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New York Red Bulls’ Offseason Transformation Could Pay Off In 2015

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By @DFresh39

2015 RBNY Preview

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

The New York soccer scene stole the spotlight for a good portion of this offseason as NYCFC and the New York Red Bulls kept making head-scratching moves. RBNY ended up having a town hall meeting to talk about the firing of Mike Petke. New coach Jesse Marsch handled the pressure of the event well to help calm the fanbase. Since then the Red Bulls have made some positive roster moves and started to slowly win back the fans before the start of the 2015 MLS season.

New sporting director Ali Curtis has yet to make amends with the fans after the Petke firing. Curtis said it was part of a bigger plan, but Petke is revered by many surrounding the Red Bulls franchise. He stuck by the organization for the majority of his career. Regardless, Petke did not fit into Curtis’ plan, and the team has moved on to build a solid roster even without Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill.

If there is one area that still has questions marks ahead of the season it is defense. The back line lacks depth after getting rid of Jamison Olave and Ambroise Oyongo. That leaves Roy Miller as the leader in the back line, which is a questionable move. Chris Duvall and Connor Lade will work on the opposite flank from Miller.

The central defense starters could be fluid for a few matches until the right combination is found. Andrew Jean-Baptiste and Armando may get the first crack. U.S. U20 player Matt Miazga and Ronald Zubar are also in play.

The midfield looks more stable this season for RBNY. The trades landed Felipe Martins and the top allocation spot that resulted in signing Sacha Kljestan. Martins flourished under Marsch before but may have to move out wide to optimize the lineup. If he can adapt to a wide space, then Kljestan and Dax McCarty will create a superb central midfield pairing. McCarty and Kljestan will not be flashy, but solid.

Leo Stoltz could be the X factor on the squad as the rookie midfielder basically picked his team. Stoltz excelled last year and could have been a top-five pick, but he was said to be in discussion with German clubs and did not sign a pre-draft contract. RBNY managed to talk to the player and sway him to stay with MLS. Stoltz is a legit Rookie of the Year candidate.

Bradley Wright-Phillips returns after tying the goal scoring record thanks to Henry. The question will be which of his teammates can play the role of supplier so Wright-Phillips can score at least 15 goals again. Martins or Lloyd Sam could ultimately fill that role.

As the season wears on, the tumultuous offseason will become nothing more than an anecdote. They have many of the right pieces in place and still have plenty of scoring talent on the team. The change will be that RBNY must play as a team and not rely on Henry for a moment of brilliance. Changing that mentality to a team orientation will help cover up the defensive issues.

2015 prediction: 11-12-11, 44 Points, Sixth in the East

Douglas Smith is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DFresh39, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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