By BRIAN LEWIS
May 17, 2008
The Red Bulls will try to run their unbeaten string to five games against visiting Kansas City tonight (7:30 p.m., MSG), and they'll have to do it with star striker Juan Pablo Angel ailing and starting central midfielders Claudio Reyna and Seth Stammler out altogether.
Reyna hasn't played since leaving the May 1 game in Toronto at halftime with a quad injury. He'll join Stammler in missing a second straight tilt, while Angel will play through a painful nerve problem in his back.
"I'm still not feeling 100 percent,'' said Angel, who torched the Wizards for five goals in three meetings last year. "But I've been trying to get myself in good shape, and the only way that you're going to do it is� to play games and that's what I'm trying to do. Little by little, I'm getting there.''
Coach Juan Carlos Osorio insists he has enough fit central midfielders for the 3-5-2 he prefers at home, with Mike Magee, rookie Luke Sassano and Sinisa Ubiparipovic all options. But central defender Carlos Mendes practiced at defensive midfield, and could well play there instead of Ubiparipovic, who'd been suffering from a recent pulled hamstring.
"We've played him (at defensive midfield) a few times, and he's practiced there and he has done well, so he might have a chance to play there. I hope he does,'' Osorio said. "I think we have some cover.''
It's a key game in the competitive Eastern Conference. The top two teams in each conference make the MLS Cup playoffs, along with the next four best records; but the next four best records are all from the East, with the Red Bulls (3-1-1, 11 points) sitting just a point ahead of the Wizards (3-3-1, 10).
Struggling Kansas City _ which is coming off back-to-back losses _ is without midfielders Lance Watson (foot) and Roger Espinoza (suspension), and defender Jonathan Weathers (U.S. Under-23 camp). But stopping the Wizards is all about slowing new Argentine signing Claudio Lopez, a counterattacking threat who already has two goals and an assist.
"Their fullbacks come forward very often, they have pace up front with Claudio Lopez, and they have enough ability in midfield with (Carlos) Marinelli,'' Osorio said. "They're a good, well-coached team that likes to play football and will come here and try to take the game to us, so we have to be on our toes and defend to have a good game.''
Defense has been the key to the Red Bulls' strong start, trying for a five-game unbeaten streak that would be their longest since last April 7-May 5. They've allowed an MLS-low 53 shots _ the next-stingiest is Toronto at 71 _ and they're five goals surrendered are the second-fewest in the league.
"All the credit goes to the players. They've taken on board the way we want to defend, and responded very well to it. They've improved substantially,'' Osorio said. "We defend much better the aerial balls. Jeff (Parke) has been good, Kevin (Goldthwaite) has been very good. They've been improving all of their games. As a result, we defend better collectively.''
