NEW YORK RED BULLS AT HOUSTON DYNAMO – AUGUST 3, 2012 – 8:00 PM ET HENRY TALLIES ASSIST AS ALL-STARS BEAT CHELSEA, 3-2 Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry assisted on Chris Wondolowski’s opening goal in the MLS All-Star Team’s 3-2 win over reigning UEFA Champions League winner, Chelsea FC, July 25 at PPL Park. Henry, who was voted to the MLS First XI, received the ball from Landon Donovan on the left wing and hit a first-time cross that San Jose’s Wondolowski got to and slotted into the back of the net. In his second All-Star Game appearance, Henry started and played 57 minutes before being replaced by Sporting Kansas City’s Graham Zusi. Red Bulls defender Heath Pearce was also named to the MLS First XI but was replaced by San Jose’s Justin Morrow on the squad due to his right hamstring strain. RED BULLS ACQUIRE SEBASTIEN LE TOUX The New York Red Bulls announced on July 13 that it acquired forward and 2010 MLS Best XI selection Sébastien Le Toux in exchange for midfielder Dane Richards and allocation money.. Le Toux, 28, was in the midst of his first season with Vancouver, where he tallied four goals and one assist in 19 appearances. The Frenchman joined the Whitecaps on Jan. 31, 2012 from the Philadelphia Union in exchange for allocation money. Le Toux had a pair of standout seasons with the Union, recording 25 goals and 20 assists in 62 regular season starts. He led Philadelphia in both goals and assists in 2010 and 2011 and helped his club reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever last year. Le Toux, who was named to the 2010 MLS All-Star Team and was a MLS Best XI selection following a 14-goal season, also won the 2010 and 2011 MLS Fair Play Award and scored once in the Union’s 2011 postseason run. Le Toux’s MLS career began in 2009 with Seattle Sounders FC, when he became the club’s first-ever signing on May 8, 2008. He featured in 28 games, starting 15, and notched one goal and three assists. He was also with Seattle from 2008-09 while it played in the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1). Le Toux earned a spot on the USL-1 Second Team after racking up 14 goals, which was good for second in the League. The 2008 campaign followed up his first year in the United States, when he won the USL-1 Most Valuable Player of the Year, tallying 10 goals, and helping the Sounders win the Commissioner’s Cup (regular season winner) and USL-1 Championship (playoffs winner). Before coming to North America, Le Toux was with FC LorientBretagne Sud in France’s Ligue 2 from 2004-06. The club earned promotion to Ligue 1 in 2006. Le Toux was a member of the Stade Rennais FC youth program. Richards was drafted out of Clemson University by New York in the second round (19th overall) in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He made his 147th regular season appearance for the club last Sunday at New England, which put him in second place all-time in franchise history. Richards is also second in games started for the club (132) and minutes played (11,699), trailing only Petke (158, 14,060). He is also third in assists (26). This year, Richards had one goal and two assists in 17 appearances. NEW YORK ACQUIRES GOALKEEPER BILL GAUDETTE The New York Red Bulls announced July 13 that it acquired goalkeeper Bill Gaudette from the LA Galaxy in exchange for New York’s natural 2014 second round MLS Supplemental Draft pick. Gaudette, 30, most recently was a member of the LA Galaxy, joining the team for the 2012 season. He appeared in three matches for the Galaxy, posting a record of 0-2-1 and a 1.33 goals against average. Gaudette came to Los Angeles after a one-year stint with the Montreal Impact of the North American Soccer League in 2011. He made nine appearances for the Canadian club.
From 2008-2010, Gaudette played for the Puerto Rico Islanders, then of the USL First Division. He had a standout first season in 2008, winning the USL First Division’s Goalkeeper of the Year award and leading the league with 14 victories while posting 10 shutouts. That season, Puerto Rico won its first ever Commissioner’s Cup for finishing first in the league standings. Gaudette was also instrumental for the Islanders in their run to the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. He followed up his solid 2008 season on the domestic front in 2009 by tying for the USL First Divison lead with 15 victories and 12 shutouts. In 2010, he backstopped the Islanders to the USSF Division 2 Professional League title. Gaudette began his professional career in MLS with the Columbus Crew, who selected him in the 2005 Supplemental Draft. He appeared in 17 matches with the Crew in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, posting MLS career highs in 2006 with 11 appearances, three shutouts and a goals against of 1.18. Gaudette played collegiately at St John’s University from 2001-04, and spent time with the Brooklyn of the USL Premier Development League before coming to MLS. On the international level, the 30-year-old has earned two caps for the Puerto Rico National Team, debuting on June 1, 2012 in a 3-1 win over Nicaragua. SOLLI SCORES TWO-STRAIGHT After going goalless in 42 with the Red Bulls, midfielder Jan Gunnar Solli scored goals in two consecutive games on June 24 and June 30. The Norwegian most recently found the back of the net on June 30, volleying home a Brandon Barklage cross in a 1-1 tie against Toronto F C. Six days prior, Solli picked a good time to score his first MLS goal, as his 55th minute tally against D.C. United proved to be the game-winning goal in a 3-2 victory at Red Bull Arena. RECORD CROWD The Red Bulls’ 3-2 win over D.C. United on June 24 was attended by a record crowd at Red Bull Arena for a Red Bulls match (25,187). It broke the previous Red Bull Arena record set on Oct. 4, 2011 - a day when the Red Bulls won 2-0 over the LA Galaxy. RED BULLS LOAN HERTZOG FOR REST OF YEAR The New York Red Bulls announced June 27 that the loan of forward Corey Hertzog to USL-PRO side Wilmington Hammerheads was extended for the remainder of the USL-PRO season. The teams had initially agreed to a one month loan for the former Penn State University forward on May 29. While on loan with the Hammerheads, Hertzog has played in seven matches and registered four goals and two assists. Wilmington is currently in fourth place in USL-PRO with a 5-4-4 record. Originally drafted by New York in the first round (13th overall) of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft out of Penn State University, Hertzog had not made a first team appearance for the Red Bulls in 2012. Last season, Hertzog featured in five regular season games. Hertzog scored one goal in three MLS Reserve League appearances this year. BARKLAGE BURNS FORMER CLUB Red Bulls defender Brandon Barklage made his former team pay on June 24, as he popped in his first two career MLS goals in helping the Red Bulls to a 3-2 win over D.C. United. Barklage tied the match at one apiece when he deflected in a Joel Lindpere corner in the 20th minute, and gave New York the lead with a stunning strike in second half stoppage time. In addition, Barklage became the first defender in franchise history to score two goals in a single match. PEARCE ON THE BOARD Red Bulls defender Heath Pearce scored in the 86th minute on June 20 against Vancouver to give the Red Bulls a 1-1 draw. The goal was Pearce’s first career MLS goal. However, Pearce did score his first Red Bulls goal