bulls...

Following last weekend's 1-0 home loss to Kansas City, there really isn't much of anything to do except look forward. The Red Bulls are the first team mathematically eliminated from the playoff race in MLS, dealing with a multitude of injuries (including Juan Pablo Angel's sprained ankle, which kept the skipper off the field over the weekend), and are being led by an interim coach. Will Richie Williams continue at the helm for the debut of Red Bull Arena in the Spring? Well, that decision appears to be a ways off still---the man who will hire a permanent replacement for Juan Carlos Osorio is likely not even an employee of the franchise yet, as Jeff Agoos will likely be let go at season's end. Rumors are rampant that current Chicago Red Stars (WPS) CEO---and former President and GM of the Chicago Fire---Peter Wilt will be hired to replace Agoos. Wilt, who was the first President and GM of the franchise, and led them to the Double (MLS Cup Champions and US Open Cup Champions) in their inaugural season of 1998, wouldn't comment on the rumors during an interview with ESPN's Kirstian Dyer, saying only that his partner with the Red Stars have known that he would like to return to the MLS one day. As for his thoughts on the New York franchise, and why they've struggled to find success... "The New York and New Jersey market and new stadium give them the potential to be MLS' flagship team, but I think there are a few other teams which can credibly stake that claim ahead of the Red Bulls.
Lack of consistency in personnel on and off the field has been their biggest challenge since the beginning. The most successful organizations in MLS have found ways to retain their best staff and players over long stretches of time. That's done by creating good environments, doing the little things right and treating people with respect. You look around the league and the clubs that have used that formula are the ones that have been successful." If Wilt does get hired, and uses this as a starting point for the direction of the franchise, then the Red Bulls might just be in good hands after all...

As for one person who won't be back with the Red Bulls next year... bye bye Alfredo Pacheco. The Red Bulls terminated the loan deal and contract of the defender, another Osorio signing who couldn't hold up in the league. After a promising start, Pacheco was victimized all too often in his last games, before finding himself stuck on the bench (in favor of Danleigh Borman, who isn't even a natural defender) after Williams took over the team. While the Red Bulls are set at the right back position (if Carlos Johnson could stop picking up red cards---he picked up his 3rd of the season AFTER the final whistle on Saturday night), they, much like the US National Team, are thin at the left back position, something they should definitely look at in the draft...

Speaking of the draft (and looking forward), the Red Bulls find themselves in a fantastic position going into January's draft. In addition to likely having the 2nd pick in each round (thanks to their awful record this year), the team will also get an extra pick in each of the first two rounds---NY gets Houston's first-round pick (as part of the deal for Dominic Oduro), as well as LA's second-rounder (from the trade for Mike Magee). RSL could still owe NY a pick, as a conditional draft pick was included in the trade that sent Dema Kovalenko out west...but that pick is still up-in-the-air, as it's been tied-in to the conditional draft pick RSL picked up when they shipped Kovalenko to LA (and the league reviews all situations where one team gets two draft picks from another in the same draft)...



Meanwhile, in other news...

--Costa Rica will arrive in the US next month for their final World Cup qualifier with a new coach. Rodrigo Kenton has been fired after 3 straight losses, which have seen the Ticos drop from 1st to the 4th-place playoff spot in the CONCACAF hexagonal. The US plays Costa Rica at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 14th---and SoccerJunkie will be there, in the Land of the Bouncing Stands, to bring you a full report!

--Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon is stepping down, effective Oct. 31st. The former Umbro CEO--and former Manchester United Chief Exec--was brought to the helm at the club after Russian billionaire Roman Abromavich took over, and has led the club to their recent successes in the Premiership and UEFA Champions League, as well as scandal, which now sees them banned from the transfer market for the next two windows. Kenyon could be the first of a mass exodus from the London club. One of Kenyon's biggest achievements at the club...negotiating a then-record jersey sponsorship deal with Samsung...

--Which leads us to a new record jersey sponsorship deal, and the end of an era of sorts for another Premiership leader... Liverpool's long-standing deal with Carlsburg is coming to an end, and Standard Chartered Bank is set to become the new jersey sponsor for the Reds. The deal is said to be in the neighborhood of 80 million Pounds, and will take effect next July. Carlsburg had been Liverpool's jersey sponsor since 1992.

--Arsenal's Italian rookie 'keeper Vito Mannone was handed his first UEFA Champions League start this afternoon, after first-choice 'keeper Manuel Almunia picked up a virus, while #2 'keeper Lukasz Fabianski continues to recover from knee surgery. How has his deputizing started off? Mannone allowed 2 goals in the first 5 minutes on the road to Belgium's Standard Liege. It could be worse...he could've given up a goal to the opposing goalkeeper (::cough:: Andy Gruenebaum ::cough::).



Quick look at the Premiership table and this coming weekend's matches:

-The top of the table has no surprises left...Chelsea #1, Manchester United #2. United will face a HUGE match on Sunday morning, when they host 3rd-placed Manchester City at Old Trafford in an unusual top-of-the-table Manchester derby. Chelsea will host former leaders Tottenham on Sunday at Stamford Bridge. Tottenham dropped to 4th after last weekend's loss to United.

-Second-to-last Everton (complete shock there!) look to get headed in the right direction Sunday, as they host Blackburn Rovers at Goodison Park. Though Blackburn are 5 places ahead of Everton, only 1 point separates the two teams, and a win could vault Everton to the top-half of the table.

-Saturday's big matches will see 5th-place Liverpool travel to Upton Park to play West Ham, while struggling (and 9th-place) Arsenal will host Wigan at the Emirates. Other Saturday fixtures: cooled-off Burnley host Sunderland, Stoke travel to Bolton, Hull hosts Birmingham at the KC, and Aston Villa takes on Portsmouth at Villa Park. The 4th Sunday match will see Fulham travel to take on newly-promoted Wolves.