RED BULLS VS HOUSTON DYNAMO – MAY 9, 2012 – 7:00 PM ET
BULLETIN BOARD RED BULLS BEGIN BUSY WEEK ON WEDNESDAY WITH DYNAMO TILT The New York Red Bulls continue their busy schedule with two Eastern Conference matches this week beginning on Wednesday when they host the Houston Dynamo at Red Bull Arena at 7:00 PM ET (TV: MSG+; Radio: WLIB 1190 AM). The Red Bulls enter the week off consecutive 1-0 victories, the most recent of which coming this past Saturday when New York blanked the defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. New York went on top on 19 minutes through Joel Lindpere’s first goal of the season, and the Red Bulls’ backline and goalkeeper Ryan Meara held firm in shutting down the potent Galaxy attack. The win improved New York to 5-3-1 on the season and its 16 points place them third in the Eastern Conference, two points behind D.C. United and five behind Sporting Kansas City. United has played two more games than the Red Bulls. Houston enters the match 2-2-2 on the season, tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference with eight points. The Dynamo have played all of their first six matches of the season away from home while the finishing touches are put on their brand new stadium, BBVA Compass Stadium, which will open this coming weekend when Houston hosts D.C. United on Saturday. After winning their first two matches of the season, the Texas side is in the midst of a four-match winless streak. The Dynamo was idle last week; their last match was a 3-2 loss at D.C. United on April 28. Forward Will Bruin leads the club with four goals and 23 shots this season. Last season, the teams were dead even in the two matches against one another, drawing 1-1 on April 2 at Red Bull Arena and 2-2 on May 21 at Robertson Stadium. The Red Bulls have a slight advantage in the all-time series between the sides, going 3-2-7 in 12 matches against Houston. New York also defeated Houston in the 2008 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Quarterfinals, eliminating the Dynamo on their way to their first MLS Cup Final appearance. The teams play twice more this season, meeting in consecutive matches on Aug. 3 at BBVA Compass Stadium and Aug. 10 at Red Bull Arena RED BULLS-DYNAMO CONNECTIONS Dynamo forward Macoumba Kandji was a member of the Red Bulls from 2008-2010. New York signed Kandji during the 2008 season on loan from the Atlanta Silverbacks of the then-USL First Division, and he eventually joined the club permanently. In 41 matches with New York, Kandji started 30, scoring six goals and registering seven assists. On Sept. 14, 2010, the team sent Kandji to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy. NEW YORK EARNS SECOND STRAIGHT SHUTOUT, BLANKS GALAXY The New York Red Bulls (5-3-1, 16 points) defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy (3-5-1, 10 points) Saturday night by the final of 1-0 to earn three big points on the road at The Home Depot Center. Midfielder Joel Lindpere scored his first of the season and the only goal of the match when he sent one into the back of the net in the 19th minute. Defender Jan Gunnar Solli, who made his return to the lineup after recovering from a calf injury that left him out against New England, earned the assist, his second of the season. One goal was all the Red Bulls would need to secure the victory, as the back line of Connor Lade, Tyler Ruthven, Markus Holgersson and Brandon Barklage limited a number of Galaxy chances throughout the full 90 minutes. Holgersson, who wore the captain’s armband in the wake of Thierry Henry’s hamstring injury, made a goal-saving play off the line in the 13th minute when Galaxy forward Robbie Keane attempted a chip shot over Ryan Meara. Ruthven stepped up later in the match to make a big clearance from just outside the box when the Galaxy forwards attempted to organize a successful attack in the 53rd minute.
Meara, one week removed from his first-career MLS shutout, posted a foursave effort en route to a second-straight clean sheet. Two individual saves, one on Mike Magee and another on a heavy shot from Juninho in the 82nd minute, stood and helped the Red Bulls improve to 2-3-0 on the road this season. YOUNG BACKLINE SHINES AGAIN The Red Bulls’ makeshift backline of Connor Lade, Tyler Ruthven, Markus Holgersson and Brandon Barklage has started two straight matches in a row and has yet to concede a goal. The foursome debuted on April 28, shutting out the New England Revolution 1-0 at Red Bull Arena, and followed it up this past Saturday by blanking the potent Los Angeles Galaxy attack in another 10 victory. Goalkeeper Ryan Meara made four saves against LA, earning his second career clean sheet. The five players currently have just 40 total combined games of MLS experience. CONSECUTIVE CLEAN SHEETS The Red Bulls have kept a clean sheet in consecutive regular season games for the first time since they earned three straight shutouts from April 16, 2011 to April 30, 2011. Late last season, New York did shut out two straight opponents; beating Philadelphia 1-0 in the final match of the regular season on Oct. 20 and FC Dallas 2-0 on Oct. 26 in the MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card round. LINDPERE GETS FIRST Red Bulls midfielder Joel Lindpere notched the club’s only goal in their 1-0 victory over the Galaxy on Saturday. Lindpere’s 19th minute tally was his first of the season and 11th career regular season goal as a Red Bull. Lindpere has played in all nine of the Red Bulls matches this season, starting six. AGUDELO RETURNS Red Bulls forward Juan Agudelo made his return to the field on Saturday after missing six weeks recovering from surgery to repair a torn medial meniscus in his left knee. Agudelo started the Red Bulls’ first match of the season, on March 11 at FC Dallas, and injured his knee while with the United States Under-23 National Team. On Saturday, Agudelo came off the bench and legged eight minutes. Since joining the Red Bulls in 2010, Agudelo has played in 31 regular season matches, notching six goals and two assists. SCORING FIRST The Red Bulls’ 1-0 victory on Saturday extended their unbeaten streak under head coach Hans Backe in regular season games where the team scores first. In those games, New York is 27-0-11. MARQUEZ TO RETURN Red Bulls midfielder Rafa Marquez will be available for selection for the Red Bulls' match this Wednesday against the Houston Dynamo. Marquez missed New York's last three matches while serving a suspension for an on-field altercation during the Red Bulls' match against the San Jose Earthquakes back on April 14. New York is 3-0-1 in matches that Marquez has played this season. HENRY EXPECTED TO MISS 3-4 WEEKS Red Bulls leading scorer Thierry Henry suffered a strained right hamstring on April 28 against the New England Revolution. Henry is expected to be out 3-4 weeks. DEBUTS AND FIRSTS Red Bulls defender Tyler Ruthven and forward Jhonny Arteaga made their MLS and team debuts on Sunday, April 22 in the team’s 4-1 loss to D.C. United. Ruthven, in his first season with the team after spending last season with NASL side Atlanta Silverbacks, replaced Stephen Keel at halftime. Aretaga, who led FC New York of the USL PRO division in scoring last season, came on in the 81st minute for Dane Richards. The match also marked the first MLS start for Red Bulls defender Connor Lade, playing 90 minutes. Lade, a four year player at St. John’s University and the fifth Red Bulls Academy product to sign for the club, made his professional debut on April 14 against the San Jose Earthquakes, coming off the bench to replace Roy Miller in the 59th minute.