The Red Bulls have ruled out Thierry Henry for tonight’s 7:00 fourth-round U.S. Open Cup game at the Harrisburg (Pa.) City Islanders. But they’re taking the Cup just as seriously as the MLS season, which is why coach Hans Backe is so steamed about having to play every game on the road.
They began this year’s Open Cup with a third-round win last Tuesday in Charleston, surviving a round that saw eight of 16 MLS teams upset. Now they go on the road again tonight, and even if they win, they will have to travel to either Washington or Philadelphia for the quarterfinals.
“We’ve been unlucky to play on the road all the time. If we win, we will have to play the third game on the road, which makes me a bit frustrated when I look at other teams getting three home games in a row,’’ said Backe. “I’d like to see who makes the draw. In every other country in the world you do it on [TV]. No one knows what is going on here, so I’m a little bit ticked with that.’’
Defender Tyler Ruthven will be suspended for a red card he got in the Open Cup two years ago. Backe added the team will know in six weeks if Teemu Tainio’s ACL injury is career-ending, and in a couple of weeks whether Luke Rodgers’ visa appeal was successful.